Love is how the kites in Gaza, Afghanistan and the world will fly
December 31, 2009 by
Filed under Journey Updates
At about 1pm Afghanistan time ( 10.30 am Gaza time when the planned Gaza Freedom March was supposed to begin ) on the 31st of December 2009, the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers had a tele-conference with these friends ( the conversation with Baseem and Yaniv was short but priceless ).
Palestine Baseem
Israel Yaniv
Iraq Skala
USA Douglas Mackey, Jody Tiller, Cindy Corrie, Josh Steiber, Margo, Andrea Le Blanc, Al
In the telephone conversation, we encountered the human souls in each other through our voices and we encouraged each other towards peace and those beautiful and important things in the hearts of all humanity. Thanks to all!
11 Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers then flew kites at Bamiyan Peace Park, to let our Palestinian friends in Gaza and peacemakers of Gaza Freedom March now standing in Cairo Egypt know that Love is how the kites in Gaza, Afghanistan and the world will fly!
Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers flew kites for the people of Gaza
The freedom which we youth, the future of the world, urgently desire is a freedom from those built-up grievances heaped upon us or within ourselves,
grievances that separate us constantly,
a freedom from hate and un-kindness.
Love is how the kites in Gaza, Afghanistan and the world will fly!
Love is how we’ll ask for peace!
running with the kites at Bamiyan Peace Park
We will follow up with a video in the New Year. Happy 2010 to all!
Befriending a potential Afghan insurgent in Quetta Pakistan ; his name was Najib
December 28, 2009 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Please appreciate the insignificant refugee life of 12 year old Pushtoon orphan Najib in Quetta, Pakistan
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aioZZKxUqsQ
Najib’s eyes of life and grief
In short, I learnt form Najib that the world needs to build wide-scale humane relationships across all barriers so as to turn the tide on an increasingly proud and violent regression of humanity.
Najib was a 12 year old Pushtoon refugee orphan who collected rubbish for a living in Quetta, Pakistan. I had just entered the law-less border town of Quetta to work among Afghan refugees and had the privilege of meeting Najib in the streets where he was rummaging through trash.
We became friends.
Najib’s friendship
Our means of communication was just a sense of goodwill, as both of us were rudimentary with Urdu. But we clicked like kindred spirits who wondered if any meaning could be found in war, in safety or in friendship.
I was wondering if I could be of help. How proud that thought turned out to be, especially with the forgotten destitute like Najib. He was the soul who helped me understand what humanitarian workers need to live out, that we can only begin to be of some transient help when we understand the practice of love.
Najib collecting trash in Quetta Pakistan
Love is freed through friendship that’s oblivious to race, class and religion.
Love is impossible in war because war destroys and kills.
Love sees that we have the same ‘dirt’ in our lives and that we need to somehow recover together from our frailties.
I’ve no idea if Najib is still alive today. Or if he has not become the hunted and ‘demonized’ Afghan insurgent.
Quetta is now touted as the headquarters of the Afghan Taliban under Mullah Omar and there are rumours of plans to bomb it, perhaps with the cold symbol of military pride, the drones.
There were certainly many ‘madrassahs’ ( religious schools ) training young boys in ‘jihad’ while I was there in 2002 through to 2004, probably a peak period of the re-grouping of Afghan fighters following the bombing of Afghanistan post September 11.
I shudder to think how different things may have been for me if I were not a civilian humanitarian worker but a uniformed soldier, however well-intentioned a soldier I may have been. I would never have become Najib’s friend.
We should all shudder to think that the hearts of the world’s religious, intellectual and political elite of today unquestioningly accept militarism as a response to hate, anger and a vacuum of meaningful relationships.
We should shudder at its sheer amoral-ness, emptiness and senseless-ness.
For a few months, Najib visited me frequently, sharing food with me, looking to me for healing when he pricked his finger with a used syringe needle he had collected in his trash sack and enjoying a Coke treat on a warm summer day.
I will never know if he appreciated our interaction, but I can declare that I did.
Najib the Pushtoon orphan and his grandma
In season, I invited Najib and his aged grandma ( both his parents had been killed in the war ) to share some delicious Pakistani mangoes. I was overjoyed to wash Najib’s soiled hands and feet before the ‘meal’. When I asked to take a photo with Najib and his grandma, I asked Najib to smile.
