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Crosscurrents

Afghan refugee stories

(From left to right) Ben Trefny, Ankita M. Kumar, Malalai Wiar, and Dr. Sedique Popal.  
Genie Park
(From left to right) Ben Trefny, Ankita M. Kumar, Malalai Wiar, and Dr. Sedique Popal.  

This conversation aired in the October 15, 2025 episode of Crosscurrents.

Click the button above to listen!

KALW and the Society of Professional Journalists of Northern California recently hosted a night centering the lived experiences of the Afghan refugee community. It was at our live event space in Downtown San Francisco, as part of our series ‘The Bay Agenda.’

The evening included a film screening, and a discussion hosted by KALW Executive Producer Ben Trefny.

His guests included Dr. Sedique Popal an Associate Professor at the University of San Francisco, and  Malalai Wiar, an educator at Refugee and Immigrant Transitions in SF. Here’s an excerpt from that discussion.

Crosscurrents
I joined KALW in 2003. As Executive News Editor and then News Director, I helped our news department win numerous regional and national awards for long- and short-form journalism. I've also helped create numerous training programs — for teenagers, incarcerated people, and early-career journalists — and have taught hundreds of audio producers. I served as interim Executive Director for nearly two years. My work is currently focused on creating original live events, programming, and building partnerships with like-minded organizations.