OMNI AFGHANISTAN
My blog: War
Department/Peace Department
My Newsletters:
Index:
See: Newsletter on Literature of US "Enemies"
“It has been a mainstay of this book that successful antiwar movements are
those that have been able to make direct links with those in the flight path of
US aggression and to bring
their struggles and concerns directly into the US
Contents #1 Oct. 21, 2012
Misc.
Google Search
Afghan Peace Movement
US Support
Afghans
for Peace Google Search
Sheehan: Fatima from
Afghans for Peace
Farzana
and Two Million Friends Campaign
WAND: Rangina Hamidi, Include Women
Dick: Foundation Schema
Contents #2
Swanson,
Peace Movement
Martin, Two
Million Friends for Ceasefire
Dear, Two
Million Friends
Blue Scarf
Movement
Afghan
Women’s Writing Project (AWWP)
Afghanistan's Peace Movement (Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers)
An Afghan Peace Movement, Not a US
by David Swanson l Truthout
Kabul, Afghanistan - The United States, on the verge of
shutting down its own government for lack of funds, just forked over another
$50 million for a peace jirga (or council) to negotiate peace in Afghanistan or
at least sponsor an upcoming conference in the United Arab Emirates and -
perhaps more so - bribe Taliban fighters to temporarily stop fighting.
Teck Young Wee, a medical doctor and
native of Singapore who
began working with Afghan refugees in Pakistan
Talking is always preferable to
bombing, and anything with the name peace in it has at least that going for it.
But this particular boondoggle may not have much else.
To almost all Afghans, the hard-core
Taliban are vicious killers and the United States/NATO foreign occupiers have
their own deceitful motives. Afghans who want independence, sovereignty and
democratic self-rule want power over their country kept out of the hands of the
United States , the Taliban, Pakistan , Iran
While many fear a Taliban takeover following a US
A nonviolent movement that could take
over power for the people of this war-torn land could take a decade to develop,
development that would have to include reconciliation among the various ethnic
groups of Afghanistan Singapore
who began working with Afghan refugees in Pakistan
11 years ago and moved to Bamiyan Province in Afghanistan
The view of the Afghan youth with whom Hakim is now working to
build a nonviolent movement for peace is that, while peace and democracy may be
years away, the US military should leave immediately. Most Afghans oppose the Taliban, but
most Afghans have family members who were horribly killed by the Taliban. The
fear has to be overcome, Hakim says. Afghanis drove out the Soviets and the
British and others before them. They can block Taliban rule with nonviolent
resistance and develop a stable, peaceful and just government. But, first, they
will have to come to believe that peace - something they've never seen, and a
name applied to a deal-making gathering of war lords (not to mention a Nobel
Prize for someone dropping bombs on them) - is truly possible.
Hakim believes Afghans have the
courage and ability to build a nonviolent movement for independence and peace.
He has, therefore, been mentoring youth in Bamiyan and elsewhere, creating
the Afghan
Youth Peace Volunteers (AYPV).
Health care, Hakim came to realize a
few years ago, is not enough without peace. He led a college workshop on peace,
and began bringing youth together. When death threats came, the people of
Bamiyan created a warning system to protect him that involved plans to put
their own bodies in the path of any violence.
The youth of Afghanistan have a couple of advantages, even if
lacking some of what the youth in Egypt
and Tunisia Afghanistan
There are a dozen core members of
AYPV, boys and young men ranging from age 8 to 20. Girls and young women and
members of multiple ethnic groups are members as well. On March 17, 40 members
of AYPV held a march for peace, nonviolence and ethnic unity in Kabul
While Hakim is their mentor, the
young men are the leaders of this budding movement. They are thoughtful,
experienced beyond their years and relentlessly energetic and up beat. Hakim
early on asked Abdullah, now aged 15, whether he could stand up to 49 coalition
countries, and Abdullah said he didn't think so. But then he volunteered that
he could stand up to one of them. Which one? Abdullah thought about that and
replied: "The United
States
Left to right: Abdullah, Ali, Gulenai.
Abdullah, whose father was killed by
the Taliban, recently explained his desire for peace and nonviolence from all
sides to a defender of the US/NATO occupation. The icy response was that the
Taliban ought to have killed him as well. Abdullah was told that he was too
young to know real suffering. But the younger man was the wiser in this
conversation, responding without anger or hatred and opposing the maintenance
of a vicious cycle of violent force and vengeance.
