AFGHANISTAN UNITY IN CULTURAL DIVERSITY وحدت در تنوع فرهنگی

Transcription

1 AFGHANISTAN UNITY IN CULTURAL DIVERSITY وحدت در تنوع فرهنگی Visiting the Exhibitions of the Cultural Containers in Kabul, Bamiyan, Herat, Balkh, Badakshan and Nangarhar

2 وحدت در تنوع فرهنگی AFGHANISTAN UNITY IN CULTURAL DIVERSITY Visiting the Exhibitions of the Cultural Containers in Kabul, Bamiyan, Herat, Balkh, Badakshan and Nangarhar

3 EDITION NOTICE CONTENT Ipso gemeinnützige Gesellschaft mbh International Psychosocial Organisation Trade register local court Freiburg i.br. B on Purpose: Ipso is specialized in the field of mental health and psychosocial care, in developing locally adapted concepts, delivering trainings for psychosocial counsellors, medical doctors, nurses and community health workers for treating mental health-related problems including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress following war, insecurity and challenging living conditions. Furthermore, it aims at strengthening the cultural identity of war-torn societies through cultural programmes, which is a precondition for peace and reconciliation, and the rebuilding of civil society in the aftermath of a civil war and natural catastrophes. Postal address: Münsterplatz 13, Konstanz, Germany Phone: kontakt@ipso-culturalcontext.com Text and Photos: Ipso Team Germany and Afghanistan and local artists Editorial work: PR2 Petra Reinmöller Public Relations Layout and Design: Diana Dörfl, dörfl-multivitamine The Cultural Containers in Afghanistan are part of the project Promotion of peace and stability in Afghanistan through cultural dialogue and psycho-social support funded by the German Foreign Office. CONTENT Publishing Information Poem of Samilluah Totakhil...04 Greetings Gregory Bledjian, Head of Reconstruction and Development, Task Force Afghanistan Pakistan, German Foreign Office Sayed Faroq Faryad, Head of Fine Art, University of Kabul: Culture and Stabilization The Cultural Container Project, Inge Missmahl, Ipso international psychosocial organisation Cultural Conference in Kabul...12 Peace Letter...15 Province Nangarhar...16 Strategic & Cultural Importance...17 Peace: The Making of Nangarhar Exhibition...18 Impressions of the Exhibition Tale: The Clever Son Province Badakshan...32 It Is Said That Everyone Is a Poet...33 Beautiful Nature: The Making of Badakshan Exhibition Impressions of the Exhibition Tale: In Search of Happiness فهرست Province Balkh Between Tradition and Modernity...51 The Determination for Freedom: The Making of Balkh Exhibition...52 Impressions of the Exhibition Tale: The Falcon That Could Not Fly Province Herat From Gawharshad to Rock & Roll...67 In Search of Our True Self: The Making of Herat Exhibition Impressions of the Exhibition Tale: The Three Frogs Province Bamiyan...82 A Province Steeped in History...83 Towards Brightness: The Making of Bamiyan Exhibition Impressions of the Exhibition Tale: The Greedy Fox Province Kabul A City of Cultural Secrets The Color of Life: The Making of Kabul Exhibition Impressions of the Exhibition Tale: Alimardan Artist Directory Musicians & Singers Actors Painters & Calligraphers Poets

4 POEM OF SAMILLUAH TOTAKHIL 0405 ش ز م ن ا رو ا م ر ش ز ر ن ن ر م ل درت ز روح وا ن ھرات د ده ا م ن آزادی ز ک د ر ن ن ا س ز رھ ر دا ا م رور ده ز ط ت ن د ن رھ و ش ز رھ ھ ا م د ت ر وان ل وب و رق رب دو ره رھ ا ل و ش ز ده رده ا م Lightened is the candle from the knowledge of Bamiyan, with the color of the rainbow from Kabul, with the strength of youth from Herat, having the sign of freedom from Balkh, feeling the peace from the skies of Nangarhar, nurtured in the nature of Badakhshan, still looking for south, north, east, west in order to build Afghan culture as the best. Samilluah Totakhil

5 GREETINGS GREGORY BLEDJIAN 0607 GREETINGS خوش آمدید Gregory Bledjian Head of Reconstruction and Development, Task Force Afghanistan Pakistan German Foreign Office Ladies and Gentlemen, dear friends and art enthusiasts Today s international media headlines on Afghanistan mostly address security issues and terrorist attacks. I believe Afghanistan and the Afghan people deserve a broader view of their country and an open discourse that is not confined to these topics. We should be careful not to lose sight of the various shades of Afghan life and culture. Afghanistan has a rich cultural history, tracing record to at least the time of the Achaemenid Empire, the murals in the Bamiyan caves or the famous Gandhara art. Afghanistan is a cradle of culture and art in the region and throughout history. However, contemporary Afghan art is more than a reminiscence of history. Art enables oneself to engage with one s inner thoughts and feelings and gives a stimulus in the process of finding and exploring one s identity. Creating a space of encounter, the Ipso-Project provides a forum for Afghan men and women with a different culture, ethnic, age and gender background. The colorful cultural containers impressively show that Afghans conserved their sense of art and beauty. Mutual understanding is the origin and a precondition of our common goal: peace and reconciliation. The cultural containers invite all generations and all social and ethnic groups in Afghan society to engage with cultural values through poetry, drawing, calligraphy, theatre and music. This creates a dialogue between the various groups promoting a better comprehension of cultural diversity and improving an understanding of Afghan cultural identity as such. In this respect, the containers of the Ipso-Project represent indeed true containers of Afghan culture. Now, please be invited to take a closer look on the cultural containers of the Ipso-Project or to say it with an Afghan proverb: یک دنی ن ود دنید د Hearing is never as good as seeing. This picture was painted live during the Kabul conference by artists from the six provinces.

6 GREETINGS SAYED FAROQ FARYAD 0809 Sayed Faroq Faryad Head of Fine Art, University of Kabul culture and reconciliation The role of culture in contributing to reconciliation is a vital and often neglected - dimension of the lives of Afghans today. As in any society, culture lies at the heart of who Afghans are, what we think, know and believe in and how we relate to each other. By situating us in our rich history, culture has the potential to enlighten us and shed light on the extraordinary diversity of our society today. Only with this understanding can we hope to live in harmony with each other and tolerate our differences. This is illustrated in the themes of reconciliation and generosity of spirit that run through Afghan literature. What is culture? Culture is one of the key representations of our collective achievement and embodies the essence of a society. By encompassing the spiritual and esoteric in our lives, it spans knowledge, philosophy, politics, law, literature, fine arts and handicrafts, as well as our customs. Through both the material monuments we build, objects we make and use, clothes we wear and the intangible music we play, songs we sing and how we greet each other culture is an integral part of our lives. Dr. Ali Shariati writes as culture is the collection of ceremonies in a symbolic way as that of signs, customs and tradition, heritage, community attitudes in spiritual, artistic, historical, literary, religious and the feelings of a tribe which is created within the historical process and finally all these get a specific form and face. These ceremonies motivate, fulfill and enrich the needs, origin, social qualifications and finally social relation and economical form of a tribe. Thinking of these definitions of culture, it is clear that culture is a tool by which humankind expresses its collective or individual values, including respect for the rights of other beings and for nature. On the other hand, culture also has an important spiritual role in the lives of women and men across the globe, enabling them to relate to and embody a common belief. Impact of culture on peace and reconciliation Peace is a state of being that enables women and men to realize their true potential, in mind, body and soul, in a manner that eschews violence of any sort. The striving for such a state of peace runs through the literature of the world, reflecting how people from different societies follow a similar search. As well as its material and economic benefits, peace lays the ground for scholarship and philosophy. Arguably, the absence of peace has been a major factor in limiting such development in Afghanistan over the past three or more decades. As well as affecting the lives of all Afghans, this state has also prevented them from contributing to the wider process of development. In the case of Afghanistan, it has arguably been politics that has in the recent past hindered our cultural growth and development. Despite the role that tolerance and respect throughout our history, these values have been sadly lacking among our politicians and combatants. It is only by reaching a state of enlightenment that Afghans will understand and value the role of culture in their lives, and restore the hope that underlies their beliefs. In this way, we shall be able to bring about the positive change that will make human and physical reconstruction possible, and lay the ground for creativity. Our history of tolerance is born out in the words of the poet Mawlana Jalaluddin Balkhi. Also known as Rumi, the poet recounts how four persons from different societies and without a common language send another man to buy grapes in the bazaar, each asking for the fruit to be bought with their own currency. Unable to understand each other and unaware that others have made the same request, they only understand when the fruit is delivered that they all had a similar wish and purpose. This fable serves as a good reminder of the need for Afghans to communicate and respect each other. From the above, we can see that culture, peace and reconstruction are closely related in all of our lives, and that they reach across the spiritual and material realms. It is only by understanding this concept that Afghans stand any hope of attaining a state of real peace. I believe that our rich history of tolerance and cultural achievements stand us in good stead to more beyond blaming each other and take responsibility for our collective destiny. The younger generation of Afghans are best-placed to achieve this, but they need to have the opportunity to learn about their culture in order to act upon the lessons of history. Once they are more aware of their rich roots. They will be better able to solve the complex social, political and economic challenges that face them. Having opportunities to explore literature, listen to music and songs, painting, drawing and producing calligraphy, performing theatre or producing or watching films will enhance their ability to resolve disputes and open a door for reconciliation and reconstruction.

