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12 Jul 2017 - 20:09
author avatar
12 Jul 2017 - 20:09

Outshined by media portrayals of war and destruction, young Afghan activists are bringing hope to society by resisting the challenges and educating the youth through volunteer efforts.

The world and its people due to the greater focus of mainstream media on war and violence.

It is Friday afternoon and 20 years old Ahmad Nekzad, a student of Kandahar University, is making sure everything is ready for a bi-weekly educational gathering he regularly organizes at a rented house in Kandahar city as part of his volunteer work with a youth organization called Najm.

The gathering begins after Friday prayers whereNekzad is waiting for his friends and classmates to join him. The guest lecturer, a young Fulbright finalist for year 2017-18, will be speaking about the significance of social activism, following which the participants read articles and poems to the gathering and perform other cultural activities such as singing and acting.

Mahmood Hameedi, a high school graduate and a regular participantof the gathering, says, “I have attended the gatherings for more than four months now. They are very helpful. I learn new things about religion, culture and society. I also get a chance to engage myself in a number of interesting practical activities.”

Reductively labeled as simply the “birthplace of Taliban”, Kandahar city is a much more diverse and intriguing place than it is portrayed as by mainstream media. Despite its rich culture and literature, there is hardly anything written about social life ortraditional get-togethers in Kandahar commonly known as Bandaar – which bring people together, away from war and violence, to spend time with each other on weekends and other holidays.

Cafes and restaurants in Aino Mina serve families until 11:00pm at night – which is later than almost all of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul.

Nekzad is hopeful that the work he and others like him are doing will change the perception of people in other provinces of Afghanistan and possibly the world about Kandahar. “I try to introduce a new face of the city to people through my work. I intend to inform them about the rich history and tradition of the city that existed long before Taliban were even formed.” Nekzad explained.

Once the capital of the last Afghan Empire, Kandahar is home to the mausoleums of Ahmad Shah Durrani, the founding father of modern Afghanistan, and Mirwais Hotak, the founder of Hotak dynasty that existed from 1709 to 1738.

Afghan youthare hopeful for a better future and are working for change by mobilizing communities. From the fight against discrimination and corruption to bringing modern art to the streets of major cities in the country, youth are involved in inspiring initiatives across the country that have nothing to do with war.

Zahra Nasrat, a social activist based in Kabul, says, “the risky struggle of theyoung activists working for social change needs to be acknowledged by the people and the media – people outside Afghanistan deserve to know about the many positive sides of the country as well”.

Despite abundant social and cultural obstacles, the activists are dedicated for a brighter future for themselves and others. “We are here to work. If we can overcome the challenges today, we will have lesser issues tomorrow” Zahra Nasrat concluded.

View expressed in this article are of the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Pajhwok’s editorial policy.

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The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect Pajhwok's editorial policy.

Author's brief introduction

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Modaser Islami is a writer and social activist. He has done a master’s degree in Educationinfo-icon Work from Karlstad University of Sweden. He has been working in education sector of Afghanistaninfo-icon for more than six years now. Twitter: @mmodaser

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