Older Afghans, many of them
traumatized by years of war and horrific incidents, often assert that an
unbroken tradition of centuries of violence makes peace impossible. But that
erases the memory of Pashtuns' nonviolent resistance to the British. And it
overlooks the enthusiasm of the young who know less and, thereby, manage to
know better. Crossing ethnic lines comes more easily for the young. The AYPV,
who are mainly Hazara and Tajik, handmade cell-phone holders which they sent
with messages of peace, love and friendship to Pashtun youth, who replied with
overwhelming shock and gratitude. Older Afghans will tell you that overthrowing
President Karzai will be the work of a few days, while resisting the Taliban
will be impossible, even though Karzai has more support than the Taliban. Young
active and informed members of AYPV will tell you that a group opposed by the
vast majority will be defeated, but must be defeated by Afghans, not by
foreigners.
The AYPV have issued statements in
support of peace and delivered them to top US and UN officials. They've found
allies and members around the country and abroad. They've held vigils. They've
placed a lighted peace sign on the side of a mountain. And above all, they have
educated and opened minds. They have a long way left to go.
On a recent morning, four members of
AYPV spoke to a college class in Kabul United States
"What is it with old
people?" I asked some AYPV young men. The experience of the Taliban has
crippled them with fear, said Abdullah. Some 60 percent of Afghans suffer
post-traumatic stress disorder or other serious psychological damage. Faiz said
that in fact the government works very hard to make people believe they are
powerless. Ali said that as soon as people are able to all stand together, it
would be that easy. Gulenai added that extreme distrust must first be overcome
through relationships and friendships.
Last year, two of these young men
went to the US
Former Afghan member of Parliament
Malalai Joya recently had a visa to the United States
SATURDAY, JANUARY 2, 2010
As we saw in the previous blog entry,
in December there were three disastrous nighttime raids carried out by (so it
seems) US special forces and/or CIA in Afghanistan
The reaction among Afghans appears to be quite strong. In the wake of the first incident, the Dec 7/8 attack in Laghman province which killed 12 civilians, Afghan parliamentarians reacted bitterly, as reported on Afghanistan's Tolo TV:
The reaction among Afghans appears to be quite strong. In the wake of the first incident, the Dec 7/8 attack in Laghman province which killed 12 civilians, Afghan parliamentarians reacted bitterly, as reported on Afghanistan's Tolo TV:
(Mawlawi
Sayed Rahman, MP representing Laghman
Province
(Yunos Qanuni, lower house Speaker:) Basic principles of this country's policies for the coming five years should be presented (to the lower house). This should include debate about country's new policies about the presence of foreign forces inAfghanistan
(Yunos Qanuni, lower house Speaker:) Basic principles of this country's policies for the coming five years should be presented (to the lower house). This should include debate about country's new policies about the presence of foreign forces in
Note that the
Laghman MP calls the western presence in his country an occupation and that Yunos
Qanuni, a very important Afghan politician, calls into question the
legitimacy of that occupation.
In the second incident, a Dec 27/28 nighttime operation by US special forces or CIA resulted in at least eight civilians killed by ground forces. Agence France-Presse reports that President Karzai "strongly condemned" the Kunar killings, which is I believe the strongest language he has ever used in incidents of this kind. There are, however, reports that Afghan army soldiers were involved in the Kunar incident, so Karzai's anger may be a rouse to deflect attention from his responsibility.
The Kunar incident sparked at least three major protests inAfghanistan Kabul and Jalalabad, the major eastern Afghan city and
gateway to Pakistan
In the second incident, a Dec 27/28 nighttime operation by US special forces or CIA resulted in at least eight civilians killed by ground forces. Agence France-Presse reports that President Karzai "strongly condemned" the Kunar killings, which is I believe the strongest language he has ever used in incidents of this kind. There are, however, reports that Afghan army soldiers were involved in the Kunar incident, so Karzai's anger may be a rouse to deflect attention from his responsibility.
The Kunar incident sparked at least three major protests in
Afghans burn
Obama effigy over civilian deaths
JALALABAD, Dec 30 (AFP) - Protesters took to the streets in Afghanistan on Wednesday, burning an effigy of the US president and shouting "death to Obama" to slam civilian deaths during Western military operations.
Hundreds of university students blocked main roads in Jalalabad, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, to protest the alleged deaths of 10 civilians, mostly school children, in a Western military operation on Saturday.
"The government must prevent such unilateral operations otherwise we will take guns instead of pens and fight against them (foreign forces)," students from theUniversity
of Nangarhar
Marching through the main street of Jalalabad, the students chanted "death to Obama" and "death to foreign forces", witnesses said.
The protesters torched aUS
"Our demonstration is against those foreigners who have come to our country," Safiullah Aminzai, a student organiser, told AFP...
A similar protest was planned inKabul
"The demonstration is to show our hatred, anger and sorrow about the current situation," said Sayed Khalid Rashid.