7 THE CULTURAL CONTAINER PROJECT INGE MISSMAHL IPSO INTERNATIONAL PSYCHOSOCIAL ORGANISATION AND TEAM 1011 Inge Missmahl Director of Ipso Peace and stabilization through cultural dialogue and psychosocial support in Afghanistan Since 2011 the German Foreign Office supports the activities of Ipso in Afghanistan in its efforts to support peace and reconciliation through psychosocial support and cultural dialogue. Through trained Afghan cultural field workers working at colorful painted cultural containers in six provinces of the country, Ipso aims to enhance Afghan cultural identity through art and creativity facilitating an exchange of ideas and insights. Our containers serve as hubs for cultural expression and dialogue and take an active part in the local Afghan life by inviting interested people and motivated artists from all generations and various social and ethnic walks of live. Discovering the cultural diversity of the respective communities, we work to improve an understanding of Afghan cultural identity through story telling, poetry, calligraphy, drawing, theatre, music and reflecting on Afghan cultural values. These provincial exhibitions showed the result of the first year of our project. Together with the psychosocial counsellors working in public health facilities, the cultural field workers create a network of mutually beneficial psycho-social and cultural activities. These activities allow the people living around the containers to express themselves, find support when life is challenging, reconnect to resources, develop conflict resolution strategies and reflect on cultural values and identity in order to find individual and collective meaning. For many of these people who have come to our psychosocial counselors and who had experienced traumatic events or were exposed to forced marriages, displacement, migration, communal or domestic violence, cultural expression, music and poetry painting has become a way to express what cannot be said with words. Cultural symbols as inner places of reconciliation, creating meaning in life, communicated to others and understood by others is a huge resource especially for Afghan people, who have such a long tradition and history of culture and cultural expression. By expressing such inner states and experiences, be it the beauty of life or its hardship, an inner dialogue starts within the artists and the art they create. Later this dialogue is carried on between the spectator and the piece of art. We can observe this in many pictures of the exhibition on the next pages. Most important from a psychological perspective here is, that through communicating their own experiences, views, hopes and despairs to others, one can be seen. To be seen is essential, because in order to feel myself I need to be seen first. Otherwise: How do I know if it is true, justified to feel how I feel and what I feel? Would others be able to feel the same? The key is empathy as a guiding principle in our work: When we train psychosocial counselors, when we help treating people through psychosocial support or when we encourage people to express themselves in an artistic way or when we encourage people to share their values and views in a cultural dialogue. Therefore our Leitmotif: The other is you. We might have different traditions and different histories but we all have the same ability to experience joy, love and empathy, we all have a natural tendency to be curious: Curious living in Nangarhar or how people live in Bamiyan, what people believe in Badakhshan and how they are brave and eager to learn in Herat, what they think about peace in Balkh, exploring the diversity of cultural life in Kabul. Discovering that we can learn from each other, that our lives are getting richer through dialogue with each other, celebrating being alive together. This is what we have experienced in this project so far with our cultural field workers of our cultural containers and with the people living around our cultural containers. This project is a wonderful experience for all of us, for our team in Kabul and for the six teams in the provinces and for the people who come to the containers. Here is the place to thank all people who are contributing with their engaged and hard work, their commitment and their vision to make this all happen. I want to thank all Afghan authorities, who have been so supportive to the project, this paved the ground that it was possible: The Ministry of Culture and Information, the municipalities in Kabul, in Mazar, in Jalalabad, in Faizabad, in Bamiyan and in Herat. The Ministry of Public Health especially the Mental Health Department, School Directors, Police departments who cared for the security of the containers and other organizations involved in culture. I want to thank our donor the German Foreign Office and all the people from the Afghanistan Department in Berlin and the German Embassy in Kabul. I want to thank them for their openness and readiness for their generosity to engage in this unusual project. They have understood the importance of cultural expression of symbolic expression. They have understood the need for cultural dialogue which is a necessary resource for meaning in live for shaping cultural identity and which is also a luxury in times of war, transition and insecurity. I want to thank our team in Kabul for their engaged work, our cultural field workers in the provinces, engaging people by going out on the streets meeting people talking to people, being curious of what they have to say and how they express themselves in their own culture. I want to thank the Ipso team in Germany and our friends and colleagues who are supporting this project through their work, commitment and with their ideas. Finally, I want to thank the artists who came from the provinces to show us their art and who are letting us participate in their creative process and who show us the beauty which cannot be expressed with words but which touches us inside and gives us meaning.

8 CULTURAL CONFERENCE IN KABUL 1213 CULTURAL CONFERENCE IN KABUL کنفرانس فرهنگی در کابل Unity in cultural diversity was the theme of the Cultural Conference on December 11th 2013 in Kabul. This conference was the opening for the six exhibitions in the provinces. Artists from these provinces were invited to paint together, to recite poetry together and to make music together. Peace letters were read, an Ipso produced song was released and Afghan authorities were emphasizing on the importance of an Afghan cultural life. It was an inspiring event. I am not Pashtun, not Tajik, not Uzbek and not Hazara Neither have tendency for hatred, nor fighting again If you want to be my guest, come as if you come to an Afghan house We are all Afghan, we are all Afghan We are all human, we are all Afghan You are my brother You are the crown of my head Let s go to Kandahar and Parwan together Let s go to the historic Balkh We are all Afghan, we are all Afghan We are all human, we are all Afghan It would be nothing if I devote my life for this beautiful land May Almighty god keep safe and secure my beloved country Afghanistan Lugar, Takhar, Faryab, Herat Every part of my country is my sole and my body It is like gold since long time Let s raise our hands and pray, friends You, my friends of bright and beautiful mornings Let's bring a full basket of Damascus roses I sprinkle on you and you sprinkle on me my friends

9 CULTURAL CONFERENCE IN KABUL PEACE LETTER 1415 PEACE LETTER نامه های صلح Peace is the sweetest word that everybody hopes for and is the only hope of everybody s heart. Peace is a remedy that each and every problem can be solved when it is really accepted and spread within society. Peace is the beauty that if it s opened in a place it creates beauty. Peace is love that pushes out hates from the hearts and gives success for right over wrong. Peace is the beauty that removes ugliness and peace is the goodness that removes badness. Peace is the comfort that relaxes the entire life and peace is the achievement that reaches to all. Peace is everything and without that beauty cannot be seen. When all goodness is tied to peace and it donates us a beautiful life then why we should not choose peace.

10 NANGARHAR THE PROVINCE 1617 NANGARHAR رھ ر STRATEGIC & CULTURAL IMPORTANCE Straddling the valley of the Kabul River before it joins the mighty Indus further east. The valley was the route along which Buddhist pilgrims travelled on their way to sites such as Bamiyan; traces of many stupas and other structures dot the landscape to this day at sites such as Darunta. Others, such as the huge Greco-Buddhist monastery complex at Hadda dating from the Gandara period that was excavated in the early 20th century, have all but disappeared. Following the westwards advance of Arab Islamic forces after the 7th century, Nangahar became part of the Ghaznavid dominions and Jalalabad (then known as Adinapur) provided a useful staging-post for raids into the wealthy lowlands of India, as during the ensuring rule of the Ghorids. The city gained prominence during the Mughal era, when the Emperor Babur s grandson Akbar developed it in the late 16th century. Jalalabad remained strategically important for subsequent Afghan rulers who continued to mount raids into India and laid claim to the important city of Peshawar to the east, which was then ruled by a Sikh dynasty. As Britain extended its control through the Indian borderlands, tensions with the Afghans grew and in 1838 Jalalabad was occupied by British forces as part of their campaign under the first Anglo-Afghan war. Again in 1878, British troops established themselves in Jalalabad to provide a staging-post for their march on Kabul as part of the second Anglo-Afghan war. Subsequent Afghan rulers used Jalalabad as a winter capital, and Amir Habilbullah built the impressive Seraj-ul-Emarat which was sacked in 1929 by a mob during the uprising against his successor Amanullah. The adjoining gardens, where the graves of both rulers stand, retain vestiges of their original character and are popular with the public to this day. The city and surrounding areas suffered extensive damage during the 1980s given its strategic importance both to the Soviet-backed government in Kabul and mujahideen factions, many of which were based in Peshawar in neighbouring Pakistan. Jalalabad has a thriving contemporary cultural scene, with many associations supporting activities such as poetry (especially in Pashtu), calligraphy and painting. Many of the younger generation are interested in cinema, theatre, film and music, although the social conservatism of the area limits the scope of some cultural activity. One aspect of modern life that is not controversial, however, is the sport of cricket and many of the successful Afghan National Cricket Team are from Nangarhar province.

