Sitara Achakzai was a vivacious and intelligent woman, one of only four female members of the Kandahar Provincial Council. Although she worked hard to improve the lot of her constituents, as a member of the Afghan government she was a target, and the “enemies of Afghanistan” (a.k.a. the Taliban) gunned her down one afternoon in April this year (2009). I didn’t have the privilege of knowing her personally but thankfully someone who did made a remarkable film. It is now on view at:

http://galleries.lernerphoto.com/sitara2 <http://galleries.lernerphoto.com/sitara2>

And also on :http://theworld.org/2009/07/29/the-life-and-death-of-sitara-achekzai/ <http://www.theworld.org/2009/07/29/the-life-and-death-of-sitara-achekzai/>