Ambassador Haidari Delivers President’s Distinguished Speaker Lecture at Wabash College
By Staff Writer
Crawfordsville, Indiana | October 2, 2025 — Displaced International (DI) Founder and President Ambassador M. Ashraf Haidari returned to his alma mater, Wabash College, to deliver this year’s President’s Distinguished Speaker Series (PDSS) lecture titled “Displacement at a Crossroads: Conflict, Climate, and Poverty in a Fragile World.” The event took place at Salter Concert Hall in the Fine Arts Center, drawing a full audience of students, faculty, alumni, and members of the Crawfordsville community.
In his address, Ambassador Haidari called attention to the unprecedented scale of global displacement — now exceeding 122 million people worldwide — describing it as “the defining humanitarian and security challenge of our time.” He traced the intersecting crises of conflict, climate change, and poverty, urging greater international action to address the root causes that continue to force millions from their homes each year.
Reflecting on his own journey from refugee to ambassador, Haidari emphasized the transformative role of education and opportunity. “Displacement is not destiny,” he said, crediting Wabash College for providing the foundation that enabled him to pursue higher education, diplomacy, and humanitarian leadership. He also paid tribute to his professors, mentors, and host family in Crawfordsville, whose support, he noted, exemplifies the enduring Wabash spirit of character, compassion, and community.
The lecture connected local and global lessons, situating Wabash’s values within the broader fight for inclusive governance and durable peace. Ambassador Haidari highlighted the mission of Displaced International, which he founded in 2024 to ensure that people with lived experience of displacement lead efforts to find sustainable solutions. “Our mission,” he said, “is to turn displacement into opportunity — amplifying refugee voices, strengthening resilience, and advancing peace-centered development.”
Wabash College President Scott Feller and Chief of Staff Jim Amidon welcomed Ambassador Haidari back to campus, commending his global leadership and continued service to humanitarian causes. Haidari, in turn, lauded Wabash’s enduring commitment to academic excellence, diversity, and international understanding — values, he said, “that remain as vital today as they were when I first walked these halls.”
The full text of Ambassador Haidari’s address, “Displacement at a Crossroads: Conflict, Climate, and Poverty in a Fragile World,” delivered on October 2, 2025, as part of the President’s Distinguished Speaker Series, follows below.
Wabash College President’s Distinguished Speaker Series (PDSS) featuring Ambassador Ashraf Haidari
“Displacement at a Crossroads: Conflict, Climate, and Poverty in a Fragile World”
Salter Concert Hall, Fine Arts Center
Crawfordsville, IN
October 2, 2025
Opening
President Feller,
Chief of Staff Amidon,
My esteemed professors Dr. Blix, Dr. Butler, and Dr. Hadley,
My community host parents, Mr. Gary and Mrs. Patricia Stull,
My dear Afghan friend, Farid Amiri,
Distinguished faculty, members of the Crawfordsville community, and above all,
Dear students,
Good evening!
Thank you for welcoming me back home to Wabash College. It is a joy and an honor to return after so many years and to witness the many new developments that have further enhanced the beauty and character of this campus. As I walked its familiar paths yesterday, I was struck both by how much has changed and by how much remains the same — the enduring spirit of Wabash that continues to inspire students, faculty, alumni, community members, and friends alike.
Ladies and gentlemen, I want to begin by recognizing President Scott Feller and his dedicated team for their remarkable stewardship of Wabash. Since taking office, President Feller has strengthened the College’s academic excellence while upholding its deep commitment to diversity and inclusion. I particularly admire his determination to preserve opportunities for international students, including those from fragile and conflict-affected regions. His leadership reflects a clear awareness of the global challenges of forced displacement and migration, ensuring that Wabash remains a place where students from every background can flourish.
What makes Wabash truly unique — and what I experienced firsthand — is the web of connections that surrounds each student: dedicated leadership and faculty, the wider Crawfordsville community, caring alumni across the nation and world, and friends who step in with guidance and support whenever asked. These relationships make Wabash not only a college of rigorous academics but also a college of character. I have shared this story with audiences around the world, always stressing how such a supportive network can transform lives. I am glad to see that this spirit remains strong and well-nurtured under President Feller’s leadership.