11 NANGARHAR THE EXHIBITION AND ITS MOTTO 1819 PEACE Without peace, there cannot be life. Without peace, there cannot be progress and development. Culture is the mirror of life and therefore can only flourish with peace. Peace: The Making of Nangarhar Exhibition We, the Cultural Container Team of Nangarhar, arranged an exhibition which was open to the public for four days. The people of Nangarhar longed for such an exhibition and our team was happy to make it possible. As we worked hard and always cooperated with the society, we were not stopped by any challenges. The main challenge we had to face was the question of security. A problem which dominates not only our province, but the whole country. Our exhibition became a platform for the artists of Nangarhar and raised public awareness for the power of art. After long discussions within the Ipso team, we selected a topic for our exhibition, which is important to us, attracts the public s attention and gains its acceptance. So far, Afghanistan and its history had only been associated with war and conflict, but we wanted to change this focus. Consequently, we named our exhibition Peace. In order to find a suitable place for the exhibition, we visited numerous locations. Finally, we chose the old building of Amanullah Khan, the most popular location in Nangarhar. It is also close to our container. This nearby location made it easier for us to organize the exhibition. There were a lot of people who had not seen this place before. The building is a historically well-known place in our society and the people did not hesitate to come. More than six thousand people visited to our exhibition: old and young people, students, politicians and many women. We did not expect such a huge crowd. Our team was especially surprised by the high number of female visitors. On the days of the exhibition, we communicated our main message through diverse cultural programs and activities. There were a theater group, local musicians and singers, a poetry program, painters, handicrafts and traditional films. The visitors really appreciated these offers and were excited about the exhibition. In short, we were able to arrange an exhibition which lived up to the people s expectations and desires. It was reassuring for us that the visitors called it a successful exhibition. Our team was proud to gather so many different artists and to spread the idea of peace among our society. This was a wonderful achievement of the cultural field workers in Nangarhar. Conflict stifles poetry, music and theatre and the myriad ways in which people express themselves. By using culture to explore concepts of peace, we hope to contribute to feelings of hope among Afghans for their future. To be relevant, however, the universal concept of peace needs to make sense at the local level. Culture offers a way of achieving this, providing a bridge between the people who make up the diverse communities of the Afghan nation. Painting, music, poetry and other cultural activities have the potential to bring us together as Afghans, as well as holding meaning for each of our diverse communities. We believe that culture is a medium through which Afghans can express their feelings and dreams of a peaceful future.

12 NANGARHAR IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 2021 IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION ردا ت ھ در ورد ه The visitors considered the exhibition to be very interesting and even requested that we organized such a project again. They were impressed by the fact that our team had been able to bring all kinds of artists together, conveying the message of peace. We realized that this message was very important for the people of Nangarhar. Artist: Wasi BU zur Ausstellung ut volenihil imenistrum reperum eari consequo di maximet aturesciis

13 NANGARHAR IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 2223 Photographer: Abdulrab Habibyar At our exhibition children being eight years old and adults up to 65 years presented their art works. Visitors from the age of six years till 90 years have visited the exhibition, males as well as females. Visitor

14 NANGARHAR IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 2425 Artist: Mohammad Ayoub Such an exhibition encourages men and women of all ages to express themselves freely through their artwork, with an open heart at a stage they never thought about. Visitor We were very happy that female artists, poets and calligraphers were showing their artwork at the exhibition in Nangarhar province. Visitor

15 NANGARHAR IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 2627 Artist: Hamdullah Arab The most impressive event was the special poetry session, which was conducted for the ladies. For us it was a great achievement and of huge value to have given such talented ladies a platform to present themselves. Visitor

16 NANGARHAR IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 2829 Photographer: Abdulrab Habibyar Artist: Salahuddin Ayoubi Many people expressed the wish to extend this kind of exhibition in the future. Visitor Artist: Hamdullah Arab

17 NANGARHAR TALE 3031 TALE THE CLEVER SON ردان This is a story told by Haji Hamayun, about the need to keep hope. I, Haji Hamayun, used to have a pharmacy in a market in Nangarhar. The man who managed the affairs of the market was Gran, from Paktia. Gran had five daughters and a son, Hayatullah. Gran s life was hard, however, as Hayatullah was born deaf and dumb, and therefore could not contribute to the welfare of the family or earn a proper living. Gran s wife was illiterate, but she was a wise woman who could see that Hayatullah had potential and enrolled him in a special school for those with learning difficulties. Some months later, the school principal organized a prize-giving to recognize the most gifted and hard-working students. His family was very proud, as Hayatullah was among those awarded a certificate at this ceremony. What is more, Hayatullah was asked back onto the stage at the prize-giving, as he had achieved the best results of all students, despite being only eight years old and totally deaf and dumb. In recognizing his achievement, the principal asked Hayatullah what wish would you have as a reward for your hard work? Those in the audience thought that Hayatullah would probably ask for toys, given how young he was, but he surprised everyone by explaining I come from a big family, with five sisters. Despite finishing high school and having had good jobs in the past, my father works as a guard at the market, which barely earns him enough to feed us. My wish is that you consider employing my father at the school so that he can provide for us. Having made enquiries about Gran, the principal was able to fulfill the wish of Hayatullah by offering his father a job as a driver at the school, which meant that he was able to provide better for his family. As Gran said, being hopeless is a sin. Hayatullah is my son and, because of his disability, I never counted on him to contribute to the family welfare. But he has worked hard to come out as top of his class, above those who are able-bodied and much older than him. And, by doing this, he has changed the lives of his family. As well as changing the lives of his father, mother and sisters, Hayatullah works as a trainer in Nangarhar and has never lost hope.

18 BADAKSHAN THE PROVINCE 3233 BADAKSHAN د ن IT IS SAID THAT EVERYONE IS A POET There is a long tradition in the province of men and women gathering to listen to and recite poems of all types; religious, mystical or glorifying the natural beauty of the region. Musicians, painters and calligraphers from the province also use their art to express their faith, through images of monuments and great religious figures, past and present. With Tajikistan, China and Pakistan on its borders, the people of Badakhshan are influenced by the culture of their neighbours. It is situated on a route that has since antiquity been important for trade between east and west. The region was historically ruled over by rulers known as mirs who claimed to be descended from Alexander the Great. It was not until the early 16th century that the region submitted to the Mughal emperor Babur, although local leaders continued to resist the control of his successors. Internal rivalries between the various clans that laid claim to the region continued until the 19th century. The province was formally annexed to the Afghan province, then known as Turkestan and its boundaries defined in an Anglo-Russian agreement of 1873 that expressly acknowledged it as a dominion of the Amir of Kabul. In 1895, the Panj river was defined as part of the border between Afghan and Russian Badakhshan and it was not until 1963 that the present extent of the province was defined. To this day, the neighbouring areas influence how Badakhshis dress and behave; for example, those living in the district of Pamir (adjoining China) have a distinct language and style of dress, with long coats and boots. The area is inhabited by Kazakhs, Uighurs and Xinings who tend to travel by yak to trade with communities in the neighbouring Chinese province of Xinjiang. This is but one example of the rich cultural diversity of Badakhshan, whose mountainous terrain limits contact between communities, who between them speak some 28 languages and many dialects. This isolation has enabled the preservation of traditional culture, especially the art of story-telling and playing of music and singing. Following the tradition of villagers gathering on winter nights to recount myths and legends and to recite poetry, young people in the provincial capital of Fayzabad still get together to read and discuss poetry. The many styles of folk music that exist in Badakhshan are renowned throughout the region. Like so many other parts of Afghanistan, creativity can be found in the most unexpected of places.

