[Original by Maki KATO, Afghanistan Project (July 30, 2019); Translated by K. Adachi/D. Duchaine] The local office of JVC Afghanistan became independent and locally incorporated as an NGO registered in the Afghanistan government in March 2019. The name of this new organization is Your Voice Organization (YVO). From this April onward, JVC will be working on community education and peace building with YVO. We deliver this message from Mr. Sabirullah, YVO representative: Click here to learn the background of localization.
Report on the localization of the JVC Afghanistan local office
[Original by Maki KATO, Afghanistan Project (April 12, 2019); Translated by K. Adachi/D. Duchaine/K. Stepanchak] In March 2019, the local office of JVC Afghanistan became independent, locally incorporated, and registered as a new NGO by the Afghan government. After much deliberation by local staff, the name, Your Voice Organization (YVO), was selected for this new organization. While YVO will manage the organization from fiscal year 2019, JVC signed a partnership contract with YVO, and we will continue to work together for community education and peace building as before. The name: Your Voice Organization means that we will listen to the voices and thoughts of people, especially the precious voices of…
Pictures drawn by Afghan Children
[Original by Asako SHIRAKAWA, Volunteer for Afghanistan Project (June 11, 2019); Translated by M. Goto/S. Altman] JVC produces and sells New Year’s cards every year, using pictures of zodiac animals drawn by children around the world. Some of them may not have been picked out, but each one has originality and heals people. Today I will introduce some pictures drawn by Afghan children. That’s all for today! Please look forward to next time!
What is your image of peace? – Peace drawing workshop at the Ahmad Kot boys’ school –
[Original by Maki KATO, Afghanistan Project (May 14, 2019); Translated by Y. Miki/S. Altman] In the villages where JVC’s Afghan staff work, we continue steady efforts to practice peace actions. This time we are reporting about a workshop on drawing peace pictures. This activity was realized because the teachers in the village requested us to come conduct some peace actions at their school as well. What is peace? It’s easy to say but difficult to imagine its specific shape. It is also very different depending on the people and the environment where they live. In this workshop, about 50 students of the Ahmad Kot boys’ school, which is located in…
MR. MEHRAB KHAN’S LIFE
[Original by Sabirullah MEMLAWAL/Maki KATO, Afghanistan Project (December 11, 2018); Translated by Y. Miki/S. Altman] Here, I would like to talk about the story of Mr. Mehrab Khan. We are both from the Khogynai District and met each other more than 20 years ago. It was around the time when the Taliban controlled the political power here. According to the people in his village, he was very wealthy and had a great life working in the wood business as a timber merchant since his village was in a mountainous area. Although, I didn’t see him that often, he still seemed really happy. After this period of peace, the new government…
SHOWBINA’S NEW DREAM
[Original by Maki KATO, Afghanistan Project (October 30, 2018); Translated by Y. Miki] JVC started literacy lessons in several villages in Afghanistan this summer. The lessons are for people who either could not make the long commute to school, or for those who could not attend school in their younger days due to some issues. The lessons offer the opportunity to learn reading and writing skills again. Our local female staff, Karima, interviewed one of the students there. Showbina is a 25-year-old woman who is taking literacy lessons of Ms. Sayra in the Kachara village. She is from an economically unstable family. Her father is a farmer and her mother…
A miraculous meeting for peace held in an Afghan village
– A ceasefire was realized between the Afghan government and the Taliban. In order to cut the chain of still-continuing violence. – [Original (June 18, 2018); Translated by K. Takemura] Good & bad news The situation of Afghanistan is dramatically changing these days. To our surprise, a ceasefire for three days was realized between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban for the first time. And a miraculous meeting for peace was held in a village, where one of the JVC staff comes from. At the same time, suicide attacks occurred to target such moves. We got the surprising news on the Friday night of June 16, 2018. It says,…
A MIRACLE IN ROPPONGI – MEETING A YOUNG AFGHAN MAN AGAIN AFTER TWO YEARS
[Original by Ryo ONOYAMA, Afghanistan Project (June 5, 2018); Translated by N. Mizutani] It was a miracle. In Roppongi, right in the middle of Tokyo, I met again a youth I had met in Afghanistan two years ago. Chances for Afghan people to visit Japan are very limited, so it is amazing that he was exactly from the area JVC has been working in! His name is Ihsanullah. He was visiting Japan with some other Afghan people, to participate in a training program on disaster prevention held by a Japanese NGO. Participants were appointed by the Afghan government, NGOs and the local community. Ihsanullah came as a representative of his…
We request for extension of ceasefire, cessation of violence and progress on peace process in Afghanistan
22 June 2018 Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR Japan) Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC) Karez Health and Educational Services (KHES) Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) Shanti Volunteer Association (SVA) We are Japanese NGO engaged in the support of Afghanistan together with the people of Afghanistan. Welcoming the first ceasefire between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban, and as people were able to feel the hope for peace that the ceasefire brought about, we will continue seeking peace in Afghanistan and we request for the following: About extension of ceasefire We welcome the ceasefire which was realized for the first time between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taliban.…
PEACE WORKSHOP HELD BY CITIZENS IN AFGHANISTAN: EXPERIENCE-EXCHANGE WITH RESIDENTS OF CONFLICT AREAS
[Original by Ryo ONOYAMA, Afghanistan Project (April 19, 2018); Translated by E. Nagatomi] In Afghanistan, we have conducted Peace Actions in which residents in JVC project areas learn from each other about methods of solving disputes among family and/or in the region, as a countermeasure against the current situation of violence and guns being common in their daily lives. On 14th March, an Experience Exchange workshop was held by inviting residents from 5 regions (non JVC project areas) of heavy combat situations, as a new approach to extending our activities. About 50 people participated in this workshop. In these regions, three parties, which are the governmental and American forces, the…