Wabash is also blessed with a Chief of Staff who is a gifted strategic communicator, ensuring that Wabash stories are told far and wide. He has followed my journey — along with those of many others — and helped us share them with Wabash students. For that, I extend my sincere thanks.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is more than policy; it is the living story of Wabash. Every student here benefits from this unique spirit of welcome and support. My own journey is but one example — and I will share it with you shortly.
The Crossroads
Ladies and gentlemen, we stand at a crossroads.
As of April this year, the world counted more than 122 million people forcibly displaced — the highest in modern history. That means one in every 65 people on Earth has been forced to flee their home. Imagine for a moment if one-third of Indiana’s population were uprooted overnight, carrying only what they could on their backs, with no certainty of shelter, safety, or food. That is the daily reality for millions.
Behind these numbers are children unable to attend school, parents separated from their families, and entire communities stripped of dignity and identity. And their displacement is driven not by one factor, but by three converging forces: conflict, climate, and poverty — the triple crises of our fragile world.
Two and a half thousand years ago, Euripides wrote: “There is no greater sorrow on Earth than the loss of one’s native land.” That remains true today. No one leaves home willingly. People flee only when staying becomes more dangerous than the perilous journey ahead.
Conflict
Ladies and gentlemen, the first driver, conflict, remains the greatest.
Wars continue to uproot millions: in Sudan and South Sudan, where civil war and famine have displaced entire communities; in Ukraine, where millions of women and children have fled bombardments; in Gaza, where devastation has left families with nowhere safe to go; in Myanmar, where ethnic cleansing continues; in Syria, where major conflict has subsided but displacement remains one of the most protracted crises of our generation; and in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where cycles of violence force villagers to flee repeatedly.
The human toll is crushing, but so too is the economic toll. In 2024, the global economic impact of violence reached nearly 20 trillion dollars, consuming almost 12 percent of the entire world economy. In the ten most war-torn countries, the cost averaged 37 percent of GDP, leaving nothing for schools, hospitals, or development.
Meanwhile, global military spending hit 2.7 trillion dollars in 2024, the steepest annual rise in decades. This is the paradox: the world pours trillions into fueling wars but leaves humanitarian appeals chronically underfunded. As a result, millions of displaced families go without food, shelter, or protection, while weapons factories boom.
Climate
Ladies and gentlemen, the second driver is climate.
In 2024 alone, disasters triggered nearly 46 million new displacements — the highest annual figure ever recorded. These were not rare events; they were floods sweeping across Pakistan and Afghanistan, droughts emptying farmlands in the Horn of Africa, hurricanes flattening Caribbean communities, and wildfires forcing evacuations across continents.
And climate shocks do not act in isolation. They multiply existing fragilities, pushing already vulnerable societies over the edge. A prolonged drought in Somalia, for instance, led not only to crop failures but also to intensified conflict over scarce water and land.
In Afghanistan, nearly nine million people were affected by floods and droughts just last year. Entire villages were swept away, crops withered, and livestock perished. And just weeks ago, a magnitude-6.0 earthquake struck eastern provinces, killing more than 2,000 people, injuring thousands, and displacing families yet again.
When disasters strike fragile states, the suffering multiplies. Governments lack the capacity to respond, infrastructure collapses, and humanitarian access is limited. For many families, displacement ceases to be temporary — it becomes permanent.
Poverty and Fragility
Ladies and gentlemen, the third driver is poverty — the silent partner of conflict and climate.
Conflict destroys economies. Climate disasters wipe out livelihoods. Poverty then locks people into cycles they cannot escape. Today, nearly 300 million people worldwide require humanitarian assistance, but funding falls dangerously short. The United Nations requested 44 billion dollars this year, but less than half is in sight.
For displaced families, poverty is both a cause and a consequence. Refugees often arrive in host countries where they cannot legally work. Instead of rebuilding, they are trapped in dependency. Camps meant to be temporary become semi-permanent. Children grow up without education or prospects. And yet, when given the opportunity, refugees contribute enormously to their host societies. They do not want aid; they want opportunity.
