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- MY STORY & BIRTH OF GIRL'S LIBRARY
- DETAILS OF LIBRARY PROJECT
- MALALAI JOYA
- NATIONAL FILM BOARD/CITIZENSHIFT
- RELATED EVENTS
MY STORY & BIRTH OF GIRL'S LIBRARY
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ART CAN CHANGE THE WORLD
TO BUILD THE FIRST GIRLS PUBLIC LIBRARY IN AFGHANISTAN"When you change a child's life, you change the world.
The BOOK is the weapon of the future." Carol MarkI believe that as citizens of the world, we can observe but also have the ability to change what is infront of us. My name is Carol Mark and here is my story.
I remember being in Italy with friends planning to open a clinic in Afghanistan for women and children and wondering how I was going to raise money for a place no one has really heard of when I heard the World Trade Towers were being attacked. I thought a war had broken out. It was the first time in my life, I felt helpless with no voice and that a dark force had taken over the world. Afghanistan then became the centre of the world.
Despite the uncertainty of my own safety, I visited Afghanistan in the fall 2002 in hopes of setting up a clinic- nurse by training- and one of my visits was to meet the widows and children on a mountain side outside of Kabul. The previous year I had watched on TV the carpet bombing by the United States on those same mountain regions who said they were at war with terrorists. There were no men in the area when I met with these humble women who generously gave us the last of their tea and cakes. The children were polite and wide eyed, eager to show off their reading skills to anyone who would listen. Foreign aid was evident in the roads they were building from Pakistan to the north to allow energy resources to freely travel, but I realized the biggest hidden resource of Afghanistan were the children. Through education the children would be the building blocks to lay the foundation for a better world not ravaged by war.
Technology is amazing- it connects you with people you may never meet in person. I had made contact with Carol Mann, founder of NGO Femaid based in France and with our similiar goals of humanitarian aid work we became fast friends. With our separate work in different parts of the world, instead of sharing recipes and asking beyond how our families were doing we began to form ideas in our emails and phone calls.
Carol Mann first became in aid work, as there was a war in Bosnia and fueled by her concerns of her teenage son and the possibility that a war could involve the youth of Europe including her son.
In between aid trips to the Yukon and the Native reservations -I was working and raising funds.
In June 2004 with 25 cents in my bank account I bought a building at 183 Queen St East to open ACA Gallery- incubator of art and social change. Proceeds from gallery would fund humanitarian aid projects and bring people together to share ideas and put into action on a grassroots level. In 2006 I invited Carol Mann to exhibit a photographic display of her work in Bosnia where she rebuilt a school after the seige and her work in Afghanistan. During the Toronto visit, the birth of kidsreadAfghanistan was born.
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kidreadAfghanistan-A PUBLIC LIBRARY FOR YOUNG ADULTS AND CHILDREN
IN FARAH, AFGHANISTAN
CAROL MANN’S INFOBackground situation:
Since the fall of the Taliban, an increasing number of children and young people have been attending school, This is why classes are filled with pupils aged anywhere between seven and twenty, as young women are eager to get some kind of education. The increasing number of children and adolescents have been returning after many years abroad, forming the bulk of the 3. 5 million returnees that have been finding the way home since 2001. In exile as refugees, many had the opportunity to lean English and other foreign languages. Today there are no public libraries and those that exist have meagre resources and are attached to universities, principally Kabul university where there are rebuilding projects with US partner universities, therefore only available to students.
A library equipped in books, learning material, films and music with a language laboratory for individual learning of languages would be beneficial aimed at young students in primary and secondary schools and their teachers: because many girls learn to read at a comparatively late age.
Brief description of the project:
The Public Library will be situated in the ancient city of Farah, south of Herat, one of Afghanistan's poorest regions. This library will be the first of its kind; furthermore, girls have been attending massively school since the fall of the Taliban. There is a 8000-strong student population in the city. The future library is located near the nearby Mirman Nazoo girls' school. There are 3000 female pupils there, studying in shifts, many of them former refugees, of which half of them are married and many mothers (marriage takes place quite often at 13 or 14 if not before).On a field trip to Farah in June 2006 undertaken by Carol Mann of FemAid, we located a building . Solar energy will be used as a power source, which means introducing much- needed pioneering technology in this part of the world. Security must be assured through appropriate measures and staffing.
To launch the project and until the funding is completed, we decided on a temporary library situated in a computer-course building. There are donated shelves and tables.
More than a library, this should be a place for exchange and communication, study and active workshops, in collaboarations with other efforts to build up a civil society.
In the future, through computers and Internet facilities, links with other schools and cultural youth groups worldwide could be established. This library, situated in one of the key areas of Afghanistan could be at the centre of many cultural exchanges between young people and schools East and West.
this is a pioneering project which will further Education for All and be of great help to the schools in the area.We are hoping that schools could be involved in such a project. The French and Canadian sides of the project, FemAid and ACA Gallery are coordinating such donations.
We would very much like to partner with a school, a university, a library, a community, not just in Canada and France but the world over.
It seems essential to provide for the running costs for the first three years of this project as well as free English courses for the young people who attend the library
The major problem will be freight, and government involvement is essential at this level.