"Our main request is that the American and NATO forces must leave the country and Afghan people must have political autonomy," he said, adding that he expected hundreds of people to turn out for the march through westernKabul
JALALABAD, Dec 30 (AFP) - Protesters took to the streets in Afghanistan on Wednesday, burning an effigy of the US president and shouting "death to Obama" to slam civilian deaths during Western military operations.
Hundreds of university students blocked main roads in Jalalabad, capital of eastern Nangarhar province, to protest the alleged deaths of 10 civilians, mostly school children, in a Western military operation on Saturday.
"The government must prevent such unilateral operations otherwise we will take guns instead of pens and fight against them (foreign forces)," students from the
Marching through the main street of Jalalabad, the students chanted "death to Obama" and "death to foreign forces", witnesses said.
The protesters torched a
"Our demonstration is against those foreigners who have come to our country," Safiullah Aminzai, a student organiser, told AFP...
A similar protest was planned in
"The demonstration is to show our hatred, anger and sorrow about the current situation," said Sayed Khalid Rashid.
"Our main request is that the American and NATO forces must leave the country and Afghan people must have political autonomy," he said, adding that he expected hundreds of people to turn out for the march through western
The
organisers of the Dec 30 Kabul
1. On behalf
of the young generation of our country, we strongly condemn the recent killing
of our innocent compatriots by US and NATO troops in the provinces of Kunar,
Laghman, Baghlan and everywhere else. We condemn such operations by whatever
name carried out, either it is called peacekeeping or enduring freedom, and
want an end to cruelly massacring of our people.
2. We urge the Afghan government and law-enforcement agencies to seriously chase these killings and bring to justice the perpetrators.
3. The Afghan youth urge the United Nations, human rights watchdogs and the international community not to stay indifferent towards killing and massacre of civilian Afghans anymore. They must stop brutal killing of innocent Afghans via legal and legitimate ways.
4. The Afghan people believe that US and NATO must think about ending their war policies inAfghanistan
5. We urge the world community not to impose its mandate on the Afghan people. A nation that has lived together throughout the history can decide its own fate and can coexist as a sovereign nation with no need to foreign intervention.
6. We ask all Afghans to put away their factional and personal interests and work for higher national interests to make an independent, free and prosperousAfghanistan
The Afghan youth will not allow foreign hands to exploit our disunity for carrying out their imperialistic agendas and destroy our country.
Long liveAfghanistan
2. We urge the Afghan government and law-enforcement agencies to seriously chase these killings and bring to justice the perpetrators.
3. The Afghan youth urge the United Nations, human rights watchdogs and the international community not to stay indifferent towards killing and massacre of civilian Afghans anymore. They must stop brutal killing of innocent Afghans via legal and legitimate ways.
4. The Afghan people believe that US and NATO must think about ending their war policies in
5. We urge the world community not to impose its mandate on the Afghan people. A nation that has lived together throughout the history can decide its own fate and can coexist as a sovereign nation with no need to foreign intervention.
6. We ask all Afghans to put away their factional and personal interests and work for higher national interests to make an independent, free and prosperous
The Afghan youth will not allow foreign hands to exploit our disunity for carrying out their imperialistic agendas and destroy our country.
Long live
Note that the
Kabul protest statement does not explicitly call for all foreign troops to be
pulled out (only that occupying countries "must think about ending their
war policies"), though the spokesperson at the protest asserts that their
"main request is that the American and NATO forces must leave the country."
On the other hand the Jalalabad students' rhetoric is notable for its bravado, as their statement says that if there is no change, students will take up arms.
One obvious question which arises is who is Jamiat Eslah's youth section, exactly? Information is scant but the parent organization Jamiat Eslah (Afghan Society for Social Reform and Development) appears to be a respected NGO, affiliated with ACBAR and the UN andrecipient of international foundation money. Browsing through this flickr photo essay of theKabul Iran
The current batch of peaceniks are not a lone voice inAfghanistan
The current protests seem to be having no small effect, spurring the Karzai administration to strike out against the occupying powers over the explosive issue of civilian casualties:
On the other hand the Jalalabad students' rhetoric is notable for its bravado, as their statement says that if there is no change, students will take up arms.
