Abbas Nazari was just seven when his family, fearing Taliban persecution, fled Afghanistan, embarking on a desperate and dangerous journey that ultimately lead him to New Zealand. Crammed with more than 400 other asylum seekers on a sinking fishing boat in the Indian Ocean, they were saved by cargo ship Tampa in a dramatic rescue. After being rejected by Australia, some of the group including Nazari’s family and were offered asylum here. He has gone on to become a Fulbright Scholar, completing a Master in Security Studies from Georgetown University in Washington DC, and authoring the moving memoir After the Tampa. As the rise of the Taliban once again haunts the people of his homeland, Nazari reflects on questions of home and security, challenge and hope, opportunity and resilience. In conversation with Nikki Mandow.