19 BADAKSHAN THE EXHIBITION AND ITS MOTTO 3435 NATURE ط ت Beautiful Nature: The Making of Badakhshan Exhibition We inhabit a beautiful and rugged part of the world, where nature is part of our lives. After being employed by Ipso, we, the Cultural Container team of Badakhshan, came together in our province. We talked about the project and realized quickly that we were interested in the beautiful nature of Badakhshan. Working together with all the different people of the province, our interest grew and we became aware of the fact that the beautiful nature of Badakhshan has always inspired poets and artists. In fact, we realized that we were searching for the lost compassionate spirit of Badakhshan. Our team wanted to strengthen this kind of spirituality in order to spread it among the numerous citizens of the province. This way, we could help those people overcome their traumatic past and moreover, give them new energy to create a better tomorrow. The people s warm welcome and their appreciation of Badakhshan s pure culture and young artists encouraged us and boosted our efforts as well as our enthusiasm. Badakhshan is famous for its beautiful nature and poetic spirit, it is known as the birth place of poets. Consequently, it was a great joy to work with the people of Badakhshan and to promote their culture and art. The work during the project was no work as such. On the contrary, we had the opportunity to discover and recognize the beauty of ordinary people s lives. We could observe that to be artistically creative, healed their pain and refreshed their spirit. During the project, we visited various places in the province; it was our goal to support as many new talents as possible and to acknowledge their interest in art and culture. We met plenty of people, they were of different ages and social classes, but all had the same feeling about culture and its miraculous effect. They believed in its power of creating peace and bringing people together. They gave us more and more energy and also hope that our project was effective. Working closely with these people and young artists, we understood that they regarded the project as an opportunity to promote their cultural statues as well as their personal development. The Cultural Container team of Badakhshan did their best to meet the people s wishes as well as the visions of Ipso. Through our cultural exhibition, we could bridge the gap between the Badakhshanian people and revive their sense of mutual respect as well as their confidence. In order to do so our team re-established their customs and identified their cultural values. A space for creativity was created: the people could breathe in the freedom and express their pain and joy. Before our project, exactly this creative space had been missing in Badakhshan. A female student, who visited the exhibition with her classmates, said that such a project was the most effective way to motivate the youth of Badakhshan and to show appreciation of their work. She remarked: To enhance cultural productivity and nurture artistic creativity, we should value our artists and introduce their art to the general public. The student also said that this exhibition had shown the other side of Afghanian life, the one which is not solely characterized by misery and failure. A life marked by beauty, optimism, hope and a progressive way of thinking. Despite heavy snow on the opening day of the exhibition, hundreds of people came to see the result of our work. Beside the artists works, there was a wide variety of Badakhsanian cultural symbols, natural products, traditional plays and music. Having visited the exhibition, all people expressed how happy and content they were with our work and encouraged us to continue. This enthusiasm was very motivating for us and we were very satisfied with what we had achieved. Our team gained new confidence and a good reputation in society. Our province had neither experienced such purposeful cultural activities nor such a diverse cultural exhibition. We always dreamed of having such a cultural project in Badakhshan and we were very happy when, on the opening day of the exhibition, we realized that this dream had come true. It was such a joy for our team! Nature not only inspires us, but also offers us solace. Mountains, rivers and trees run through our poems and songs. The richness of our traditional culture is to be found in remote villages, rather than in towns. When we are unhappy or worried, we walk in the hills or sit beside a stream or waterfall to read poetry or play music to clear our minds. The various musical instruments that we play - ghichak, dambora, chang, nay, braket reflect our moods. We are all poets: women and men, young and old, illiterate or educated. It is part of our being to celebrate our beautiful natural environment, on which we survive. Our handicrafts - the felts we make, the cloth we weave and embroider, the clothes we wear reflect our distinct traditions and form part of our cultural identity as people of Badakhshan.

20 BADAKSHAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 3637 IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION ردا ت ھ در ورد ه On the second day of the exhibition, dozens of university students, male and female, came to visit. A 24-yearold student, who was excited about the variety of the exhibition, said: This exhibition presents our real art and culture. This is what we can be proud of and it shows the beauty of our province and our people s talent. Most of the people in Badakhshan, especially those living in the city, have forgotten our local and original culture. One of the achievements of this exhibition is that it reminds all people of the rich and original local culture and traditions of Badakhshan province. Unfortunately, the Afghan identity is perceived wrongly in the world, but the realities of our culture are acceptance, hospitality, peace and brotherhood. Mohammad Naser Mujtaba

21 BADAKSHAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 3839 When I saw the visitors of our exhibition, who were so proudly talking about the richness of their culture, I felt really calm and relaxed. On the 2nd day of the exhibition a group of students, both male and female, from the University of Badakhshan came to visit. One of them, who was 24 years old, told me: I have heard about the rich culture of Badakhshan, but I had never seen it myself. Now I can see it and I have decided to protect and practice my culture. In my point of view, continuing such exhibitions are a big step toward peace, reaching for cultural identity, national unity, convergence, sustainable peace and reconciliation. Not only in Badakhshan, but all over the world. Sadia Fazil

22 BADAKSHAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 4041 Artist: Abdul Bashir Omid Artist: Din Mohammad Dindost First of all, this exhibition paved the way for a gathering of different people with different abilities from different areas of Badakhshan, having different traditions and cultures. Such a gathering can be an important step toward national unity and acceptance of each other. This exhibition also paved the way for undiscovered or forgotten talents who can now explore and express themselves through their artistic activities. Visitor

23 BADAKSHAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 4243 Artist: Norul Hay Omari This exhibition was a non-forgettable event which the people of Badakhshan will always remember. The people of Faizabad were happy seeing this exhibition, smiles were on their faces while looking at their own culture. The people of Badakhshan first thought that we had rented all those exhibits from Kabul. When we told them that they are all from Badakhshan, they couldn t even believe it and asked us: How could you find this? This was a great feeling! We showed the reality of our culture to our own people in our province. The cultural team of Badakhshan could create trust amongst people, and let the people accept each other, no matter what ethnicity and tribe they are from. Zainullabuddin Sarwari Artist: Mariam Sandokht Ataye

24 BADAKSHAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 4445 Artist: Ahmad Farhad Kaihan Artist: Mohammad Fazel After a long time, this exhibition is the first one to present our rich culture. If we look at the ancient history of this country, it is full of cultural beauty and achievements. Therefore, we need to put our unlimited efforts into keeping this culture alive. Visitor

25 BADAKSHAN TALE 4647 TALE IN SEARCH OF HAPPINESS در وی و Once upon a time there was an oppressive king who, when he travelled from his castle to oversee his domain, felt tired and fell asleep beside the road. A pair of crows started calling raucously nearby, and this awoke the king who made his way back to his castle. As he approached the gates, the crows again flew over the king s horse and called out over and over again. Once inside the castle, the king consulted with two of his closest ministers, explaining that there were two crows that followed me on my trip and seemed to have some complaints. Please find out what they are saying by tomorrow, or else both of you will be hanged. The ministers were worried about this threat. On returning home later in the day, the daughter of one of them asks her father why do you look so worried? He explains what has happened regarding the crows and the king, and his daughter offers to solve the issue by talking to the king s daughter who, she explains, knows the language of birds. Before she leaves to consult the king s daughter, she makes breakfast for her father. >>

