Dear friends,
Greetings from Kabul, Afghanistan! I’ve been here all week now and have enjoyed getting around to see as much as I can and meet as many Afghan people as I can and listen to their views. Thankfully I have my own personal translator (Martin) which has been invaluable!
Take at look at my blog: www.pilgriminkabul.wordpress.com to see some pics and read what we’ve been up to. I’ll continue to update the blog in coming days.
Last night we met the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers, a very impressive group of young people who are calling for an end to war. You didn’t hear about a peace movement in Afghanistan? Well, yesterday these young people joined with about 40 others for a peaceful vigil in central Kabul, calling for peace in their country. They were met by riot police, but the group just smiled and held their banners calling for peace. One of the police said to the group: “I want peace too.”
The next few days will be very special as the Afghans celebrate the beginning of spring and the Afghan New Year with holidays and celebrations. The Afghan peace volunteers will hold various events to mark the occasion and to launch their campaign of peace and nonviolence: a march in Kabul, a tree-planting ceremony and a candlelight vigil. It’s amazing that all these events will be happening in war-torn Kabul! We are here to support these courageous young people and to help give them a voice and share their message with the world.
They will also participate in the Global Day of Listening which I hope you can also participate in – a great opportunity to listen to people in Afghanistan and around the world.
“The first duty of love is to listen,” Paul Tillich, theologian, philosopher.
Please check out the website http://globaldayoflistening.org/Home.html to see how you can be involved.
There are also solidarity events happening around the world including Sydney and Melbourne, see below for details.
I’ll sign off for now, but will hopefully share some reflections about my impressions in the coming days. Martin and I are feeling safe and well, the sun is shining here and I’m even a little sunburnt! I’m also aware of the many Afghan civilians that have been killed in the past week, in violent acts around the country. Let’s keep everyone’s safety in our prayers.
Your pilgrim
Donna
Afghan New Year Global Day of Listening
(Time for Australians to talk is 12midday Sun ) International Phone Link up Join at http://globaldayoflistening.org/DayOfListening_Schedule_.html Melbourne Solidarity Vigil with Afghanistan Action
Monday 21st March, 5-7pm On the 21st March, the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers, with international supporters, will be planting trees and holding a candlelight vigil in Kabul, Afghanistan. They have asked people around the world to also hold vigils in support. Venue: outside St Paul’s Cathedral, Cnr Flinders and Swanston Sts Please bring your own candles After this public vigil, people are invited to come to Coburg to continue the vigil into evening, to hear about Jessica’s recent trip to Afghanistan and link with the international delegation in Afghanistan (8-9.30pm).
Contact: Jessica 0431 519 577 For more about Afghanistan vigil: http://www.livewithoutwars.org/lwwarsproject.html Sydney Afghanistan Solidarity Vigil Gill Burrows 0417 487 135 |
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