Project management:
This project is the brainchild of FemAid, a registered charity in Paris and ACA Gallery in Toronto which organizes and promotes art shows to support charitable causes. Both Carol Mann and Carol Mark have been to Afghanistan and working in the humanitarian field for many years.
I am a trained psychiatric nurse and Carol Mann is a sociologist, with a PhD on the subject of ‘Traditions and transformations in the life of Afghan women in Pakistani refugee camps’ and has written a number of articles, including paper on the UNESCO website on the ‘woman question’ in AfghanistanOther members of the Paris team include Wassila Ltaief, Ph.D in law and a specialist in Islamic law and Maghreb family law, and Manilee Bagheritari, B.A (UCLA, Berkeley)., M.SC (LSE) in Gender Studies whose Iranian background is of considerable help.
There is room for more voluntary help both in Toronto and Paris!
Whilst each centre ((Paris, Toronto) will organize fund raising, monies will be centralized in a specially marked account at FemAid.Support
We have the support of the Mayor of Farah and the directors of the girls’ school. We also have the support of the French embassy in Kabul, GSN in Melbourne (Global Sister Network) and encouragement from the US PRT stationed in Farah and UN Habitat in Kabul. More official support is forthcoming.
Final note, after the exploratory trip to Farah (June 2006)
The intensity of my voyage to Farah in June 2006 reminded me of my initiatory trip to wartime Sarajevo in the summer of 1994, I had encountered, for the first time this particular mixture of despair and hope. With Azra, an amazing woman from the city who had reorganized the education system in her neighbourhood, we dreamt of rebuilding their school. In those days, the siege felt interminable and the return to a normal life seemed beyond the scope of imagination. But somehow it happened: together we created a small charity called ‘Enfants de Bosnie’ with the official patronage of UNESCO, the active help of the Council of Europe, the Swiss government, the Conseil régional de l’Ile de France and the French contingent of UNPROFOR stationed in Sarajevo, the miracle occurred. School children all over the world participated with letters, drawings and fund raising. The Skender Kulenovic school in Dobrinja is the most beautiful in the Balkans- s. In the middle of the siege, whilst the future of Bosnia was uncertain, we managed to register the school on the UNESCO Associated Schools project scheme.
Likewise, the seemingly improbable library project remains emblematic of a future for the new generation of Afghans as well as our own kids. Their fates are intertwined : what affects women in Afghanistan ends up having consequences in our own world.Sharing literacy, literature, arts and games, a culture that is neither consumer nor religion orientated, creating a common set of references through positive dreams and social ideals may create bonds that wars and politics might have otherwise destroyed. The fight goes on, for them, for us. And in our globalized society, your help will make a difference not just in Afghanistan, but in your own environment.
Synopsis byCarol Mann, www.femaid.org
BARRIERS
- working with the governments to get the approval takes time
- airlift of aid 15,000 lbs went through US State Department
- Cost $150,000
- Fundraising is hard- we are looking at perhaps having government donate building & their upkeep and increase more libraries.
- None of the Canadian schools we spoke at are involved-even though the students have to perform volunteer hours as well as learning about aid work - PASSIVE Learning- pressure its too much and that sometime by hearing a story or a student a project equates anything active. -Perhaps that is a reflection that we think government or celebrities will make changes- need to recognize that to create change you have to get out of your own comfort zone and be the first one to take that first step.
- LATTE FACTOR - save $ 5 on coffee for down payment on house - can be applied for aid instead of latest clothing/music lets making giving the in thingGOING FORWARD
- That more partners are coming on board & WELCOME MORE
- As mothers Carol & I share common bond for all childrenWhen you change a child's life, you change the world.
The BOOK is the weapon of the future.For the joy of children,
Carol Mark
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MALALAI JOYA, newly elected female member of Parliament in the Loya Jirga (General Assembly, Afghanistan. The woman who defies warlords
"Never again will I whisper in the shadows of intimidation."
World Pulse Magazine, Issue 1, 2005
It was only a year ago that the words of 25-year-old Malalai Joya blazed across the front pages of newspapers worldwide. She had gone to Kabul as an elected representative of Farah Province to help create Afghanistan's new constitution at the Loya Jirga (Grand Council). When she embarked on her trip, Joya knew that the eyes of the world would be watching this historic assembly.After she spoke, there was a moment of stunned silence. Then there was an uproar. Male mujahideen, some who literally had guns at their feet, rushed towards her, shouting. She was brought under the protection of UN security forces.
In a nation where few dare to say the word "warlord" aloud, Joya had spoken fiercely against a proposal to appoint high clergy members and fundamentalist leaders to guide planning groups. She objected that several of those religious leaders were war criminals who should be tried for their actions—not national heroes to influence the new government.
Today, as a result of her legendary actions, Malalai Joya has become popular hero in Afghanistan. She speaks at rallies where thousands of people carry her photo high.
Our elections have brought hope, but we must disarm the warlords.
