30 Birds Foundation
Jeffrey Stern is a multifaceted professional with extensive experience in writing, non-profit leadership, and international policy. As Co-Founder and Board Member of the 30 Birds Foundation since August 2021, Stern focuses on empowering Afghan girls’ education and leadership. Concurrently, Stern serves as an author for Penguin Publishing Group and has contributed to prominent publications like The New York Times Magazine and Vanity Fair, providing insights on Afghanistan and related topics. As Vice President of the Bamyan Foundation since 2013, Stern plays a key role in promoting support for vulnerable communities. Educational achievements include a Master's degree in International Policy Studies from Stanford University and a Bachelor's degree from Duke University. Notable publications include "The 15:17 to Paris" and "The Last Thousand," both exploring critical narratives in contemporary contexts.
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30 Birds Foundation
The mission of the 30 Birds Foundation is to rebuild pathways for Afghan girls to learn, lead and live freely. After the fall of Kabul, we teamed with the student leaders of one of Afghanistan’s first coed schools to evacuate the school’s most at-risk girls and their community. Determined to continue their education, these girls played an active role in coordinating their own escape. Under duress, moving in small numbers from city to city and past Taliban checkpoints, they would eventually help the 30 Birds guide more than 450 Afghans, including family members and various activists for female education, safely across the border. Most of our evacuees are now thriving in Canada, with others building new lives in the US, Europe and South America. The success of these efforts required a global community of supporters and friends, including ambassadors, Nobel laureates, Hollywood celebrities, parliamentarians, members of Congress, philanthropists, foundations, universities, law firms, journalists, human rights advocates, students, and the girls themselves. Our girls dream of becoming leaders in their fields, promoting democracy and human rights, giving back to the countries that welcomed them, and helping those still in Afghanistan. In 2023 and beyond, we are committed to ensuring the educational and professional success of the girls we’ve evacuated, while creating opportunities for those who must continue living under the Taliban’s oppressive rule. We also seek to grow this global network of passionate people and organizations who support the right of Afghan girls to live fulfilling and successful lives.