Najib’s grandma chided me in Kandahri Pushto, “Why are you asking Najib to smile? He doesn’t have any reason to smile.”
Najib’s meekness
Then ,on a dreary late afternoon, Najib informed me with teary eyes that he was leaving to cross borders again, this time into Iran, because ‘life in Quetta was difficult.’
How I wish I could meet Najib again.
Najib musing with a laptop
Najib was illiterate. One day, I had taught him to write his name in my journal and had recorded my thoughts in the verses below.
On this quiet page
I taught him to write his name
His life, just like this safha
Will turn the corner and move on again
Not seeing how the end will B or be
Nor how to start with the N or end
But scribbling with fortitude and persistence
a wandering spirit and a weary hand
Trying to chance upon some line
That will spell real hope from above
And form a meaning kind and true
And have roots in unfading love
My deep concern for this orphan boy
Whose name and friendship I chanced upon
Who gave me a privileged moment
When on this page his name was formed
The quiet voice and silent name of Najib
Najib with his friend Faisal
Video Script
Quetta at the Afghan Pakistan border
The Af-Pak border is now labeled an ‘epicenter of terrorism’
We should remember that refugee settlements house human beings
Afghan wars mean Afghan refugees
In 2002, I met Afghan refugee children collecting trash in the Quetta alleys
12-year-old Pushtoon orphan Najib lost his parents & fled Kandahar
Najib had eyes of life and grief
He collected trash to re-sell for a few rupees
No trash was too ‘lowly’ for him
He’s one among the destitute, unknown masses
Unknowingly, Najib turned my life upside down…
…when he offered me his hand of friendship
…and shared his journey with me
We had Coca Cola together
Ate apples together
Yes, even mused over technology together
One day, Najib’s hand was hurt by a syringe needle he had collected
He came running bare-feet, to ‘un-burden’ his pain with me
Another day, I cleaned Najib’s soiled hands for a meal
His grandma said that Najib had no reason to smile
But you know, Najib had a smile…
He smiled when he was with friends
Like many impoverished Afghans, Najib lived in a silence
Like many impoverished Afghans, he expected little of life
We can make peace with potential insurgents by befriending them
Love is impossible in war as war destroys & kills.
Love is freed thru friendship that’s oblivious to race, class & religion
Love sees that we have the same ‘dirt’ in our lives
that we need to somehow recover together from our frailties.
Love is how we will ask for peace
Najib’s smile
Afghan youth release ‘doves’ in support of World March for Peace
December 26, 2009 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Please watch Afghan youth release 2 white pigeons ( representing doves ) for World March for Peace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBE2lf7pSmc
Zekerullah and Abdulai at the UN office with 2 white pigeons
Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers showed their support for The World March for Peace & Non-violence
http://www.theworldmarch.org/index.php
They paid a visit to the UN, part of whose charter is ‘to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’.
As this country is built into a verdant meadow, oh why don’t the intellectuals care about peace?
Peace is priceless.
Without peace, it’s impossible to survive.
Peace is love and friendship.
We the youth of Afghanistan want peace & a culture of non-violence for Afg & the world
We are participating in The World March for Peace and Non-violence
Why have Afghans, like others in the world, chosen the dove as a symbol of peace?
The dove is meek.
It represents peace.
The dove has a special white.
It carries love.
It is a bird of freedom.
The dove is friendship.
The dove is very loving.
Love is how the dove will fly!
Peace…peace!
Silent Night by Simon and Garfunkel
Love is how the dove will fly!
Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers’ poster for World March
Background words from the music of Silent Night by Simon and Garfunkel
“…into anti-Vietnam war protests…demonstrators were forcibly evicted from the areas where they began chanting anti-war slogans.
Former Vice-President Richard Nixon says that unless there is a substantial increase in the present war effort in Vietnam, the US should look forward to 5 more years of war.
In a speech before the Convention of The Veterans of Foreign Wars in New York , Nixon also said that opposition to the war in this country is the greatest single weapon working against the US. That’s the seven o’clock edition of the news. Good night. “
one of the 2 white pigeons
joining others for peace
another postter for World March with the Dari verse at the bottom
As this country is built into a verdant meadow, oh why don’t the intellectuals care about peace?
The Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers at the UN in Bamiyan
Building human contact for peace in Afghanistan & the world
December 22, 2009 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Please watch Afghan youth from Kabul speak about peace in Afghanistan, at a Youth Peace Convention: “Afghans don’t want war, only love, brotherhood & rights thru’ peace & friendship, till the world becomes one”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCtiHMWXBF8
Abdulai with the youth from Kabul
The Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers organized a Youth Peace Convention at Bamiyan University on the 15th of November 2009
With the kind partnership of UNAMA Bamiyan, 6 youth peace volunteers from Kabul came to join 29 youth from Bamiyan for a short program followed by interaction and relationship building.
A tele-conference was also held during the Convention, in which the 35 Afghan participants of the Peace Convention spoke with peacemakers from the USA. There was mutual encouragement and agreement to gradually involve more youth in Afghanistan and the world in building relations towards peace.
Many thanks again to Douglas Mackey of Olympia FOR for making the tele-conference possible. We also thank Bernie Meyer ( The American Gandhi ) for his message to Our Journey to Smile.
Faiz leading the Youth Peace Convention
Text of video
Abdulai with Afghan youth from Kabul who attended the Bamiyan Youth Peace Convention
Faiz leadng the youth peace volunteers at Bamiyan University
The American Gandhi Bernie Meyer’s message to Our Journey to Smile
In the words of Gandhi, “In nonviolence courage is in dying, not in killing.”
So, live with courage.
Be without fear.
Live with love.
And may your Journey to Smile continue on.
The youth volunteers began their village to village call to peace
We the youth of Shashpool also want peace
We the youth of Mullah Ghulam want peace
Youth are the real pillars & the future of a country & we’ve decided that the way of success & happiness in Afg is peace!
We the youth of Hawal want peace!
Salam ( peace ) to everyone! Salam!
The convention yesterday was good ; making connections with the world thru’ tele-conferencing. In every other country & the capital and provinces in Afg, we should gather & work together towards peace. Afghans are tired of war. Enough of war! Afghans don’t want war, only love, brotherhood & rights thru’ peace & friendship, till the world becomes one.
I believe 100%, as an Afghan living among Afghans & I say it clearly, we don’t want even 1 more minute of war.
Humans naturally want happiness & wish for days of freedom & without war, so that we can ?work & study.?
If all media from different countries tell the truth about Afg, we may see protests worldwide.
Every media person has a special responsibility ; he should ask himself if he is honest. If I were a reporter & I can’t publish the truth, I should not continue my job.
A human should be honest & work with integrity. He should be true to himself & not be ‘2-faced’ (hypocritical), which is being political.
In life, the important thing is love. In every area of life, love brings results.
Hafizullah, do you want peace? Yes!
Whatever the leaders of the world say, love is how we, the youth of Afghanistan, want peace!
going from village to village with the call to peace
Afghan youth face a Nobel peace of war
December 12, 2009 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Please watch how Afghan youth are facing a Nobel peace of war
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leSBFQ95qio
The Afghan youth peace volunteers
We ordinary people need to stop this madness
When the world shouts the merits of war, we will respectfully refuse its noise.
Rather than giving peace an uncertain prize, let’s give peace a certain chance.
peace has a bumpy ride
Thank you for hearing our voice of peace, as being heard is a breakthrough for silence!
We thank all our friends for being with us as we kept the 2nd Cup of Tea Vigil at Bamiyan Peace Park ( daily from 12pm to 1pm ) from the 15th of November 2009 to the 10th of December 2009. Together with our friends, we will henceforth continue as a weekly vigil.
We thank the growing number of friends in this heart-storm of love who have touched us in Afghanistan, deeply.
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We thank each and every one of our fans at Youth Peace Volunteers Facebook and others who have sent us encouraging emails of support from the USA, Canada, Brazil, Singapore, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Germany, Australia, Egypt and South Africa.
In particular, through the course of our 2nd Cup of Tea Vigil, Douglas Mackey, Jody Tiller, Mark Johnson and their friends in the States ( Matt Grant & students and staff of Olympia High School, Evergreen State College, MidEast Solidarity Project ) had spoken to us on numerous, almost daily occasions through the cell phone long-distance. We also thank Josh Steiber, Tibor Brewer, June Holliday, Dana Lyons, Terry Greene and Andrea LeBlanc of Peaceful Tomorrows, Betsy and her students from Pages for Peace MA, Boston.
It was like hearing Peace and Love being spoken to our hearts from across the oceans.
