We have just finished the sixth Peace News Summer Camp. For five days we spent time relaxing, sharing , listening, singing, reciting poetry and lots of other good things. For this post, however, I want to focus on a workshop we had talking about the Afghan Peace Volunteers. The best thing about it was that we not only talked about them, we talked to them!
Imagine a sunny August day. We are in a cheery white tent on a tranquil Suffolk organic farm. Sitting on hay bales we gather to learn more about ordinary people in Afghanistan, their hopes and fears. We have a simple smartphone and with it we are able to speak to the Afghan Peace Volunteers. The connection is, at first, tenuous but eventually we have an uninterrupted half hour conversation.
Because the connection is unpredictable we first hear from the APV who, through the splendid interpreting of Hakim, share with us their concerns about war situations around the world. They have an extraordinary capacity to see a wider picture all the time. While painfully conscious of their own situation, they never forget those who are suffering elsewhere, be it Syria, Gaza or Ukraine. They have the open heartedness to feel with the sufferings of innocent people wherever they are, and place responsibility for the suffering firmly in the hands of the superpowers. The constant plea is that governments look at what they are doing and work together to create a peaceful and just world. They are clear that there can be no peace without justice.
Our workshop participants ask about the environmental costs of war in Afghanistan and how they feel about the removal of foreign troops. Hakim has a lot to say about environmental damage and this topic is going to be followed up by the camper who asked the question. While I was in Afghanistan many people expressed fear of the resumption of civil war after the withdrawal of troops but the other side to this question is that the troops did not provide safety during the time of occupation so perhaps the withdrawal will not make too much difference. What is striking is that all these issues are very real to the people we are talking to; they have suffered recently from nearby attacks from bombers.
The APVs present at the Skype call are male and female and are articulate and impassioned. They value such conversations and do not want to be forgotten. They want us to share their story and tell people about their hopes and fears. Technology links our serene Suffolk field with war torn Kabul and I know those present in the tent are deeply moved by the conversation.
Other campers took copies of the VCNVUK newsletter and ten people bought blue scarves. These scarves are embroidered with the word BORDERFREE in English and Dari and publicise the Borderfree campaign on which the APV are working. Money raised from sale of the scarves will go to the sewing project which makes duvets to be distributed in winter by the APV to families in Kabul. The APV use all the tools of social media to spread the word about their life and work and my hope is that PN camp participants will use these platforms to get to know our beloved Afghan friends in Kabul.
Live Adventurously 