You could have heard a pin drop while Natalie Amiri, ARD foreign correspondent, book author and TV presenter ("Weltspiegel"),  spoke in the BIS auditorium on  Wednesday. More than 80 grade 7 students were fascinated by Miss Amiri’s talk, as she shared the realities of the current situation in Afghanistan, the Taliban's takeover of power and the dramatic emergency situation there, all based on her own experiences visiting the highly destabilized country recently. Such a tangible, authentic learning experience was strengthened by Miss Amiri’s strong personality and culminated in an enthusiastic Q&A session that went on for nearly 45 minutes. 

"If everyone had been as interested in Afghanistan as you are, many problems there would not have arisen in the first place," said Miss Amiri to the room full of 12 and 13-year olds.

A newspaper article published in the Süddeutsche Zeitung about Miss Amiri's visit to BIS can be read here. 

Amiri, a 43-year-old German-Iranian born in Munich and “Journalist of the Year 2021,” connected her talk directly with the students’ curriculum, as they are currently reading the novel "The Breadwinner" by Deborah Ellis, which is set in Afghanistan.

Miss Amiri said she is passionate about ensuring that even young students understand globalization and are able to comprehend international political and economic interconnections. "I have high hopes for the new generation to develop more interest in the world again - political interest, not just the short tourist trips to exotic countries. Knowledge is more important than ever in a time of disinformation," said Miss Amiri, who speaks seven languages.

At the end of the nearly two-hour event, the award-winning journalist gave the young BIS students some tips to take with them: "Get informed, form your own critical opinion, use diverse international media and check sources."

"At Bavarian International School, we always welcome exciting individuals who inspire our students with their experiences and knowledge. They support our learning goals such as critical thinking, social engagement and open-mindedness. As an IB World School we always want to imbue students with an appreciation for global issues," said Brett Meuli, BIS Secondary School principal (grades 6-8).

From Friday to Sunday, Miss Amiri will moderate a panel on Afghanistan at the Munich Security Conference, and on 14. March 2022, her new book "Afghanistan: Undefeated Loser" will be published.

Her visit to BIS was made possible by BIS grade 7 student, Alana, and BIS English Teacher, Natasha Jones.