26 BADAKSHAN TALE 4849 When the minister s daughter enters the princess room, she invites her to join her for breakfast, but she refuses and is evidently in a worried mood. The princess asks her why are you worried and not joining me for breakfast? The minister s daughter then explains what she has been told, saying that she is worried that the king will hang her father and another minister unless they discover why the crows were calling. The princess offers to interpret what the crows might have been saying in their raucous calls. She explains the first crow says that a woman who is not from a good family can destroy the reputation of a man, even if he is a prince. The second crow says that kind women from good families can make a man a king, even if he is stupid and lazy. The daughter of the minister writes down these answers and returns to her father, who in turn goes off to give this information to the king. On the way, he encounters the other minister, who is looking very worried and asks his colleague do you have the answers to what the crows said? You look happy, so clearly you have forgotten what the king threatened to do to both of us unless we could explain their calls? The other minister reassures him, saying don t worry. I have the information, so let s go and share it with the king. They both proceed into the presence of the king and explained the meaning of the crows calls. How did you discover this? the king asks. Unless you tell me the truth, I ll put both of you to death. The minister whose daughter has spoken to the princess explained I told my daughter what had happened and she asked your daughter, the princess, who was able to explain what the crows said. The king ordered his guards to bring his daughter, saying she wants to challenge my kingdom by suggesting that a woman can bring me down, and claiming that any lowly, stupid man can be a prince. I ll kill my daughter along with any such person who aspires to be a prince. And so the guards brought the princess in front of her father, with her hands bound ready to be hanged. The ministers are shocked, and urge him not to put his daughter to death in this way. Instead, they agree to send out scouts to find the most lowly, stupid man in the kingdom. When the scouts return with no-one, the ministers themselves go in search of this man. They travel far and wide, but fail to find such a person. On their way back to the palace, they visit a very poor old lady, who invites the ministers to stay with her. They refuse, saying that they need to find the person that the king told them to look for. The old lady says I have a boy who is really stupid and wild, and refuses to help me. He does not wear clothes, clean himself or cut his hair; he plays in the rubbish and is now asleep under a tree. Hearing this, the ministers cheered up and, having eaten some water melon that the old lady offered, took the boy to the king. The king in turn introduced the wild boy to his daughter, saying if you believe in what the crows say, I challenge you to turn this poor boy into a king. The princess took the boy far from her father s kingdom. While travelling, they rested beneath a huge mountain out of which smoke rose. Curious, they get closer and find a poor sick woman lying at the base of the mountain. What are you doing here? asks the princess. The woman replied I m living here, although I work in the city. Whatever I m able to earn, I bring it here to sustain myself. The princess responded two people are better than one, and three better than two, so if you allow us to live here and look after you, whatever we are able to earn will be shared between us. The woman accepted their offer and, after she had bathed, after the princess had bathed, she washed the boy and the poor sick woman. In the morning, the woman set out to the city where she did laundry to earn her keep. The princess went into the desert to collect silk for weaving reins for their horses. When the woman returned from her work, the princess said don t continue to do hard menial work in the city stay here with us. I ll keep you as a queen, if you take these reins and sell them in the city. They cost three rupees to make, but if you sell them for one rupee, we ll be able to buy food from our earnings. So the woman took the reins and sold them. And she brought back the proceeds to the princess, who sent her the following day to buy cloth, silk, dyes and a book. Once the woman had returned with these items, the princess proceeds to make a hanging on which she paints all of the animals in the universe, along with their names. She gives this hanging to the woman, explaining it costs seven rupees to make, but sell it for three rupees to whoever will buy it. The woman went back to the city, where she met the young man to whom she had sold the reins, saying that I ve brought a very beautiful hanging that costs seven rupees to make, but you can have it for only three rupees. The young man happily bought the hanging, which he hung in his home, where it was much-admired. And so life went on under the mountain. The princess took care of the wild boy, making sure he was clean and learning to read. In time, he became less wild and stupid. One day the boy asked the woman if they could all go to the city together. The princess gives a valuable scarf to the boy, saying sell this scarf for me in the city. When he gets to the city, the boy meets an astrologer, who says I know your destiny. What do you have for sale? The boy shows the astrologer the scarf, which is made of precious stones. The astrologer inspects it and asks the price. Three hundred rupees says the boy. So the astrologer hands over three hundred rupees and takes possession of the scarf that the princess had given him to sell. On his way back from the city, the boy encounters someone who says to him if you give me a hundred rupees I will teach you something. The boy duly hands over a hundred rupees and the man says before entering the room of the king s daughter, you must cough three times, to warn her that you are coming and avoid surprising her. The boy listens to this advice before proceeding on his way. Another man approaches him offering to teach him something for a hundred rupees, saying when you see the daughter of the king or while entering home you must greet her. He listens and proceeds on his way before encountering another person close to their house, who again offers to teach him something in return for another hundred rupees. Having handed over the last of his money, the man says whoever controls his anger is the winner; he is a real man. The boy marvels at how many things he d learned on his way back from the city. As he arrives home, he is careful to cough three times to warn the princess. As he enters, he greets her warmly, making the princess wonder where he had learned such manners. She asks the boy what did you learn in the city? He answered whoever controls his anger is the real winner and a real man. The princess is impressed by the wisdom of the boy, and names him Bismillah. Several days later, a group of travelers passed who were on their way to Greece. The princess asked the boy to join the caravan and gave him something to sell. He travels with the head of the caravan. Along their way, they become thirsty. The only water they could find was in a well, but two angels were quarrelling over who should control access to the well. With no means to bring water from the well, the head of the caravan says whoever brings us water from the well will be paid by all of us. One of the men from the caravan offers to descend the well, but dies while trying to bring the water up to his companions. A second man descends the well, where one of the angels kills him. Finally, the boy says I m ready to try to bring water, but first you have to pay me. So the members of the caravan collect money and give it to him, whereupon he descends the well, where he finds the two angels quarreling. The angels ask the boy unless you can settle our dispute, we ll kill you as we did to others. And the boy responded whoever controls his anger is the winner and a real man. The angels were surprised at his words, and stopped quarrelling. Instead, they gave him some pomegranates that they had brought from paradise. This fruit was a cure for baldness, skin diseases and blindness. Being bald, the boy ate one pomegranate and started to grow hair. When the caravan reached their destination in Greece, the boy suggests that all of those who suffer from baldness, skin disease and blindness assemble, and asks for forty rooms to be made available so that forty patients could be treated at a time. In these rooms, the boy gave each of the patients one berry of a pomegranate in order to heal them. Everyone was happy at the properties of the pomegranates, and asked the boy to stay in their city and rule. They give him horses as a gift, which he accepts and then returns with the caravan whence he had come. On their arrival back home, the head of the caravan remarks to the princess we took one horse each, but your boy has returned with more than forty. He is wise and has the power to heal the sick. The princess is happy and prays that her father the king will now believe that even a simple boy can become a king. The princess tells the boy that she finds him very handsome, wise and talented. His services for the people worry the king in their region, who feels threatened by his transformation and, in the end, dies of worry. Needing to select a successor, the people come together. Their tradition is to choose a king through a flying falcon. The falcon was sent to fly above the assembled crowd and whoever s shoulder he settled upon was duly selected as their king. The princess suggests that they both go to participate in this selection. They both stand in the crowd, watching the falcon fly round and around above the heads of the people. At its fourth turn, the falcon lands on the shoulder of the boy, who is named as king. Even the subjects of the neighbouring region, which the boy had visited with the caravan, name him as their king. One day the princess father, the king of the region from which they had originated, asks to visit. The young king invites all his ministers and instructs them to provide a warm welcome to the visitor. When the king arrives and sees the reception he received, and hears about the system of governance, he muses that a real king rules over this region with fairness. I am not sure who he is, but I should do the same. The king offers his kingdom to the young man, explaining I regret not listening to my dear daughter, who told me long ago that anyone who had the right qualities could become a king. I was annoyed and banished her from my kingdom. And the young king says I know you but you don t know me; don t worry I ll bring you your daughter. And the young king asks the princess to dress up and meet her father. As she approaches him, she kisses his hands, and the young king explains it is your daughter who transformed me into a king, who brought me from being stupid and lazy to being able to rule. Her father fell down on his knees and kissed the feet of his daughter in order to show his remorse for what he d done. In doing this, he said the knowledge that God has created is like an ocean, and from this ocean the prophets only had a few drops, while humans have even less. Please forgive me, my daughter in the mistake that I made in not trusting the knowledge and wisdom that you have. And the princess forgave her father. Once again, they lived together happily, with her mother who had lost her sight but was cured by the properties of the magic pomegranate.

27 BALKH THE PROVINCE 5051 BALKH BETWEEN TRADITION AND MODERNITY The province of Balkh has a rich history of culture and scholarship. A centre of learning and place of pilgrimage for Buddhists and Zoroastrians, the city of Balkh was described by early travelers to have had hundreds of monasteries and places of worship. It was also important during the early Muslim period, when visitors describe its impressive defensive walls, as well as a citadel and fine mosque. Buddhism and Islam seem to have co-existed through at least the 7th century. Despite this, many Buddhist monuments were destroyed and a succession of Muslim rulers invested in new structures, to the extent that it came over time to be known as the mother of cities. Marco Polo described Balkh in the 13th century as a noble city and a great seat of learning, while other accounts of that time marvel at the vibrant trade in goods from China and India. It was in Balkh that the mystic poet Rumi was born in the 13th century and where a khaneqa associated with his family still stands. It was not until 1850 that Balkh came under the undisputed control of the Afghans. Even though now largely in ruins, the sheer scale of the outer walls of the city are impressive, as are the dozens of hillocks that dot the landscape beyond, usually indicating an historic site. To the east of Balkh lies the modern city of Mazar-i-Sharif, at the heart of which stands the blue-tiled sanctuary and mosque of Hazrat Ali, which some believe to contain the remains of Ali idn Abi Talib, cousin and son-in-law of the prophet. The complex forms the heart of a settlement that was founded in 1866 and where today the Gul e Sorkh is celebrated at the Persian New Year with many visitors coming from elsewhere in Afghanistan and the region. Building on a rich tradition of scholarship and culture, the province of Balkh is still home to a range of artistic activity, with a number of cultural associations active in Mazar-i- Sharif bringing together painters, writers, photographers, musicians and the like. The Rumi House and Authors House actively promote the work of authors from the region, while other groups bring together those with an interest in theatre and music. There is a growing interest in lyric poetry, especially the ghazal form, and poets from Balkh have won prizes at national and regional events. Mazar-i-Sharif is also home to more contemporary forms of culture, with a strong interest among the young in techno music and rap, with a group called the Gladiators especially popular. The province of Balkh continues to be a melting pot of the traditional and the contemporary, where strong social customs are at times challenged by those wishing to live a modern life as has been the case through its history.