Afghanistan as a Case Study
Ladies and gentlemen, Afghanistan, my homeland, is a tragic case study where conflict, climate, and poverty collide.
Today, nearly 23 million Afghans — half the population — are in need of humanitarian aid. More than three million are displaced within the country, while eight million have fled abroad. Since 2023, over 2.8 million Afghans have been forced back from neighboring countries, often into conditions of danger and destitution. Pakistan alone expelled nearly two million in 2024, with more expulsions expected this year.
This exodus takes place under Taliban rule, where Afghanistan is subjected to the world’s only gender apartheid regime. Women and girls are banned from education, work, and public life, stripping Afghan society of half its resilience. Excluding women not only violates human rights but also cripples the very capacity of Afghan communities to adapt to crises, rebuild economies, and sustain families.
And then there are natural disasters. Afghanistan ranks among the twenty most climate-vulnerable countries in the world. Floods, droughts, earthquakes, and now famine conditions push millions into deeper despair. The recent Kunar earthquake, which killed over two thousand people, underscored how fragile and unprepared the country has become.
Ladies and gentlemen, as we speak, Afghanistan just experienced a complete internet blackout — cutting off the last window Afghans had to the outside world. This has plunged the population into utter isolation, with far-reaching implications for regional stability and international security. When Afghans cannot access even basic information or services online, many are forced to flee across borders in search of connectivity and survival. Yet the conditions they encounter in neighboring countries are hardly better for refugees, leaving them trapped between repression at home and neglect abroad. The recent blackout worsens Afghanistan’s sixfold crises: aan bsent legitimate state, economic collapse, humanitarian catastrophe, gender apartheid, climate impacts, and forced displacement.
Afghanistan today embodies the convergence of conflict, climate, and poverty. It is not simply a humanitarian crisis; it is a warning of what happens when fragility goes unaddressed for decades.
My Journey
Ladies and gentlemen, let me pause here to share my own journey.
In the 1990s, when my family fled Kabul, we did not wait in a camp for aid. I worked as a street vendor selling clothes to help my family survive. I studied English relentlessly at night, believing it might open a door to the future.
It did. I found work with the UN Refugee Agency and the World Food Program. With their encouragement, I took the TOEFL exam and applied to American colleges. Most rejected me. But one college said yes: Wabash College, which offered admission with a generous scholarship.
I must also acknowledge the support and guidance of my mentor, Dr. Whitney Azoy, who first told me about Wabash, and of Waseel Azizi, another Afghan refugee and a proud member of the Class of 1995, whose success perhaps played a role in my own admission.
That scholarship changed my life. At Wabash, I found not just an education, but a home and a family. I owe deep appreciation to my host parents, Mr. Gary and Mrs. Patricia Stull, whose emotional, social, and at times financial support sustained me. Without their generosity, I could not have studied abroad in Geneva, Switzerland — an experience that further enriched my education. Their love carried me through the days and months when I was cut off from my family during the ethnic cleansing in northern Afghanistan in 1998.
I also want to honor my professors. Dr. Blix offered father-like advice with Sufistic care, grading my papers with different colors until I grew from someone who could hardly write English to someone now publishing internationally. Dr. Butler made international relations accessible and defended my equal right as a foreign student to study abroad — a chance that proved pivotal. Dr. Hadley’s lessons on the U.S. government helped me as a diplomat in Washington, where I often had an edge over peers from major powers who lacked that knowledge.
From here, I went on to Georgetown School of Foreign Service, to a diplomatic career, and to serving as Afghanistan’s ambassador. Along the way, I was guided by Dr. David Pancost, a devoted Wabash alumnus and emeritus trustee, who welcomed me to Washington and has supported me ever since. I am also thankful to my friend Farid Amiri, whose companionship gave me strength in Kabul during the years of daily terrorist attacks.
But I never forgot: displacement is not destiny. With opportunity, refugees thrive.
What Must Change
Ladies and gentlemen, so, what must change?
