Head boy’s Taliban tales

Lady Manners School Sixth Formers and staff alike were enthralled when they met ‘old boy’, Matt Waldman, whose travels since leaving school have included meetings with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Matt Waldman left Lady Manners School in 1992, his position as Head Boy boding well for his future career. He qualified as an international lawyer before serving as a foreign affairs and defence advisor in the UK and European Parliaments. The next step for Matt was to join Oxfam as head of policy for Afghanistan. This started a long period of work in the region which led to a key role promoting conflict resolution and reconciliation with the Taliban, for the United Nations.

The students heard tales of Matt’s adventures in Afghanistan which led him to meetings with Taliban chiefs, with one such meeting involving a discussion about the value to the Taliban if Matt were to be taken hostage! Matt concluded by leaving the students with some advice. This included ‘Strive to Attain’, the school’s motto.