Afghanistan War? Never!. Afghans Never Want War Again

April 9, 2009 by  
Filed under Journey Updates

Technorati Tags: afghanistan, compassion, inhumane, journey to peace, video, war

Need Afghans Respond to Obama’s New Aghan Policy? -video

March 28, 2009 by  
Filed under Journey Updates

US rethinks Afghanistan strategy

BBC 28/03/09

obama-new-afg-policy

Flanked by military and civilian members of his top foreign policy team, President Barack Obama unveiled his eagerly awaited policy towards Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He said growing radical forces in the area posed the greatest threat to the American people and the world.

He said an extra 4,000 US personnel would train and bolster the Afghan army and police, and he would also provide support for civilian development.


Need Afghans respond at all to Obama’s new Afghan policy?


Need we at all?

Need we, Afghan youth who crave for peace, respond at all to Obama’s far-away decision over us, to send 4000 more human beings to train other human beings to kill even more human beings?

Need we ask any questions at all, since we are confident that whatever games are played in history, the love and conscience that sits in the kinder and less self-absorbed depths of every human heart, can change the devious adults in the very same hearts, and that this humane humanity can no longer be hidden?

Can a grave hide death, the snow hide spring and the sky hide space?

Our Journey to Smile

Technorati Tags: afghan, afghan policy, afghanistan, obama, peace, peace policy, respond

Aren’t Afghans Humans too?

March 26, 2009 by  
Filed under Journey Updates

We are humans

We are proud to be Afghans

Freedom is a basic foundation of every human being and of all individuals

We ask for the right to live decently, freely.

We wish for peace, freedom, humanity.

Aren’t we humans?

Aren’t Afghans humans?

Aren’t we humans too?

Technorati Tags: afghanistan, afghans, decent life, decent living, freedom, human beings, humanity, InHumanity- Struggles, peace, right to happiness

Afghans Smile for Love Forgiveness Peace Humanity

March 26, 2009 by  
Filed under Journey Updates

Can we smile?

Despite the war, the suffering, the inhumanity?

Why did they kill my father?

They didn’t even know him.

Why do they make guns instead of bread?

Why?  why? Why?

We wish for peace.

We wish for humanity.

We will all die one day.

What can we do now?

love, forgiveness, peace, humanity

Can we?

Can we all?

We long for peace, for humane relations, for a decent life.

We want to smile.

volunteer to create smiles

Technorati Tags: Add new tag, afghan, afghanistan, forgiveness, journey to peace, journey to smile, love, middle east, peace building, possibility of love

Afghan women Unite to be present for Peace and call for peace with justice in Afghanistan

March 7, 2009 by  
Filed under Journey Updates

Here’s an appeal to show support for peace and justice on March 8th, International Women’s day

Show your support by wearing a BLUE scarf on International Women’s Day, March 8, donating your status to the women of Afghanistan ( *YOU* stands with the women of Afghanistan in calling for peace with justice).

Here’s the background:

In 2008, a small group of women in Kandahar , one of the most volatile areas of Afghanistan , came up with a simple but powerful idea: Let’s gather in a public square to pray for peace with justice in Afghanistan .

They began to spread the word to friends and colleagues, and decided to stage the action on March 8, International Women’s Day. Expecting only a few women to show up, more than 1,500 women gathered in Kandahar that day – all with the same goal: to call attention to women’s desire for peace in Afghanistan. The action caught the attention of the international media and women’s groups all over the world.

This year, on March 8th the action is being led by 12 Afghan women peace leaders from 7 provinces throughout Afghanistan- Kandahar, Kabul , Jalalabad, Duikundi, Bamiyan, Mazar, and Herat . In each province, an experienced leader has been paired with a young emerging leader as a means to build bridges between generations; a focus to the future.

This is the first coordinated Afghan women-led and women-owned national peace action of its size and scope since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.

While asking women to come out of their homes is a provocative and dangerous act in many parts of Afghanistan , THOUSANDS of women are expected to turn out across Afghanistan – all wearing a sky-blue scarf to highlight unity and solidarity – across generations, languages, geographic locations, ethnic identity and tribal affiliations. The sky-blue scarf symbolizes the immense possibility of a clear and open sky.

The action will also be supported by radio messages of solidarity from cross border women’s rights activists, as a demonstration that women stand united in the call for peace with justice, but also to highlight that the Afghanistan conflict must seek a regional solution.

On 8 March, we congratulate all women of the world, and in particular we show our solidarity with the women of Afghanistan , who are present today praying for peace with justice.

For more information on the action contact: p4p.withjustice@gmail.com

WHAT WE NEED YOU TO DO:

GLOBAL ACTION

*** ON MARCH 8 WEAR A SKY BLUE SCARF IN SOLIDARITY

**** Spread the message WIDELY, invite everyone you know to wear a blue scarf to show support.

** Organize an event in your community to recognize this peace action and post the info here on the event page. Create your own local facebook group to coordinate events in your area.

*** Have a conversation about the importance of women having a voice, about the role of women in the decision-making process.

IMAGINE the possibilities.

*** Post to your blog or post on your favorite blogs about the event. If you’re a reporter, write about it – Afghan women deserve a voice too.

Please spread the word about this action – and women’s desire to participate as full partners for peace with justice in Afghanistan – and wear a sky-blue scarf on 8 March 2009 as a sign of your support and a symbol that, when women stand together, the possibilities are as endless as a clear and open sky.

Wazhma Frogh

Gender & Development Specialist and Human Rights Activist

Chairperson of Interagency Gender Forum

Afghanistan

Technorati Tags: afghan women, afghanistan, international womens day, justice, peace

Where is the Afghan Human Person in a meeting on Afghanistan??

March 7, 2009 by  
Filed under Journey Updates


afghan-family

Clinton Pushes for Afghan Meeting

BBC 06/03/2009

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called for a high-level conference on Afghanistan at the end of March.

Solutions to the situation in Afghanistan can only be found if the countries involved, including Iran, meet, she said.

Technorati Tags: afghan, afghanistan, america, hilary clinton, journey to peace

NATO and US in dilemma over Afghanistan

February 24, 2009 by  
Filed under Journey Updates

NATO and US in dilemma over Afghanistan

jaap-de-hoop-scheffer-e2808e

Scheffer

21/2/2009 Nato Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has said that failure in Afghanistan is “not an option” but he ruled out a military solution alone. “We should not be under any illusion there is a military solution,” he said.


Kyrgyz MPs have voted to close a key US base supplying troops in
Afghanistan. The Manas base in Kyrgyzstan is used by thousands of US soldiers every month on their way to and from Afghanistan.

Swat-style truce acceptable

robert-m-gates Robert Gates

Pakistan Swat-style truce in Afghanistan acceptable

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on 20/2/2009 that Washington could accept a political agreement between the Afghan government and the Taliban if the insurgents will lay down their arms and accept the government’s terms.


Technorati Tags: afghanistan, dilemma, middle east, nato, no military solution, truce, us

Smile – from the Heart

February 22, 2009 by  
Filed under Videos

You can access ALL our videos on You Tube at this address http://www.youtube.com/user/ourjourneytosmile/featured

Please subscribe to our videos if you so wish.

Thank you for your heart of peace!

Technorati Tags: Add new tag, afghanistan, compassion, journey to smile, middle east, peace, peace building, smile, video, Volunteer