28 BALKH THE EXHIBITION AND ITS MOTTO 5253 آزادی FREEDOM Freedom is an essential, universal concept that many people regard as a fundamental right. The Determination for Freedom: The Making of Balkh Exhibition As Afghans, we understand the value of freedom and how this shapes and affects our social, political and economic lives. Balkh is known for its glorious past and famous poets. Moreover, the city of Balkh is the birthplace of the ancient civilizations of the region. We, the Cultural Container team of Balkh, had this past in mind, when we started to promote Balkh s cultural identity and the poetic spirit of its residents. After many years of war and disastrous conflicts, they really had to be revived. We were optimistic from day one, even though our team members were the first ones to organize a concrete cultural project in the province of Balkh. So far, the artists of Balkh had been working individually, they neither had a strong voice nor an established audience. Although they always have been active in different artistic areas, the public had no inkling of them. Our team not only started to raise public awareness for hidden talents and forgotten cultural symbols, but also tried to create a sphere in which works of art are regarded as precious and artists are respected. Our team was curious, determined and hard-working. We wanted to understand the overall cultural situation of our province, to discover new things and to collect pretty artworks. We were determined to support young girls and boys of our city. We considered ourselves not only as cultural field workers, but also as a team of young activists who feel obliged to bring positive changes to their province. Consequently, Ipso gave us the unique opportunity to actively create a new image of Balkh. That is why we started our work with enthusiasm, continued with eagerness and held our exhibition with confidence and satisfaction. During our work we had diverse experiences and met many people that gave us hope for a bright future regarding our province. An old man visiting our exhibition said: I am proud of you. Only our youth can bring change and revive the splendid culture of Balkh. He was not the only one who was happy to see that our work brought change to the region, a great number of visitors had the same feeling. Fawzia, a school student visiting the exhibition, said that she wishes to become part of such a team in her own province. She said: You are serving our people and enrich our culture. This is what I like to do in future. All these encounters highly motivated us; even the problems lying ahead of us, could not stop us from working. Becoming aware of the fact that we tried to work as effectively as possible and that the youth of Balkh decided to express their wills, freedom and peace, we titled our exhibition The Determination for Freedom. Crowds of people came to see the exhibition. Particularly the school girls appreciated seeing the numerous pieces of the female artists and were eager to talk with them about their interest in art as well as their future aspirations. From the bottom of our heart we were proud and satisfied that we could create such a sphere of sincerity and peace. Our opening program was organized in a way which had suprises in store for the participants. To make it interesting, we used local music, dances, storytelling and theatrical performances. On the days of the exhibition, we only saw happy visitors. Seeing the young artists works grew hope in their hearts and put smiles on their faces. Culture offers us a way of exploring notions of freedom. As young Afghans, we feel more free than our parents, but are aware of how far we have to go to achieve the freedoms enjoyed by many others. Culture offers ways of exploring and raising awareness of the constraints on our freedom, especially among Afghan women who continue to be denied a full role in our society. As young Afghans, we believe that culture has a role to play in hanging attitudes and behavior. We aim to use poetry, song, theatre and other activities to both celebrate the extent and shed light on the limits of our personal and collective freedom. We trust that this will stimulate debate about an issue that is fundamental for the development of Afghanistan.

29 BALKH IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 5455 Plenty of people visited the exhibition dedicated to the Determination for Freedom. So it had to be kept open for several days. The exhibition successfully portrayed a beautiful picture of the artists of Balkh, especially for the female ones. Up to now these women did not have the opportunity to cross the barriers, society had created for them. IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION ردا ت ھ در ورد ه This turned the focus to culture and art and also emphasized the importance of this topic for the cultural life in Afghanistan. Furthermore, the exhibition served as a platform for networking between artists, organisations involved in culture and art and the media. I especially enjoyed being amongst old and young, male and female, poor and rich, civilian and military, educated people, together looking at artwork which explored our original Afghan culture. Mohammad Reza Mohammadi Artist: Safia Haidari

30 BALKH IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 5657 For me it was most wonderful to see the result of our six months of work. All undiscovered talents we had worked with, could show their work in this exhibition. The media coverage was excellent. This was important, as it turned the focus to art and culture for many people who had not thought about this for years. The value of this exhibition was more than I imagined! For me it was a showcase of our rich culture and it will pave the way to keep our rich culture alive. Zakia Khuwaja Zada Artist: Mahdi Niazi Artist: Ahmad Tamim Artist: Ustad Rohulla Rahimi

31 BALKH IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 5859 Artist: Sharbanoo Ansari The topic of the exhibition was Azm-e-Azadi (freedom). For me it was a step towards freedom. The word freedom is not completely understood in Afghanistan, with this exhibition we have contributed to the understanding of the people and encouraged them to reflect about what freedom means. It was amazing, all the reactions were positive and people could not believe that what they were looking at in this exhibition was from their own culture. Aazita Jawadi Artist: Ustad Rohulla Rahimi

32 BALKH IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 6061 Artist: Farzana Sahar It is so beautiful when you see everyone wanting the birds to get released from cages and fly in unlimited highs, and the most beautiful point is that everyone could see and witness this beautiful moment. Through this exhibition I understood that singing with a loud voice is not freedom, shouting is not freedom, getting released from prison is not freedom, but freedom is if a person or community can implement the decision they take and respect human rights and if someone or an organization does not limit their thoughts and speech and does not tie them, then they will have freedom. Mahdi Neyazi Artist: Hafiza Mohammadi

33 BALKH IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 6263 Artist: Mahdi Niazi

34 BALKH TALE 6465 TALE د رواز وا ت ز THE FALCON THAT COULD NOT FLY A king was given two falcons as a gift. He gave orders that they be trained for hunting. After a month, the man assigned to train the falcons explained that, while one was ready to hunt, the other could not as it simply sits on the branch of a tree and does not fly anywhere. The king was both annoyed and curious, and so asked his doctors and advisors to do what they could to get the falcon to fly. All their attempts, however, were in vain and the falcon did not fly. So the king announced that anyone who could get the falcon to fly will be rewarded. The following day, the king saw the second falcon flying in the garden, and so asked that whoever had managed to encourage it be brought before him. The king s soldiers brought a farmer to him, saying that here is the man who got your falcon to fly. The king asked the farmer how did you manage to get the falcon to fly? Are you a magician? But the farmer explained it was really very simple. I cut the branch of the tree upon which the falcon sat, so the bird realized that it had wings and flew.

35 HERAT THE PROVINCE 6667 ھرات HERAT FROM GAWHARSHAD TO ROCK & ROLL Herat has long been of cultural and commercial significance to the wider region. Situated close to the frontier with Iran and Turkmenistan, it is a highly cosmopolitan city, whose inhabitants deservedly pride themselves on their political and cultural sophistication. Thought to have developed from a settlement dating from around 500 BC, the city of Herat has long been pivotal in the politics of those who aspired to rule the region, from Alexander the Great to the Timurids. Successive rulers invested in Qala Ikhtyaruddin, the historic citadel that enabled military control of the city and continues to dominate the urban landscape. So too does Masjid Jame, the main congregational mosque built under the Karts, enhanced in the 12th century by the Ghorids, who made Herat their capital. It was in the 15th century, under the Timurids that Herat became a centre of cultural activity, with the construction of many fine public and private buildings, laying out of extensive private gardens and commissioning of calligraphy, poetry and scholarship. Intellectuals and craftsmen from across the region contributed to this flowering of cultural expression. As the future Mughal emperor Babur wrote after visiting Herat you only have to stretch your leg to kick a poet. It might have been during this period that the distinctive rectilinear form of the city was established - and survives in the area known as the old city to this day. The madrasa built by the wife of Timur s son Shah Rukh, Gawharshad and the adjoining complex built by Hussain Baiqara, a minister at her court, are among the most significant monuments of this era to survive. On the northern outskirts at Gazurgah, a madrasa associated with one of Herat s most important scholars and poets, Khaja Abdullah Ansari, remains a masterpiece of religious architecture of this era. Although contested between the Mughal and Safavid dynasties, Herat s importance waned during the subsequent period. Its strategic significance came into focus when in 1837 Persian forces besieged the city, with Russian support, prompting a response from the British who wished it to remain within their sphere of influence. This stand-off nearly brought the imperial powers to war, and resulted in the demolition of important historic buildings in preparation of the defence of the city. Only formally incorporated into the territory of Afghanistan in 1863, Herat then saw a period of relative stability and prosperity that enabled development of the city, including the laying-out in the 1950s of a new city to the east of the historic centre. Herat s population however continued to resent the control that Kabul exerted and initiated in 1979 a revolt against the Soviet occupation and influence, provoking a fierce reaction from government forces. Until the fall of the regime in Kabul in 1992, anti-government fighters based in the outskirts regularly attacked the city, which was under virtual siege. By 1995, however, the mujahideen administration was replaced by the Taliban, who imposed harsh restrictions on the inhabitants of Herat. At the end of 2001, international military intervention removed the Taliban, although it was not long before the local leadership was again at odds with the new administration in Kabul, who removed the governor by force in The city has since seen significant economic and social development, and a range of cultural initiatives have emerged, many led by or involving women. As well as the traditional art forms of calligraphy and poetry, and long-established crafts such as glass and tile-making, Herat is the home of a lively rock scene, with bands such as Ants performing across the country. The city has also seen a series of theatre festivals, which have earned plaudits domestically and abroad, as have film-makers and photographers from the city. The scope and creativity of Herat s artistic community, particularly the young, is born out in the activities that the Ipso team has encountered through the ongoing cultural project.

