In the difficult conditions of the Afghan reconstruction, the diffusion of all forms of information and knowledge will play a major part in the reconstruction of the civil society and the success of the ongoing democratic process in Afghanistan. AÏNA (meaning ‘Mirror’) was founded by National Geographic photojournalist Reza Deghati, Rachel Deghati, Rodolphe Baudeau, Eric Davin and Florent Milesi with the aim of supporting democracy in Afghanistan through the development of media and cultural expression. Funded to a large extent by the European Commission, it works in a wide range of media activities in Afghanistan. It employs a large number of professional international volunteer staff who work closely with Afghanistan’s independent media.