First, we must prevent conflicts through diplomacy and inclusive governance. Peacebuilding is always cheaper than war. Yet the world spends trillions on militaries each year while humanitarian appeals remain chronically underfunded. We must rebalance toward conflict prevention, mediation, resolution, and accountable institutions.
Second, we must fully fund humanitarian aid and protect principled assistance. The United Nations appeals each year to reach nearly 200 million people, out of some 300 million in need, but funding lags dangerously behind. Underfunding forces cuts to food, health, and protection right when needs are at record highs.
Third, we must share responsibility fairly. Low- and middle-income countries host about 73 percent of the world’s refugees, and two-thirds remain in neighboring countries, which are often those least able to absorb the shock. Wealthier states must expand resettlement, open labor mobility and education pathways, and accelerate family reunification.
Fourth, we must put people with lived experience at the center. Refugees and internally displaced people must help design, deliver, and lead responses — from camp governance to national policy consultations. This is not only right; it is effective.
Fifth, we must climate-proof our future. Disasters triggered the highest number of new internal displacements ever recorded just last year. Investing in early warning, resilient infrastructure, climate-smart agriculture, and anticipatory action saves lives and money. Development banks and the private sector must scale adaptation finance and risk-sharing tools to protect the most exposed communities.
And finally, we must align everything with the Sustainable Development Goals. The SDGs are the roadmap to reduce fragility and end chronic poverty, but only a fraction of targets are on course. That is a warning, not a verdict. The remedy is joint action at home, across regions, and globally — pooling resources and know-how to deliver on education, health, livelihoods, gender equality, and climate resilience.
Charge to Students
Fellow students, you may be asking: What can we do? My answer is: far more than you imagine.
Wherever life takes you — whether drafting policy in Washington, managing humanitarian responses in Geneva, teaching in Indiana, or serving in Kabul — you will carry the power to make a difference.
If you enter policy, champion prevention, inclusion, and dignity. If you work in aid, listen closely and empower those you serve. If you pursue teaching or business, open doors for those who lack opportunity. And if you lead in science or technology, build solutions that help vulnerable communities adapt and survive.
To answer Wabash’s call to make a global impact on humanity’s toughest challenges, I established Displaced International in July 2024 — a growing global initiative led and managed by the displaced for the displaced. Our mission is to turn displacement into opportunity by amplifying refugee voices, strengthening resilience, and advocating for durable solutions anchored in the Sustainable Development Goals — with conflict resolution at the center, because without peace, no solution can be truly lasting.
To my fellow Wabash students: I invite you to join in this effort and do your part. Consider applying for internships and fellowships with us. I am confident Wabash will support you, just as it once supported me. Together, we can help build a future in which displacement does not define lives, but opportunity and dignity do.
Your Wabash education equips you not only with knowledge but with empathy and responsibility. This is your moment to shape a world where forced displacement is not the defining reality of our century, but where human resilience and compassion prevail.
Closing
Ladies and gentlemen, let me close with the words of Somali poet Ifrah Mansour:
“I am a refugee, a stubborn survivor. Cruelty tried to break me, wars tried to erase me, bigotry tried to silence me, and politics tried to ban me; but still, like time, I stand; still like dust, I rise; still like hope, I move; still like love, I flourish. I am a refugee, and I heal humanity.”
These words resonate deeply with me, for I could not have stood here today without those who believed in me: my mentors, professors, host parents, alumni, community friends, and dear companions. Together, they embody the Wabash spirit of guidance, generosity, and resilience — a spirit that I carry forward in my work with Displaced International.
I also want to again recognize President Feller for his wise leadership, and Chief of Staff Amidon for ensuring that Wabash stories — including mine and those of so many others — are shared and celebrated. Their stewardship reminds us that Wabash is more than a college. It is a community of character — woven together by students, professors, leaders, alumni, and friends — always ready to guide, to support, and to serve when called. That unique spirit endures, and under President Feller’s leadership, it remains strong.
So let us all — students, faculty, alumni, and global citizens alike — commit to standing with the displaced, to building a world where no one is forced to flee, and where every person has the chance to flourish in dignity and peace.
Thank you, and my very best wishes for your journey ahead.