36 HERAT THE EXHIBITION AND ITS MOTTO 6869 THE YOUNG In Search of Our True Self: The Making of Herat Exhibition وان We, the young, are now a majority among our people and the foundation upon which Afghanistan will develop. We believe that culture can bridge between generations, between the traditional and the modern. We are proud of our rich cultural history and believe that we have the potential to enrich and develop this history to address the challenges of a changing world. From the very beginning of our project, we discussed the following questions: Who are we? What kind of cultural identity do we as young Afghans have? Thus, we, the Cultural Container team of Herat, started our work having these questions in mind. Through art and culture we wanted to find answers. Our team got together with numerous groups and individual artists of the province to find out what they think about the project and what they could contribute. As we started with curiosity, we gradually found out that helping young artists and creating a sphere of peaceful dialogue an exchange of opinions and experiences will get us close to our goals. During the project and on the days of the exhibition, everything was surprising. Not only for our team, but also for the people interested in culture and art. We could achieve what we had aimed. The artists of Herat started working more seriously and came into close contact with each other. Finally they had the courage to dream big about their works and trusted their creativity. The artists were able to fill the gap which had been created after decades of conflict and fighting. As they experienced the magical power of art and its influence on the human soul, they felt that their wounds started to heal. On the days of the exhibition, we learned how this was true. Since the exhibition took place in a well-known cultural center, located in the city center, hundreds of people visited the artworks, plays and photos on exhibit. All these people were very friendly and sincere. They enjoyed talking about the artists, the works of art and the events we had organized. A man, who visited the exhibition on all three days, came to us and asked if he could draw his understanding of the title we had chosen for the exhibition: Who am I?. We said: Yes, why not, you are more than welcome to do so. Each day of the exhibition he took a piece of paper and drew a symbolic, nice picture of the exhibition and hung it on one of the walls. When we went to see his works, in the bottom corner of these papers we could read the following: By a 55 year old young. A school boy, who was fascinated by the beauty and variety of the exhibition, came to one of us and asked if he could express his emotions about the exhibition. So we gave him a piece of paper. Instantly, he asked for a bigger one and said: I have a lot to say about it. After some minutes, he came back with a long piece of writing in which he passionately explained how interesting and promising the exhibition was for him. His letter stated: Walking through the exhibition, I realized what our true cultural symbols and legacy are and I understood that it is our responsibility to promote and improve those. I have just read something about them in our school books, but until now I did not have a true understanding of our culture and the legacy of our ancient civilizations. During the exhibition, our container team presented themselves as an active and change-bringing team and so they became a subject of cultural discourse in Herat city. Every team member became known and respected in the community. This was a great prestige for us, we could prove that our efforts had been effective. Now we are even more encouraged and motivated to improve people s lives. By encouraging young Afghans to explore their potential and identity through culture, we believe that they will find ways to articulate our hopes and dreams. As well as defining us as Afghan, we believe that culture can contribute to tolerance by developing an understanding both of what we have in common and how we differ. We believe that this will contribute to Afghans living in harmony and peace while treating all members of our diverse communities with respect. As young people, we believe passionately that culture is a way of changing our country for the better.

37 HERAT IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 7071 IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION ردا ت ھ در ورد ه Although the majority of visitors were young, there was a surprisingly large number of old men. A 70-year-old man, who visited the exhibition on the first day, said that it is not a matter of being old or young it is our cultural identity and the legacy of our great artists that should be kept alive.

38 HERAT IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 7273 Artist: Haji Jamshid Norzaye My beloved Afghanistan needs lots of cultural programmes after chained wars. Therefore, the cultural project that we are currently working on, paves the way for a development of our culture, so that we can keep our identity alive. We are looking forward to witnessing such exhibitions again in our city, so that people, who are thirsty for culture and art, can enjoy them. Shadab Artist: Jamila Orkida

39 HERAT IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 7475 Artist: Fareshta Mohammadzai We were welcomed by all the people of Herat especially by the youth. Moreover, they experienced that peace and friendship can be accomplished by culture and that culture is something which can bring peace and national unity. The value of this exhibition was like drops of rain on a dry land which has suffered from drought for many years. This exhibition led the water in the dry land of our culture, and spent a fresh breath to our cultural land. This exhibition introduced our ancient cultural heritages to our younger generation and improved their understanding regarding the rich culture of Afghanistan. Parwiz Artist: Mohammad Tariq Habibi

40 HERAT IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 7677 Artist: Moreed Paghmani In every satisfied smile, I observe on the lips of my people, when expressing their feelings freely and sharing their pains, I recognize the huge achievement of this cultural project for me. To me, this exhibition was as a golden chance to make my dream come true: seeing my people together without discriminating each other, but instead facing each other with empathy as one Afghan and one compatriot. I want to describe the cultural exhibition through a meeting with a young man, who said to me: When I entered this cultural exhibition for the first time in my life I felt proud to be an Afghan. Fatima Sadaji

41 HERAT IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 7879 Artist: Abdul Hakim Karimzadeh A big welcome by our visitors was my dream which came true: lots of elders, youth, and children visited this exhibition and most of them believed that they have returned to their real house (cultural exhibition). All these cultural activities lead to a point which we all crave for and that is peace. Our exhibition meant to strengthen cultural identity. I believe we succeeded. I wish to continue my cultural activities with lots of energy in order to introduce the real face of my nation to other nations, and tell them: Yes, we have a good culture! Visitor

42 HERAT TALE 8081 TALE THE THREE FROGS Once upon a time, there were three frogs who were close friends. They set out for a picnic but, along the way, two of the frogs fell into a huge, deep puddle out of which they could not escape. Instead of encouraging and helping them, the frog who stayed on the side of the puddle told them that their chances of surviving were slim. He said don t try to escape because this is a really dangerous puddle. But both of the stranded frogs tried their best to get out, but unfortunately one of them drowned. The surviving frog continued to struggle to get out of the dangerous puddle, despite the fact that his friend was discouraging him and not helping at all. He said you ll die like our friend, so don t struggle and accept the inevitable. But, after a long struggle, the frog managed to get out of the puddle and survived. Why? Because he was deaf, and did not listen to the cruel words of his friend who should have helped him.

43 BAMIYAN THE PROVINCE 8283 BAMIYAN ن A PROVINCE STEEPED IN HISTORY Situated in the heart of Afghanistan. Long the focus of Buddhist pilgrims, it also lay on important trade routes that linked China with the Middle East and brought the region great prosperity the Bamiyan valley was once a thriving city with many monuments and bazaars. Of these, today the most spectacular are the immense images of Buddha (53 and 38 metres respectively) carved into the face of sandstone cliffs and thought to date from around the 5th century. The site seems to have represented the most westward outpost of the Buddhist faith at that time, and the province is dotted with monasteries, some of which were housed in caves. The figures were badly damaged by the Taliban in March 2002, despite international pleas for their safeguarding. It was in one of these caves where in 2008, what might be the oldest known oil painting was discovered. Along with the adjoining site of Shahr-e Gholgola, the Buddhas are the focus of an ongoing initiative aimed at documentation and conservation under the auspices of UNESCO, who inscribed Bamiyan on the World Heritage List in As well as Buddhist heritage, Bamiyan province also retains many early Islamic structures, including a series of massive forts that date from the 15th century and formed part of a wider network of defensive architecture built by Ghorid rulers across central and south-western Afghanistan. Bamiyan is also a place of extraordinary natural beauty and diversity, including a series of six lakes known as Band-e- Amir, that were formed by mineral deposits from a water source that lies at more than metres above sea-level. The site is a popular site for visitors in search of recreation, and the area has been designated a protected area. Despite its relative isolation in the central highlands and the lack of suitable facilities, the population of Bamiyan enjoy a rich cultural life. There are a number of associations, including Qaqnos, which organize poetry readings, theatre, music performances and photography exhibitions. Many of the younger inhabitants especially women, as levels of education are high relative to elsewhere in the country also blog about local and national events and express their views about social, cultural and political issues. An annual 3-day Silk Route festival takes place in Bamiyan, attracting Afghan and international visitors to a range of cultural and other events.

