Afghan peace will NOT come from the Powers
March 9, 2011 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Dear friends,
Afghan Peace will NOT come from the Powers!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4KLgK8vkmU
Related, please read ‘Afghan Civilians Intentionally Targeted by NATO/ISAF Forces’ http://afghansforpeace.org/archives/1291.
Love,
Hakim and the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers
http://ourjourneytosmile.com/blog
http://globaldayoflistening.org
NATO forces killed 9 Afghan children while they were collecting fuel in Kunar
Text of video
Before the Afghan winters…
Children like Abdulai collect fuel
9 Kunar fuel-collecting children were killed by NATO helicopters
Peace was vandalized
We’re committed to peace & will rewrite peace 100 times over
Ali, what is Aziz Jan writing?
Aziz Jan is writing, ‘Why not love?
Ali Agha, what does’ Why not love’ mean?
It means…‘Why not be friends?’
The wishes of the People are not fulfilled by the Powers
Dear youth, to bring peace, let’s not just talk like the elders
Just come and walk the path of peace
Why not bring peace?
Why not love?
We grieve for those killed in war.
We will walk and work for peace.
‘I wish to live without wars’
Day of the People’s Peace
Afghan News Year’s Day
21st of March 2011
Afghan peace will NOT come from the Powers
AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA
Peace is not yours to give, Mr. President.
But hope is certainly yours to take away.
As I listened to a friend and colleague in Afghanistan a few days ago, the difference I discerned in his voice from previous conversations was visceral. That he unswervingly and joyfully dedicates his every thought, word and deed to advocating for peace in Afghanistan through peaceful means made his tone and tenor all the more heart-wrenching. Our phone connection was not clear, but I thought I heard him say something akin to: I never thought I would hear myself say that the Afghan people need hope now more than they need peace. What I know I did hear him say clearly shortly thereafter was: “The people have nothing to lose now. They are being killed anyway.” That you, Mr. Obama, are now singularly responsible for stealing the hope of the ordinary People of Afghanistan is an abomination. That you continue to steal it in the way that you do, however, is a crime of the deepest shame. I have come to know my friend well enough to know that he does not “hurt” for himself because of the hopelessness and pain you inflict, but rather for each and every individual person who makes up the “ordinary” People of Afghanistan: the infants and small children, the youth a few years older, the elders, the women who care for all, and the men who now find themselves having to protect their families against you. Such is the legacy you have created for yourself.
For his safety, my friend’s name shall remain anonymous, but his sentiments shall not, if I have anything to say about it, Mr. President, which I do. (See, First Amendment to the United States Constitution: Right to Petition government for Redress of Grievances.)
As you may or may not recall, you based your campaign to be the president of this nation on the premise and promise of “hope.” The ironies here abound. The ironies are sickening. I am not unaware that you inherited a “war” already in progress in Afghanistan on your first day in office. But such inheritance is not a defense to any concern of mine. And nor was it, nor is it, apparently, any concern of yours. You were eager for this war and you championed it. You campaigned to be the supreme military commander of it. You criticized your predecessor for not paying enough attention to it. You committed to send more troops to it even before having the elected authority to do so, and you touted it as the “good war”, in juxtaposition to Iraq, the ostensible “bad war.” More ironies abound. More ironies sicken. You are not a man of peace, as my friend is, Mr. President, and your award last year would
have made Alfred Nobel throw up. A man of peace would be wise enough to know that peace cannot be imposed where there are no enemies except for the enemies one makes trying to impose peace. Peace cannot be dictated from afar, it cannot be lectured, it cannot be strategized, it cannot be politicized, it cannot be threatened, it cannot be bought, and it certainly cannot be bombed into existence. Peace is not yours to give to Afghanistan, Mr. Obama, and it never will be, no matter if you stay there until kingdom comes. Peace is a choice and it is a choice you have no standing to make in that place. Peace will come, or not, to Afghanistan and to every Afghan, from within, by and through their own choices, not by the erstwhile beneficence of whether you choose to war there on any given day in their name. Your only possible contribution to peace in Afghanistan can be to get out of the way of the only people capable of creating peace there. Simply get out of the way, for peace will never come…. choices can never be made… while you murder and maim, while you occupy, destroy and desecrate a people whose hope you have stolen.
By: Kathleen Kirwin
March 9, 2011
[Kathleen Kirwin is a trial attorney specializing in high-level civil rights and criminal cases and is currently based in Sarasota, Florida. She also practices international human rights and criminal law and has been an anti-war activist for the past 40 years. Kathleen can be contacted at kdkirwin@gmail.com. Her new website, The Revolutionary Legal Front, is under construction and will be online
Why not listen to peace?
