Dear John,
Khalid Ramizy is the former CEO of Afghanistan Economic and Legal Studies Organization (AELSO), an Atlas Network partner based in Kabul.
Since 2009, AELSO has been promoting personal freedom in Afghanistan. They’ve hosted conferences on classical liberalism and provide leadership for thousands of local, pro-liberty advocates.
Then in August 2021, the U.S. military withdrew from the region, and the Taliban returned to power in a matter of weeks.
The Taliban is a military movement that acts as Afghanistan’s de facto government.
They enforce harsh anti-freedom policies such as restrictions on speech, women’s rights, minority rights, and basic due process.
When the Taliban returned to power, Ramizy and AELSO were on their list of dissidents that needed to be silenced immediately.
And they wasted no time starting their pursuit.
A suicide bomber attacked AELSO’s last public event.
Ramizy then hurried to his office to destroy documents to protect the identities of AELSO’s supporters.
He had to keep changing his location and face coverings like scarves and glasses to prevent being identified in public.
With death squads searching for him, he asked Atlas Network to help get him and his family out of the country.
Atlas Network deployed resources from our Rapid Response Fund to cover the cost of his urgent and safe transport so he could make it to the Kabul Airport and on a plane to Albania.
He made it out, but it was a close call.
The Rapid Response Fund is an account we use at Atlas Network to help our partners in emergencies.
It’s a fund we don’t talk about often… but it has a huge impact keeping our partners safe, and their organizations operational.
It’s so important that we decided to make it the primary focus of our end-of-quarter fundraising drive.
We’re looking to raise $12,000 by June 30, and we’re hoping to do it by finding 100 new friends of Atlas Network who will each contribute a $10 monthly gift.
Can we count on your help to support our Rapid Response Fund?
Please join Atlas Network by sending a monthly gift before the end of June, whether that’s $20, $15, or $10 per month.
Supporting our Rapid Response Fund is so important that one of our most generous donors has committed to matching all online contributions received during this drive, up to a $12,000 value.
He will even match your recurring gift each and every month it processes, for a full year, until he reaches his capacity.
Sending a $10 recurring gift will turn into a $20 monthly impact, but only if you make your first contribution before the end of the quarter.
Please help us reach our end-of-quarter goal and support our Rapid Response Fund by becoming a monthly supporter of Atlas Network.
Your monthly gift will go a long way to supporting our partners when they need us the most.
Sincerely,
Vale Sloane
Director of Development
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