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Fighting For Others
Written By: Robin King Austin - Mountaintop Rotary | Issue: June 2023
Clark Plexico
Clark Plexico is no stranger to hard work and big challenges, but he is in the fight of his life right now, trying to save families targeted by the Taliban. The people he is working to save are those who worked for American organizations or fought for human rights. He and a group of former Afghan temporary residents working for various organizations have come together to try and save these families which is as complicated as it can possibly be.
A former North Carolina State Senator, Clark represented this area at one time, but prior to that, he spent time in Afghanistan and Iran working with organizations that promoted Democracy, human rights, and building international relations. He recently was presented with the Order of the Longleaf Pine from Governor Cooper for his long-term service to our state.
For the last two years, his life (and the lives of many others in his international group), has been consumed by putting families into safe houses, finding funding for their sustenance and working to get them out of the danger zone.
He reports some successes on the Afghan front.
“We have been able to get about 40 people to Canada and approximately another 40 some into the U.S.” Plexico says. “In addition, we have individuals who we assisted to get to other countries in order to process their visas into either the U.S. or Canada.
“We spent months negotiating with various countries to let us bring our Afghans into their country so that they can begin processing their visas into the U.S. and Canada.”
But there are still many people left in Afghanistan who are targeted and hunted daily. The horror of what will happen to them – and what has already happened to some, is almost too terrible to print. But reality is the Taliban history of what they will do, beheading, using the children as sex slaves, has been threatened to one woman who fought for woman’s rights. Now in hiding, unfortunately still in Afghanistan, she and her family are in grave danger.
Mountaintop Rotary is extremely proud of Clark’s long dedication to these people and the stressful and brutal work to find ways to get them to safety.
“Mountaintop Rotary in Highlands has raised almost $4,000 so far for Clark’s work and invites others in the community to join us in fighting this terrible fight,” said Michael Lanzilotta, President of Mountaintop Rotary of Highlands.
For further information please contact Michael Lanzilotta at (404) 273-6481 or incoming President Bill Kirkman at (404) 219-7498.