November 1, 2010 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Please listen to ‘Why not listen to peace?’
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o3fqkAgdnk
And read http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/10/31-4
‘Without Peace, Life is Impossible’: What an Afghan Boy Knows that US Forces Don’t
Text of video
We invite the world,
in the noise of hate,
to listen.
Why not listen?
LISTEN
Why not listen?
Peace!
Why not listen to peace?
Our Afghan friendship with Jane Goodall Institute Singapore
September 5, 2010 by
Filed under Journey Updates
“If only we could overcome cruelty with compassion we should make a giant stride toward achieving our ultimate human potential, moving beyond the Age of Reason to the Age of Love.” Jane Goodall
Please watch our tele-connection. The Age of love comes when we extend every hand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gro7_UpKs9I
Jane Goodall
http://www.janegoodall.org.sg/Jane_Goodall/Welcome.html
Peace Day ( Jane Goodall’s write up on our collaboration )
Why does peace matter to JGIS?
Conflict hurts more life than human life. It hurts animals and the environment too.
Conflict starts with one person. One person has anger and revenge and destruction in their hearts. We can execute conflict on one other person, animal or life, or on many. But whatever the circumstance or victim, it can be distilled to one. So if conflict starts with one, so does peace. When we shout at a friend or hit out at any living creature, that’s conflict. When trees are cut down, that’s conflict.
So what’s peace? Peace is when we respect all life – human, animals and the environment. For life to thrive, we must have respect. If we respect, we can have peace.
The idea of Peace Day was born in July 1989. An independent documentary film maker, Jeremy Gilley, set out to establish a fixed calendar date, to be recognised every year, of cease fire and non violence.
Why? Because there was so much violence, so much struggle, and if we could get countries and people around the world to agree that on one day of the year, there would be peace, then maybe we could stretch it to two days, and three, and a week. If we wanted peace, why not start with one day?
The idea won powerful backing. And on 7th September 2001, the U.N. International Day of Peace became a reality.
Then, disaster. Four days later, 11th September 2001, everything changed.
Peace days came and went, without ceasefire, without recognition.
Determined to succeed, Gilley decided to go further, to prove the day could have a practical effect on peoples’ lives.
Where? Afghanistan, where there hadn’t been peace for 30 years. If it could work there, it could work anywhere. And it has worked. In 2009, the 10th year that Peace Day was officially upheld, over a hundred million people in over a hundred countries, marked Peace Day. Relief, humanitarian and medical aid reaches people in conflict zones on 21st September every year, including Afghanistan.
In Afghanistan, ordinary Afghans are trying to build peace. Abdulai is a grade 7 student, farmer and shop keeper. His father was killed by insurgents and people have told him to take revenge. But he refuses to perpetuate what he calls ‘Man’s vengeful history’. Instead, he’s trying to build peace. He says:
“More than losing our war on life, we are losing humanity [when we fight]. There is no comfort to be found in [a] violent approach. There is a saying in Afghanistan: ‘Blood cannot wash away blood.’ The ordinary people of the world should all sit down to listen to one another and endeavour to be friends. Why not love?”
Abdullai, 15, student, farmer, shop keeper & peace-builder
Last September 21st, Abdulai and his friends, who have called themselves Our Journey to Smile held a Peace Day trek in the Hindu Kush mountains.
Representatives of the embassies of France, Japan, Britain and America trekked with them. This year, Journey to Smile will do the same, carrying a Jane Goodall Institute (Singapore) peace dove with them.
Abdulai and his group are also working hard to establish Friends Without Borders, a non-political, non-religious, voluntary network of person-to-person relationships for peace.
The U.N. International Day of Peace in 2010 is this Tuesday.
What will you do to make peace?
Text of video
My name is Bernice. I’m from the Jane Goodall Institute in S’pore. We’re going to be working with all the other Jane Goodall Institutes around the world & with Jane Goodall herself, in asking for peace within ourselves, towards other humans & towards animals & the environment.
We told people about your Peace Trek last year & that you hope to fly the Peace Dove at your Peace Trek this year.
That’s good!
We wish you’ll be with us always.
We wish for peace to come to all of Afghanistan. We have experienced war for so long…we want peace in Afg & the world
On the 24th of Sept 2010, for the International Day of Peace, we will be trekking to Koa-e-BaBa ( the grandpa of mountains ). And we would ask of the world, “Why not love?”
Thank you so much and good luck to everybody & it’s lovely to meet you.
??? ???? May God protect you! Good bye!
