Upload
others
View
0
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Capacitar Letter from Afghanistan—February 2016Youth of Afghanistan—The Borderfree Nonviolence Community
Dear Friends, Greetings to you from Afghanistan where GeorgeHoranand Ihavebeenworkingthe last10days.This isoursecondvisit to theBorderfreeNonviolenceCommunity andtheAfghanPeaceVolunteers inKabul.Duringourtimeherewefacilitatedfiveworkshopsforyouth,peacevolunteers,theBorderfree Community, the women’s sewing group, streetkidsandrepresentativesoflocalorganizations.Besideswork-shops, we also offered individual counseling sessions to anumberofyouth.
TheBorderfreeNonviolenceCommunitywasfoundedin2011byDr.HakimYoung,amedicaldoctorfromSingapore,whowantedtoempoweryouthfromdifferenttribalgroupstolearnhowtoliveandworktogetherinpeace.Borderfreefocusesonavarietyofprojectsrelatedtothreevalues:Green—withworkinpeaceparks,permacultureandgardening;Equality—withthestreetkidsschool,abicycleclubforboysandgirls,anda na-tional dance group; andWorldWithoutWar—with teams inconflict resolution, education, media, mediation, psychology and communication. Borderfree responds to the needs oftheAfghanpeoplebysupportingeducationforstreetkidsandyouth,aswellasteachingskillstowomenthroughthesewingco-op thatproducesduvets and scarves.Anew foodpantryprojectprovidesstaplesforthefamiliesofstreetkids.
Thisvisitweofferedcounselingandtherapyses-sionstoover18peopleandbecameveryawareofthechallengesfacedbyyoungAfghans.Sixty-fourpercentofthepopulationof32millionisunder18yearsofage.Incontrasttotheproblemsofyouthindevelopednations,the normal adolescent psychological development ofyoungAfghansisimpactedbyalegacyofwar,occupa-tion,presenceoftheTaliban,extremepovertyandon-going violence. In that context, the Afghan youth wemetaretryingtogrowupandgetaneducationinaverypoorandoftenabusivesocialsystem.Someareearninguniversitydegreeshoping for employment,where theunemploymentrateisover40%.Foryoungwomen,thesituationisalsocompoundedbysocialmoresandtribalcustomsthatlimitfreedomandpersonalopportunities.
AccordingtoaUNICEFreport(2013),Afghanistanisthesecondworstplaceintheworldtobeborn,withthe secondhighestmortality rate in childrenunder 5,andisthesecondleastdevelopedcountry(UNDevelop-mentIndex).Only42%ofboysattendsecondaryschool,and23%ofgirls.Approximately40%ofthepopulationismarriedbyage18,andlifeexpectancyis50.5years.TheGDPpercapitais$1,100.In2015,arepresentativeofthe
Pat Cane and George Horan with Dr. Hakim Young of BorderfreeBelow: Hakim and Ali with photos of the food pantry for families
Afghan Peace Volunteers at a Capacitar workshop at the Borderfree CenterBelow: Afghan hands of hope and healing doing the Tai Chi movements
MinistryofHealthsaidthatover90%ofAfghanpeoplearetrauma-tized.AndPresidentAshrafGhaniinhisaddresstotheUSCongressinMarch2015saidthatAfghanistanwasamentallyillcountry.
Withthisbackdropofstatistics,Capacitarrecognizestheim-portanceofworkingwiththeBorderfreeyouthtoempowerhopeandpossibilities. The followingare stories about someof theyouthwemet,andforreasonsofconfidentiality,wearegivinganonymousex-amplesoftheirlifeexperiences.
OnoneofourfirstdaysinKabul,wemet“M”,ayoung15-yearoldgirlcoveredinablackveil,whohada6month-oldbabygirl.Shetoldusthatshewasverydepressedandsadandwantedtochangeherlife.Welaterfoundoutthatshehadbeensoldbyherparentstoamentallydisabledmanformarriage.Beforethewedding,shebeggedforherfreedombutwasunabletochangeherfate.Nowat15withababy,thereisnoescapeforher,andherparentsrefusetolethergotoschoolbeyondthe8thgrade.
“J”, a 17-yearold,wasbeatenbyhis parents at home, andbeatenwithastickbyhisteachersinschool.Hefeelshopeless,with-outafuture,andbecauseofhisdepressionandlackofself-esteem,issometimessuicidal.Helongsforabetterlifeandsuccessinschoolsohecanliveinpeacewithhopeforthefuture.