President Obama may not have heard us yet but our voice of peace in the midst of an escalating war will remain true to our conscience.
The mountains may be un-moved, but the sound of peace from within our hearts will move among the valleys in resounding and resolute waves.
Nobel peace seemed to have hit an ice wall
Transcript of video
To friends in the world, be at peace!
Today, our understanding of peace seems to have hit an ice wall
2 Afghan boys had a bumpy truck ride on Afghanistan’s mountain road
The struggle for peace in Afghanistan is not easy
But without peace, it’s impossible for us to live
A young boy had just taken over the wheels to learn how to drive
Drive quickly before it gets dark & the wolves come out to get us…
Are wolves dangerous? Yes.
Do they ‘eat’ humans? Ya…
Don’t they just eat small birds? No J
We should pause and be still in this madness of war
We should pause in recognizing that we have sacred but temporal lives.
We should keep our dignity even in our dying.
We ordinary people need to stop this madness.
Why are we killing one another?
Killing only makes hate correct. It takes away our friends & the good things in life.
When the world shouts the merits of war, we will respectfully refuse its noise.
Rather than giving peace an uncertain prize, let’s give peace a certain chance.
Enough of words without actions
True peace is needed
Love is how we’ll ask for peace
The Afghan peace volunteers
‘Their flesh is my flesh, their blood is my blood, their pain is my pain, their SMILE is my SMILE.’ Henri Nouwen
International peace volunteers in Olympia USA & across the globe. ‘Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.’ Mother Teresa
Abdulai gives the U.S. Ambassador a photo gift.‘Mountains cannot reach mountains,only Man can reach Man.’ Afghan proverb
The Afghan peace vigil group with the U.S. Ambassador and his wife
‘I would teach peace rather than war, love rather than hate.’ Albert Einstein
We have hope that love has a value which overcomes even death.
We know that we’re not alone. We’re waiting historically with the rest of the world.
With love, we ask the Nobel Peace Laureate President Obama for the Reconciliation of Civil Hearts.
Thank you for hearing our voice of peace, as being heard is a breakthrough for silence.
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List of friends
Douglas Mackey & Jody Tiller ( and friends of Olympia Fellowship of Reconciliation, Iraq Memorial to Life )
Mark Johnson ( and friends of Fellowship of Reconciliation New York USA )
Dennis Mills ( and friends at Evergreen State College and of MidEast Solidarity Project )
Matt Grant, Dennis ( & students and staff of Olympia High School )
Jazzy, Zannah, Ted, Berd ( and friends for Facebook Youth Peace Volunteers )
Adela ( and friends of Our Journey to Smile )
Bernie Meyer ( American Gandhi )
Cindy Corrie ( Rachel Corrie Foundation )
Lorri ( and friends of Dandelion Salad )
Josh Steiber & Margo ( and friends of Contagious Love Experiment )
Carol and Jane Alexander ( and friends of Corvallis Alternatives to war )
Joan Borst ( and friends of Sheridan Peacemakers )
Lesley Wischmann ( and friends of Stand Up for Peace Wyoming )
Terry Rockerfeller, Terry Greene, Andrea LeBlanc ( and friends of Peaceful Tomorrows )
Betsy ( and friends of Pages for Peace )
Tibor Brewer
June Holliday
Dana Lyons
Tess
Miles Franzoni
Kate Harris
Carmen Lee
Paige Laframboise
Lauren Jones
Olympia, WA
Lei Phyu Tun
Glendale CC
Breanna Pendleton
Heidi Specht
Emma Jane Holly
Azka Shah
Tali Sakamoto
Upasna Dutt
Valerie White
Sonia Shakerley
Randel Mowen
Lee Allan
Rachel Holystar
Priscilla
June
Kyle Kristensen
Susan Asheville
Lynette Shek
Carol and Jane Alexander
Randel Mowen
Yeong Huay
Patricia Collins
Renay Davis, California
Jennifer Claire Hunter
Phyllis Hockley
Oliver Rizzi Carlson
Eleanor Hart
Cecilia Lim and Wei Min
Mr & Mrs Willie Wee
Shereef
Lilian Goh
Jean
Samuel Ng
Selene Goh
Serene Kwok
Serene Wong
Sharmane Phee
Stephanie Yeo
Subhan Ahzam
Tisa Wu
Tracy Wee
Zoe Tay Sok Chan
Stefie Gunawan
Thaw Zin
Thura Yu Sein
Ye Myat Thu
Zoe Uyen Nguyen
Ashley Thomas
Charmain Lee
Chervin Lam
Cindy Cai
Constance Tan
Diana Deng
Edris Dzulkifli
Elaine Ng
Esther Low
Jeramy
Jett Chiew
Jonathan Ng
Ju Jue Zan
Khin Kaung San
Lei Phyun Tun
Min Htin Kyaw Latt
Minnie
Munis Byte
Myo Myint Aung
Nwae Nandar
Parvin Beevie
Ploy PloyTip
Roy Chan
Mitchelle Waaras
Veeron L
Peace must arise from the ordinary ; love can change the strategies of war & peace
December 8, 2009 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Please hear 13 year old Abdul Ali sing and speak of war and peace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38RBMMFyBR0
Abdul ali with Zekerullah
From the hills I play my flute…
I wish for peace & reconciliation
When will the world ever understand?
