EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- As soon as the US-Taliban deal begun, we established Peace and Transitional Justice Club at the American University of Afghanistan;
- Some distracted by the insurgency while others influenced by politicians, the civil society failed to channel the flaws in checks-and-balance, good governance, and corruption within the US-backed democratic state in Afghanistan;
- Peace and Transitional Justice Club initiated a student-centered series of symposiums to:
-channel the expectations of ordinary citizens;
-shape discourses within what was called the “Afghan peace process”;
-increase inclusiveness of the peace process (positive peace);
-urge all parties to avoid using violence to gain a stronger bargaining position;
1.Student Peace Dialogue:
Thematic Focus: Victim-Centered Peace and Taking the Role of Women Beyond A Symbolic Level
- 50 students from universities across Afghanistan gathered at the American University of Afghanistan to discuss pathways to deliver justice to the victims of war as well as ensure that the role of women is taking beyond a tokenistic level in the Afghan peace process;
-Op-Eds
-Visit to US Embassy in Kabul
-generating public discourse
Kabul Peace Forum:
Thematic Focus: Peace, Multiculturalism and Diversity
- 50 students from different universities across Afghanistan gathered to discuss the ethnic politics in Afghanistan, and think about ways to promote multiculturalism and diversity in Afghanistan.
-drawing attention to a largely (also systematically) neglected debate;
-9 videos on social media about the importance of promoting cultural diversity and peace in Afghanistan as well as urging all parties to negotiate a deal in the absence of the use of violence;
VISION/MISSION
To re-establish “Peace and Transitional Justice Club” at Bard:
-focused on utilizing the capacity of evacuated Afghans to influence policies in the US;
-to create a channel of partnership with universities in Afghanistan as a source of accurate information;
-to counterbalance flaws in the education system ran by the Taliban;
-create a network between students inside and outside Afghanistan;
-widen the focus on the club to other countries affected by armed conflicts;
-provide students in general, Afghan students in particular with a platforms to share views regarding the international engagement in Afghanistan;