“L”,abeautiful16-yearold, lovesworkingwithchildren.AsshewalkstoschoolinthestreetsofKabul,sheissometimesharassedbymenwhoyellabusivecommentstoher.Sheoftenarrivesatschoolor thepeacecenter fearfulandanxious forhersafety. Inacountryobsessedwiththeprotectionandmoralreputationofitswomen,ha-rassmentandabuseareofgreatconcerntoyoungwomen.
“R”isa16-yearoldwhoranawayfromhishomeandvillagebecauseoftheviolenceofhisfather.HerecentlyarrivedinKabulwithfewresources,andheworriesabouthowhewillsurvive.Hewantstogotoschool,butwithoutfinancialresourcesisunabletostudy.HewouldliketofleefromAfghanistan,buthehasnoresources,nocon-tacts,andnowheretogoasayoungrefugee.
“S” is a 17-year old girl dressed in blackwhoworries con-stantlyabouthermotherandsiblingsandisunabletoconcentratein school.Herolderbrotherdiedbecausethefamilywastoopoortopayforhismedicalcare.Heryoungerbrotherwhois7-yearsold,isexhibit-ingsignsofautismwithmanyuncontrollablebehaviors.Themotherpaysoutalotofmoneytoincompetentdoctorsforinconclusivetests,inadequate diagnoses andmedicines that do not help. Because ofthisthefamilyhasmanyeconomicpressures.“R”worriesabouthermotherandbrotherandfeelsresponsibleforthem.
In the midst of these overwhelming challenges, the AfghanPeaceVolunteersaretryingtoimprovetheir livesandtheircountry.Through theirprojectsandnonviolentactions, theyarechallengingoppressivesystemsintheircultureandsociety.OnesuchprojectthatispushingtheedgetofosterequalityistheBorderfreeBicycleClub.InAfghanistan,girls traditionallydonotridebicycles.Whenseveralof thegirls tried todo so, theywereharassed in the streets. So topromote theirempowermentasequals,APV leaderHoor (17yearsold)startedabicycleclubtoencourageandsupportthegirls.ThegirlsPhotos: Afghan youth and street kids learning Capacitar practices
nowmeetweeklyinthepeacecenteryardtolearnhowtoridethebicycles,andthenonFridays(theMuslimholydaywhenthereislesstraffic)theboysandgirlsridetogetherforprotection,solidarity,andfun.LastFridayover30oftheyouthtookan8-kilometerridethroughthestreetsofKabul.Wesatwithseveraloftheyouthaftertheridetolistentotheirex-periences.Theywereexhaustedfromtherideandoverjoyedwiththeiraccomplishment.
Riding throughthestreetsofKabul is indeedanaccomplishment! Withoutadoubt,Kabul isoneof themostchallengingandcrazyplacestorideabikeortodrive—withcarsgoinginmultipledirections,roadblocks,militarytanksoncorners,streetvendors,trafficpolice,soldierswithassaultrifles,streetkids,beggars,andcartsanddonkeyscloggingmanystreetsandintersections.Addedtothisisalwaysthepossiblepresenceofasuicidebomber.Twodaysago,onemandressedlikeasoldierblewhimselfupinfrontoftheMinistryofDefense,causingthedeathsof10peopleandwounding20bystanders.Shafik,ourpersonaltaxidriver,callsthetrafficchaos“buzkashi”,thenameofthenationalAfghansport.Buzkashiislikenedtorugbyonhorseback.Itisplayedwiththecarcassofaheadlessgoatthatservesastheball.Teamsofridersonhorsebackcompetetograbthegoatamidthethrashingofbodies,hoovesandwhips.ThisisakintotheKabultrafficwheredriversmanoeuveraroundeachotherhonkinghornstogaintheirpositionsandracethroughthechaos.“Carbuzkashi”isnotforthefaintofheartandShafikisachampinhisownright!
AsourtimeinAfghanistancomestoaclose,weareindeedblessedwiththefriendshipoftheBorderfreeNonviolence Communityfromwhomwehavereceivedsomuch.AndwearecommittedtoreturnhereinOctobertocontinueourworkandcollaboration.
Withpeaceandblessings,
PatCane,CapacitarFounder/DirectorGeorgeHoran,CapacitarAfghanistanTeam
www.capacitar.org
Hoor, the Afghan Peace Volunteer who started the bicycle club, teaching some of the girls how to ride Afghan girls waiting their turn to ride a bike