Stronger Together
Stories That Cross Borders and Break Silence
Fariba Nawa is an award-winning journalist, author, and storyteller whose work sheds light on the human side of global conflict, migration, and identity. Through powerful reporting and intimate conversations, she brings untold voices to the forefront—connecting cultures, challenging narratives, and reminding the world that every story deserves to be heard.
“Interviewing people in crises in the field gives me a sense of purpose, a connection to traumatized communities I know too well. I was born to share real-life stories—mine and theirs.”
Fariba Nawa
Who We Are
Fariba Nawa an investigative journalist, podcaster, author, and speaker based in Istanbul, Turkey. I’m the chief editor of On Spec Podcast, an audio documentary from the field.
I wear a lot of hats in journalism, but my favorite part is getting out there and talking to people, searching for clues, and making bad guys accountable for their crimes.
Born in Afghanistan, I came to the U.S. as a refugee and spent my teen years in California, then headed to the American East Coast for undergrad and graduate education. I have a master’s in journalism and Middle Eastern studies from New York University. Then I fled back to my roots.
In the last 30 years, you could’ve found me covering the news from places like Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey in the last decade. I’m the author of the reportage memoir Opium Nation: Child Brides, Drug Lords, and One Woman’s Journey through Afghanistan, and co-author of several nonfiction anthologies.
Articles
Read articles that explore migration, policies, and global stories—helping you see the world with greater awareness.
ISTANBUL – The first heavy snow glistens in the darkness of the city I’ve fallen in love with in the last year. We are six, three children and three adults, who pile [...]
On the northern edge of the Silicon Valley in Fremont, tucked behind a narrow suburban road is a mystical space open to anyone who wants to connect with God, even Salaffis. Taleef [...]
I was giving a talk about the drug trade in Afghanistan based on my book Opium Nation with the Istanbul Book Club when Yamna, a member of the club and a graduate [...]
Four days after a suicide bomber killed 10 tourists and injured 15 at the most popular tourist destination of Istanbul, I took a good friend visiting from Kabul and my two girls [...]
Today, Afghans who cried for justice across the globe after Farkhunda’s March killing in Kabul were thrown a bone. Farkhunda, a student of Islam, was [...]
On September 18, 2013, Dutch authorities released a death list of Afghanistan’s disappeared that threw Afghans into a frenzy. The list opened old wounds. Families [...]
Afghans who read my article “How Iran controls Afghanistan” for Foxnews.com in January critiqued the piece, and the Hazaras took particular offense. I promised a [...]
For five years, I traveled on the bumpy roads of Afghanistan discovering the underworld of the illicit narcotics trade. I had many close calls with [...]
Whatever Joe Biden says, for the women who were beaten, forced to quit school, and bartered in marriage, and civilians who were deprived of freedom, [...]
A bilingual parent tries to keep a native tongue alive at home, a problem faced by many immigrants. By Fariba NawaOctober 18, 2011The Christian Science [...]