Malalai Joya states
“For speaking the truth against warlords in the Loya Jirga, my life has completely changed. Due to the constant death threats made against me, and the recent attack on my home, I am constantly accompanied by bodyguards and my whereabouts are kept secret.”“I am but a symbol of my people's struggle and a servant to their cause. And if I were to be killed for what I believe in, then let my blood be the beacon for emancipation and my words a revolutionary paradigm for generations to come.”
“Despite many threats from the Taliban and warlords, it was a golden opportunity for our people to vote for their president for the first time in the history of Afghanistan. This process was such an exciting and memorable event that some became very emotional and cried! They couldn't believe they had the right to vote for their ideal president.
Joya’s efforts for peace, women’s rights and democracy in Afghanistan had a very wide coverage in the world media. Here we present only a selection of them from some English newspapers and magazines.
Afghan MP says she will not be silenced
BBC News, Jan.27, 2006Afghan Legislator Malalai Joya
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, Dec.29, 2005Joya's presence and remarks in the Parliament
(Excerpts from news clippings), Dec.19-21, 2005Malalai Joya: Confronting Afghan warlords
The Peninsula (Qatar), Nov.24, 2005Profile: Malalai Joya
BBC News, Nov.12, 2005Woman who stood up to warlords wins seat in parliament
The Times (UK), October 7, 2005Female foe of warlords faces them in Afghan assembly
Reuters , October 6, 2005Women's Rights Activists Among Winners in Afghan Election
Feminist Daily News Wire , October 07, 2005Afghan women's-rights activist wins seat
The Chicago Tribune, The Seattle Times , October 07, 2005Woman activist headed for Afghan parliament
The Sify News , October 07, 2005Woman activist who defied warlords makes it to Afghanistan’s new parliament
The Indian Express, October 07, 2005The courage of conviction
The Boston Herald, October 10, 2005
The women of Afghanistan find a leader
The New Statesman (UK), 19th September 2005Loya Jirga member seeks end to HR abuses in Afghanistan
DAWN, January 4, 2005Malalai Joya nominee for the 1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005
1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005, April 2005Malalai Joya demands Karzai cleanse his cabinet, country
The Daily Times, Jan.6, 2005Security more important than food for Afghan people: Joya
The Nation, December 22, 2004Malalai Joya speakes
in the "Women and Power" conference in NY
V-Day Press Release, September 3, 2004
Afghan rights advocate expects death
BBC NEWS, August 9, 2004A populist hero emerges from under the rule of the gun
The Globe and Mail, July 27, 2004One woman's words defy might of Afghan warlords
Daily Telegraph (UK), July 14, 2004Threats of expulsion of Loya Jirga delegate unacceptable
Amnesty International, December 17, 2003Outspoken Joya in Defiant Mood
The Institute for War & Peace Reporting, December 23, 2003A Young Afghan Dares to Mention the Unmentionable
The New York Times, December 18, 2003
NATIONAL FILM BOARD/CITIZENSHIFT
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READ
http://citizen.nfb.ca/onf/info?aid=5961&eid=16685
WATCH
http://citizen.nfb.ca/onf/info?aid=6001&eid=16681
SEE & HEAR MALALAI JOYA, ELECTED FEMALE PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATIVE/PARTNER OF GIRLS LIBRARY PROJECTOUR LAUNCH NOW LOUNGE 2006
http://citizen.nfb.ca/blogs/citizenshift/art-can-change-the-world/
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Nuit Blanche -Saturday September 29th 7pm- 7am an all-night contemporary art thing
to be the tool of change + the be the communicator + to be the creator + be the viewer = art can change the worldCarol Mark, director & curator believes that each person has the ability to create change through art. Founder of ACA Gallery www.acagallery.com in 2004 as an incubator for art and social change. Carol combines her love of documentary filmmaking and art to establish the first public girls library in Afghanistan. In partnership with www.Femaid.org
Documentary Photograph of Girls Reading Program www.femaid.org in Afghanistan, 2005.
Photo credit: Carol MannACA Gallery art can change the world
183 Queen Street East ( one block east of Jarvis St)
Moss Park public participation interviews & installation, 199 Queen St East side wall DVD projection of art images & RHIFF short screeningsart can change the world
to be the tool of change
Unique experience + interactive activist art = world changeto be the communicator
YOU tell how art can change the world to be posted on CITIZENShiftto be the creator
CREATE art bookmarkers with messages of peace as art installations in park. Bookmarkers to be shipped to Afghanistan library.to be the viewer
ART for sale with proceeds donated to kidsreadAfghanistan
American Splendor by Giselle Silvestri’s main art piece.
RHIFFcreates ACA art short with music score by Jana Skarecky intercut with RHIFF screenings
Carol Mark, director & curator believes that each person has the ability to create change through art. Founder of ACA Gallery www.acagallery.com in 2004 as an incubator for art and social change. Carol combines her love of documentary filmmaking and art to establish the first public girls library in Afghanistan. In partnership with www.Femaid.org
PATRON ART SUPPORTERS
Ariande Productions
Gelaskins
CITIZENShift National Film Board
H2O Floral Studio
Toronto Gay Guide
Wilson & Pulchinski Inc.Beverages & Snacks available
In association with ReelHeART International Film Festival (RHIFF)