Decades of war, by invasion and internecine strife, have devastated Afghanistan and divided its people. Bordering Pakistan, Iran, republics of the former USSR and China, Afghanistan’s strategic location has made for a battlefield for regional power politics. In the summer of 2002, with support from the new government of Afghanistan and the US Department of State South Asia Affairs, Seeds of Peace welcomed the first ever Afghan delegation to the camp in Maine. A diverse group of six boys, six girls, and two delegation leaders joined the program with youth from India, Pakistan, and eight Middle Eastern countries. The follow-up program in Afghanistan began in Fall 2002 and has been going strong ever since, with peace education courses, English classes, leadership training and community outreach workshops.

Summer Program

The first-ever Afghan delegation of 12 boys and girls from Kabul arrived at Seeds of Peace International Camp in the summer of 2002. With full support from the newly installed Afghan government, the Afghan Ministry of Education in collaboration with the US Embassy in Kabul, administered an official selection process that included a written and oral exam in local languages as well as in English. The Afghan program is quite different in nature from the other programs that Seeds of Peace conducts. Focused primarily on the sharing of personal experiences and the healing that stems from that, the Afghan program also works on empowerment; developing the participants’ voices as young people, especially the young women, coming as they do from a society where their voices were not only discouraged, but dangerous for them to express. In addition, the camp provides these young Afghans with a model of a life where people work non-violently to resolve their conflicts. Learning how to respect themselves and respect others through feeling respected and seeing it modeled gives them the inspiration to work towards building a culture of non-violence in Afghanistan. With a diverse delegation comprised of Tajiks, Pashtuns and Hazarras, they also have the opportunity to discuss the ethnic tensions in Afghanistan. Last, but not least, the camp provides the Afghan youth with the chance to meet Americans face to face, exchange stories and perceptions, and break down stereotypes and misconceptions.

Year-Round Program

In the fall of 2002, a follow-up program was jump started in Kabul, addressing the needs of the Seeds of Peace graduates upon returning home. A Regional Coordinator was hired to continue meeting with the youth on a regular basis, encouraging and supporting the youth while also keeping them engaged with Seeds of Peace activities. Since the summer of 2002, the Afghan Seeds have done incredible work in their communities. One boy is teaching an English course in his village outside of Kabul, sharing in the process the lessons he learned at Seeds of Peace. With his encouragement, the number of students studying English in his village has tripled. One girl convinced her neighbor’s father to let her daughter go to school, and then helped her become first in her class so she would be allowed to continue. Another boy started a project with a group of teenage boys working on challenging the culture of violence in the country. His group organized and hosted the first peace seminar on World Peace Day in Kabul. Other Seeds have spoken at conferences on women’s rights in Afghanistan, the Loya Jurga and how it impacts Afghan society, and similar themes. Some Seeds teach English, computer and Peace Education classes at their schools. Afghan Seeds continue to work to reconstruct their demolished country and shattered lives through peace education. With the help of the Seeds of Peace Regional Coordinator, three Seeds participated in the Afghan Youth Civil Society Forum sponsored by Swisspeace in October 2002. The Seeds, the youngest participants in the forum, took a leadership role from the start; one was selected to make a speech in front of the entire body of the forum. Together with youth from the other conflict regions that Seeds of Peace works with, a group of Afghan Seeds participated in the Seeds of Peace Conference, “Breaking News, Making Headlines” in October 2003. Shortly after, back in Afghanistan, 7 Afghan Seeds spoke to NPR world wide via teleconference about their Seeds experience. Afghan Seeds continue to write stirring articles about the hardships they have faced in their lives for The Olive Branch [0], the Seeds of Peace magazine. Meetings with local political and media figures continue to be organized.