One obvious question which arises is who is Jamiat Eslah's youth section, exactly? Information is scant but the parent organization Jamiat Eslah (Afghan Society for Social Reform and Development) appears to be a respected NGO, affiliated with ACBAR and the UN andrecipient of international foundation money. Browsing through this flickr photo essay of the
The current batch of peaceniks are not a lone voice in
The current protests seem to be having no small effect, spurring the Karzai administration to strike out against the occupying powers over the explosive issue of civilian casualties:
Kabul demands
foreign 'killers' handed over
by Sardar Ahmad Sardar Ahmad
KABUL, Dec 31 (AFP) – The Afghan government demanded Thursday to take into its custody foreigners wanted over the alleged killing of 10 civilians, sharply escalating a war of words with its powerful Western military backers... (link)
by Sardar Ahmad Sardar Ahmad
KABUL, Dec 31 (AFP) – The Afghan government demanded Thursday to take into its custody foreigners wanted over the alleged killing of 10 civilians, sharply escalating a war of words with its powerful Western military backers... (link)
Kevin
Martin, Peace Action: ceasefire in Afghanistan
"Amid all the grim news inAfghanistan , a new initiative
called 2
Million Friends for Peace looks like a ray of hope. The campaign,
launched by the youth-led Afghan Peace
Volunteers, aims to find two million friends or supporters worldwide -
the approximate number of Afghans killed in 40 years of war - and to deliver to
the United Nations its call for a cease-fire and negotiated end to the war on
December 10, International Human Rights Day."
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/12355-afghanistan-the-who-cares-war?-not-exactly-but-it-fails-the-real-definition-of-a-just-war
"Amid all the grim news in
http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/12355-afghanistan-the-who-cares-war?-not-exactly-but-it-fails-the-real-definition-of-a-just-war
2 million friends for Afghanistan
From
The National Catholic Reporter, The War
Crimes Times, and other newspapers.
Share on facebookShare on twitterMore Sharing Services1 See the first number of this newsletter for
the complete essay.
This week, the U.S. war against the people of Afghanistan Afghanistan
It's hard to
imagine what the people of Afghanistan
But a remarkable
group of young people in Kabul Afghanistan by
signing their appeal, "Two Million Friends for Peace in Afghanistan
Instead of anger or revenge for the ongoing killings,
these young Afghan peacemakers want 2 million people around the world to sign
their petition to the United Nations, calling for a ceasefire and an end to the
U.S/NATO war on Afghanistan
and to pledge their friendship to the people of Afghanistan
BLUE
SCARF MOVEMENT
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FEATURED STORIES AND POEMS
Memories
When I became aware
that you loved the moon more than me,I decided to forget you. But do you know?
I saw the moon tonight and cannot.I cannot clean the moon’s picture from my
room’s window. Come, please. Come!Make your hands a bridge. Over that bridge, I
will cross into
So Our Youth
Will Stay
The other day, I was
in my office thinking about Afghanistan
Remapping
I want to make a map
of the earth. No borders.No one will be rich because no one is poor.
My father will be black.My mother will be white.I will be pink. I
will not hate the color red anymore—Maybe I will be red.
In my map the teachers will not teach negative words.The
LATEST ESSAYS AND STORIES
The Massacre of the Hazara
Hearing about the
protests gives me hope. Knowing that people in London ,
Australia , Kabul ,
and hopefully in America
My Early Life
A few months after we
arrived, on a night filled with fear and gunfire, the Taliban reached Herat
My Grandfather’s Gift
He would say to us,
“Life is another name for love and fun.”
LATEST POEMS
I Am Alone
My life is listening
to rules of the game they play with us.
If Love Took Over My Country
What would happen…
If love took over my country?
If love took over my country?
Today I Want
Today I do not want to
hear the word World, but Home. Today I want to bring
the whole world together like one home.
LATEST AWWP NEWS
Restoring Dignity:
Afghanistan in Kyoto Journal
Here’s a PDF of a
beautiful feature Kyoto Journal (issue 76) published in the summer of
2011, according to their news page.
The interviews were done in 2009.
Restoring Dignity: Afghanistan, by Deni Béchard; photographs
by Lana Slezic
Through Writing, Afghan Women Find
Freedom
From Voice of America
Faiza Elmasry (January
16, 2013)
In the virtual space
created by The Afghan Women’s Writing Project ( AWWP), women have the freedom
to write about whatever they want and they can receive mentoring by a volunteer
team of teachers and authors.
What a Whirlwind Year!
Dear Reader: What
a whirlwind year! Two grant awards enabled us to realize our dreams of
acquiring an office that would house our monthly workshops and our very own
women’s only Internet café. Today, that café has six desktop computers for our
women to use. More importantly, it’s a place where they can congregate
safely and [...]
The Afghan Women’s Writing Project has been
recognized by The Women’s National Book Association and the New York State
Divis
See: Elizabeth
Titus, “The Lives of Others.” The Humanist (March-April 2013). The author became a mentor to several of the
women of AWWP.
END AFGHANISTAN
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