We thank those who pray that we’ll have peace
But prayers won’t suffice if one by one, war takes us away from life
Peace for the ordinary billions must be loved into passionate existence
by a billion ordinary hearts
From Afghanistan, we thank every individual who is now journeying with us in this heart-storm of love, befriending us at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Youth-Peace-Volunteers/206186386153?v=wall or youthpeacevolunteers@gmail.com or
Thank you, our friends, brothers and sisters!
the Afghan peace vigilers
Text of video
Is your wish for peace a special or ordinary wish?
Our wish for peace is ordinary because everyone wishes for peace
Who is responsible for bringing peace?
We ourselves are responsible for bringing peace.
If war breaks out, whose fault is it?
It is our fault because we ourselves should make peace.
If governments wage war, we should also temper that.
We the people should temper governments? How?
Yes, that we make peace, as war is futile.
Should we wait for elders & leaders to bring peace?
No, we shouldn’t wait…we ordinary people should arise from our own places to bring peace.
An Afghan leader had said that he wanted to turn Afg into a river of blood
We the people of Afghanistan want a river of peace
We ordinary people should take the course of peace
We should arise from our homes, from the mountains & from the cities
Can’t we ordinary people arise & move?
We can and we will arise for peace.
Peace, peace…from the bottom of our hearts, peace!
From the hills I play my flute…
I wish for peace & reconciliation
When will the world ever understand?
We thank those who pray that we’ll have peace
But prayers won’t suffice if one by one, war takes us away from life.
Peace for the ordinary billions must be loved into passionate existence by a billion ordinary hearts
Even when the cold sets in and ice forms over the rivers,
we ordinary people should arise from our own places to bring peace
arise from our homes, from the mountains & from the cities
For if war breaks out, whose fault is it?
Peace, peace…from the bottom of our hearts, peace!
Love is how we’ll ask for peace, love that must arise from the ordinary
I wish for peace & reconciliation
When will the world ever understand?
Love is how we’ll need to run ; finding indomitable love in Afghan disappointment
December 3, 2009 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Please listen to Abdulai’s disappointment and love “I was very young during the Taliban war. I fled to the Baba Mountains with my family..”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RCzd68KN9I
abdulai & change
I was very young during the Taliban war. I fled to the Baba Mountains with my family.There was lots of snow then. When I returned…I never saw my father again.
We shouldn’t continue this manner of life. This life is hard & difficult.
We should have a good & better life through peace & reconciliation.
A resolute love can change every human being & every violent person.
Dear friends in Afghanistan & the world, we may not make it…
But as Ghandi encouraged, ‘ Be the change you want to see in the world.’
More troops & more war make life tough for us.
But we will still move towards love & truth.
Let we ourselves, the youth, bring change. Yes..yes..yes!
Love is how we’ll ask for peace! Let’s move…let’s go!
the peace vigilers’ run at Bamiya Peace Park
When disappointment closes in like another moon-less night
We pause in our madness as mere dying Men
From this grief we salvage an indomitable love
That turns even tears into rivers of light
That breaks out in a run, however weary our sight
We will still move towards love & truth
With love, we ask the Nobel Peace Laureate President Obama for a Reconciliation of Civil Hearts
China
2
Egypt
1
India
1
Italy
1
Malaysia
1
Nepal
1
Philippines
1
USA
1
Singapore
2