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