Just as we had asked for The Reconciliation of Civil Hearts at last year’s Peace Trek ….
We are asking for a ‘Reconciliation of Civil Hearts’…We, the peoples of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war
.. have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims. Preamble UN Charter
Friends from Roots and Shoots Jane Goodall Institute S’pore
Peacemakers everywhere, be encouraged by Afghan beauty
July 18, 2010 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Dear peacemakers everywhere, when you get tired & discouraged, take another look at Afghans and the beauty of their home.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2EwRQWHQVU
home of Afghans
And ask, “Why not love?”
Thank you for asking “Why not love?”
Afghan smile
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
Peace to Obama’s daughters from Afghan children ; 10-15 year old Afghan boys & girls greet Malia & Sasha
November 30, 2009 by
Filed under Journey Updates
Please watch 10-15 year old Afghan boys & girls speak words of peace & love to Obama’s daughters Malia & Shasha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejlusJ38UKU
Parwin & Rana
Video Excerpt
Malia and Sasha, peace from Afghanistan!
I am Parwin ( 13 years old ), Rana ( 10 ), Abdul Ali ( 13 ), Zekerullah ( 13 ), Abdulai ( 13 ) and Raziq ( 15 ).
No one wins in war, neither women nor men.
We are humans & we want peace.
There are many other creative, non-violent solutions & they need a chance
Love is how we’ll ask for peace!
Malia & Sasha & your parents, from Afg, be at peace!
Malia & Sasha, God protect you & God will take care of you!
Raziq & Abdulai
Standing together in stirring a heart-storm of love,
meekly & resolutely.
Love is how we’ll ask for peace!
Let love refrain from silence.
We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.
Martin Luther King
The human voice can never reach the distance that is covered by the still small voice of conscience.
Where love is, there God is also.
Mohandas Gandhi
Abdul Ali & Zekerullah
American Thanksgiving and our Afghan winter ; Afghan vigilers’ telephone conversation with Amy Goodman
November 26, 2009 by
Filed under Journey Updates
To our American friends, have a meaningful and warm Thanksgiving!
We especially thank Douglas Mackey and Dennis Mills for the tele-conversation we had with students of Olympia High School and Evergreen State College, as well as Amy Goodman for speaking to us in our Afghan silence.
Please hear the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers’ 2 a.m. conversation with Amy Goodman, & watch them speak of the Afghan winter life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uXtO0e0_KE
In this season of decisions over Afghanistan, the cold has set in.
“I was sick last week. I had fever & was shivering. I kept warm while I slept at home. Now I’m well & warm at heart. I think that friendship is warmth. Home is warmth!
But war is cold & war freezes friendship. “ Abdul Raziq
Video excerpt of Amy Goodman’s 2.30 a.m. conversation with the vigilers on 25/11/2009
Hello! Salam to you Amy!
I want to ask you why you’re doing what you’re doing?
We want to raise the voice of peace in Afg & the world. We’re hoping for Obama’s answer to our peace message
Blood cannot wash away blood ( an Afghan Proverb ).
Hate cannot wash away hate.
War cannot wash away war.
God protect you, Amy!
Winter & the cold have arrived in Afghanistan.
In some places, the water at the spring freezes & the roads get cut off.
We have to collect precious fuel to keep warm.
We can bear these physical challenges better than lies, war, violence & pride which make our souls shake with their cold indifference, their isolation & their separation.
We sometimes wonder what we should expect from life, from history & from humanity. Perhaps we shouldn’t expect much because unrealistic expectations may silence our hopes.
We comfort one another in saying, “It doesn’t matter. God is kind.” You may think that we should be able to do better than to just have comforting words
Even if we don’t live through this winter, love would endure, love would last.
Is war the sole answer to the problems of Afghanistan?
Can’t life offer us more creative & noble alternatives?
Yes, love would survive another winter.
Yes, love is how we’ll ask for peace!
“The way of peace is the way of love. Love is the greatest power on earth. It conquers all things.” Peace Pilgrim
Peace stands together in love, giving thanks for warmth in the cold Afghan winter
Excerpt of Obama’s Thanksgiving speech 26/11/2009
But this Thanksgiving also takes place at a time of great trial for our people.
Across the country, there were empty seats at the table, as brave Americans continue to serve in harm’s way from the mountains of Afghanistan to the deserts of Iraq. We honor and give thanks for their sacrifice, and stand by the families who endure their absence with such dignity and resolve.
I have seen this strength firsthand over many months…. in young Americans enlisting in a time of war..
It is a testament to our national character… that we want that American Dream not just for ourselves, but for each other.