A Child of War
Born in Afghanistan
Ahmad Shah was born in 1989 in Afghanistan in the midst of civil war, the same year the world was positively affected by the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the tearing down of the Berlin Wall. His infancy and childhood were marked by violence and memories of anarchy. As a youngster, he went to school with fear, knowing he could not relax for a moment and take the simplest gesture for granted. Shah and his family were forced to move and live in different villages, observing the severity of terrorism.
Military
At 16, served with U.S. Military to combat terrorism and rebuild Afghanistan’s infrastructure.
At age 16, he assisted the U.S. military in frontline operations, trained the Afghan National Army, and taught cultural, political and social sensitivity skills. Later, as an Advisor to the Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), he facilitated 350 terrorism trials of those detained by US, NATO and ISAF forces at the Afghan National Security Court in Bagram.
Diplomacy
Transformed field operations experience to Diplomacy and combined it together…
Cultivated relationships and built partnerships with national and international organizations, including the development partners, media, civil society, NGOs, academia, businesses, government agencies, and parliamentarians to help mitigate conflicts while offering diplomatic methods of collaborations to bring about change and help empower communities that are vulnerable to terrorism. Shah has developed 24 programs to promote this cause, while sustaining effective professional relationships with key internal and external constituencies for further collaborations. ASM
Humanitarian
Shah and his family experienced violence and poverty and today in position of influence, helping those
in need
Ahmad serves as a human rights and social activist who has led community engagements around the world, including humanitarian missions to Mongolia, Turkey, and Afghanistan. Among fear of terrorism, Shah and his family faced famine in the late 1990s where the Taliban have cut aid to their village.
Rise to Peace
In 2016, Shah founded Rise to Peace where he launched a terrorism database, regularly hosts high-level events, publishes original research, and continues to advise U.S. military and civilian personnel on Afghan and Middle East matters. Due to its authentic messaging, the organization drew public interest and achieved a vast worldwide network of scholars. ASM