44 BAMIYAN THE EXHIBITION AND ITS MOTTO 8485 دا ش KNOWLEDGE Towards Brightness: The Making of Bamiyan Exhibition We, the Cultural Container team of Bamiyan, and the people of the province were surprised that we got the chance to take part in such a project. We all were very proud of our involvement in this great event and so was the youth of Bamiyan. In the beginning of the project and during the preparation for the exhibition, our team was worried whether they were capable of effectively promoting Bamiyan s culture, art and young artists. Interacting with the people, we realized that we were really doing a great job in the province. We enjoyed working with the young artists and documented their work. As we reached out to the society of Bamiyan and engaged in more and more activities, we found ourselves welcomed and encouraged by the people. Our team recognized quickly that everyone in the province was searching for an opportunity to develop their potential. For the people, realizing their dreams meant to express their free will. Being aware of that fact, our team was even more passionate to help them. The people s voices should rise, echo and find an audience. We visited many schools and universities and talked to the students. They were all interested in reviving their culture and creating a new wave of social and cultural dynamism. Our goal was to help healing people s wounds and pain of the past. The students emphasized that this was a step in the right direction, towards a brighter future for the young generation For the older people of Bamiyan, who witnessed the tragic destruction of the two giant Buddha statues and experienced violence and intolerance, these were hopeful days. They could finally believe in overcoming the past and understand and enjoy today s free sphere of life. In the exhibition we tried to portray a realistic picture of the people of Bamiyan. Namely, that they are known as the most peaceful people in the country, always eager to absorb knowledge. Although poor and mountainous, the province has increasing numbers of students in schools and universities. To strengthen this movement and encourage people, we titled our exhibition Towards Brightness. While we were gathering art works for the exhibition, we discovered a diverse range of cultural and artistic activity in the province. Our team met anonymous but unique and promising artistic talents. Due to these positive experiences, we were determined to work even harder and gain people s trust. All these people as well as their artistic contributions made it possible to organize an impressive exhibition. It attracted hundreds of visitors of the province who all braved the cold weather. Every one of them did their bit to ensure that the event became more and more interesting. We gathered hundreds of art works including paintings, calligraphy and handicrafts. We also tried to exhibit local products and revive the old tradition of storytelling, poetry reading and local plays. On the day of the exhibition, we were surprised by the large number of visitors. People of all ages came. Seeing the people s warm greetings and the children s happy smiles together with local music and clothing, created unforgettable moments for us. For instance, an old man told his story and played the flute. He said that we should not let our culture die. He remarked: You are obliged to comprehend our culture and introduce it to younger generations. It was a day of not only tolerating and accepting each other, but also acknowledging and appreciating differences. As our exhibition presented the beautiful local culture and art, all people were excited to participate and encouraged us to continue. This affirmative reaction was a great honor for us. Therefore, we are committed to go forward and do our best. Knowledge is a fundamental part of our history and has enabled our men and women to be strong in the face of adversity. Knowledge is also the key to future, as it transforms people. We believe that culture is a means of exploring and communicating knowledge, information and ideas. Culture binds us together and provides us with a sense of community and generosity. Knowledge, however, extends well beyond education. Our agricultural practices, traditional health care and handicrafts are a vital part of our collective knowledge and are as important to our culture as poetry and music. We are exploring this intersection between knowledge and culture to shed light on what is unique about our environment and our people in Bamiyan. In this way, we hope to deepen our understanding of each other as Afghans, and thereby promote peace in our country.

45 BAMIYAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 8687 IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION ردا ت ھ در ورد ه Amidst the excited crowd of participants and visitors, surprisingly, a farmer from a village of Bamiyan came onto the stage and read poems which he had written four years ago. The man said that it was the first time that he read his poems in public.

46 BAMIYAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 8889 Artist: Esmatullah Saberi We believe that cultural relations between citizens of Bamiyan province and different provinces of Afghanistan will help for a better understanding of each other. We need to give more importance to our cultural heritage and keep it alive. Visitor

47 BAMIYAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 9091 Artist: Ali Reza Rahimi Artist: Esmatullah Saberi I wish such exhibition programs could be organized in the provinces that are as secure as Bamiyan, we believe that people s opinions can be changed and that they can return to peace by practicing their culture. Visitor

48 BAMIYAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 9293 Artist: Mohammad Nasim Moradi

49 BAMIYAN IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION 9495 Artist: Esmatullah Saberi Artist: Sayed Abdullah We tried hard to explore the present culture of Bamiyan in the view of people and persuade them to show their cultural and artistic activities. The cultural exhibition was a great chance for the people to remember their original culture. Most of the people wrote in their comments that we need to keep our culture alive and transfer it to the new generation, because our culture is our identity. During the exhibition we saw how people enjoyed the local music. We witnessed the people s warm laugh during the theatre play. And we were happy that the people enjoyed listening to poetry; their satisfaction was obvious during local story-telling. The paintings made clear that art is a means to express inner feelings. It brings smiles on the people s lips and strengthens brotherhood and national unity amongst them. Visitor

50 BAMIYAN TALE 9697 TALE THE GREEDY FOX ر ھو ر A fox lived close by a lion and a wolf. He went regularly to the jungle to hunt, but rarely managed to catch any food. When the lion came back with its prey, however, the fox felt useless and depressed. Thinking of how to remedy this, the sly fox approaches the lion and, pretending to be in despair, suggests that they hunt together, so as to gather more food for themselves. Warily, the lion agrees to this proposal, adding that we need to share whatever we hunt based on what each of us catches. This worried the fox, who realized that he was much weaker than the lion and would probably not get anything out of such a joint enterprise. So he thinks up another plan, which he hopes will ensure him more food, and puts this proposal to both the lion and the wolf, who all agree to hunt jointly. The next day, they set out to a village that the lion says has fat sheep. When they get there, the villagers flee, which gives them the chance to hunt freely. The lion manages to catch a cow, the wolf a sheep and the fox manages to bag a cockerel. They return to the jungle with their quarry, and t he lion asks the wolf to distribute their food from their foray to the village. The wolf is unwilling, so asks the fox to do this, but he too is scared. The fox then proceeds, saying that the cow should be for the lion, because he is the king of the jungle; the cockerel should be for the fox because he is greedy and the sheep is mine as I am a slave of the jungle. The fox had little option but to accept how their shares were divided. In the end, everyone gets a share based on their ability and capacity.

51 KABUL THE PROVINCE 9899 KABUL ل A CITY OF CULTURAL SECRETS As the capital of Afghanistan, Kabul is perhaps the most culturally dynamic place in the country. Well before becoming the capital in the 18th century, it was a melting-pot of ideas and people. Situated on a vital east-west trade route, it has prospered and been contested in equal measure. Its strategic importance is embodied in the citadel of Bala Hissar, dating from before Islam, that towers over the old city and is today largely in ruins. Beneath its stone walls spread a bustling city whose merchant classes inhabited fine homes and built spacious bazaars. The city also generated cultural activity, of which arguably the most distinguished early proponent was the 16th century Mughal emperor Babur, who wrote eloquently about his love for the beauty of Kabul and the surrounding countryside. Today only traces of the sites that Babur describes in his memoirs survive, and one of these is a garden he laid out and which bears his name. Restored between 2003 and 2008, it is today one of the most-visited public places in Kabul. Few of the monuments built by subsequent rulers survive, and those that do are often damaged or neglected. While the imposing mausoleum of Timur Shah on the banks of the Kabul river has been restored, the imposing Darulaman Palace built by Amanullah Khan in the 1920s near to what is now the National Museum of Afghanistan, stands in ruins. Most of the cultural activity that took place in Kabul before the 20th century was either associated with the royal court or traditional folk practice. The focus on the performance of music, for example, stems from a community who had been brought from north India to the capital by Sher Ali Khan in the 18th century, to play at court, and who settled in Kuche Kharabat where they went on to shape a distinctive form of Afghan music which thrives to this day. It was not until the 1920s that a cinema was built in the city, followed by a series of auditoria where the public could watch theatre or listen to music. Afghanistan was not able, however, to keep pace with technological development in the field of film and lagged behind the region. The conflict in the city between resulted in the destruction of many of these facilities. Other aspects of cultural life were also affected by the conflict, with many of the most talented artists fleeing the country. Even though cultural activity was very limited, the Taliban made further inroads by banning non-religious music, cinema and television. Since 2001, culture in Kabul has flourished, with cinemas and theatres re-opening, and professional music and art courses resumed. A myriad of small production companies have been formed to support film-making by Afghans, some of whom have received international acclaim. There are regular cultural festivals in the capital, covering film, fine arts, photography and literature. Dozens of radio and TV stations have sprung up, mainly broadcasting entertainment. Kabul is once again the hub of cultural activity in the country, with a rich mix of initiatives in painting, calligraphy, music, film, photography, sculpture, theater and literature.

52 KABUL THE EXHIBITION AND ITS MOTTO COLOR ر The Color of Life: The Making of Kabul Exhibition Kabul, being the capital of Afghanistan, witnesses various cultural programs and art exhibitions. From the beginning, we, the Cultural Container team of Kabul, decided to develop something different and not to copy others. We were aiming to help people to express themselves and to help them heal their pains and trauma through artistic expression and activities. Our team decided to put the artists works in the center of attention and we wanted to lay the focus on the works of very young artists. Moreover, it was our goal to introduce the marginalized and forgotten artists. Soon, we found numerous artists of different ages and social backgrounds and worked with them to document their work. The most difficult job was to be fair to every artist and not to upset anyone. We tried to understand their thoughts and feelings. In the beginning this was the challenge. After a while we realized that working with artists in such a way was interesting and also a pleasure. After a few months, our team not only had selected and assembled the artworks for the exhibition, but also had created a strong bond between the artists. The Cultural Container of Kabul turned into a meeting place for them. In the beginning, many artists were not familiar with the works of other colleagues, but soon they could talk with each other and exchange their experiences. Our team had the honor to host all these discussions in the container and was then able to spread the message to a wider audience in Kabul. For instance, our project had an energizing effect on the young people of Kabul, they received support and appreciation for their works. After we had established a profound connection between the young artists, they tried to work more organized and in collaboration with each other. Some of them even worked together and created joint pieces. These experiences encouraged them in their work and they were very productive. Our most important job was to expand the artists audience. We wanted to reach ordinary people the wider society and not only the art elite. In this context, the Cultural Container of Kabul had a leading and coordinating role. The title we chose for our exhibition was a metaphor for Kabul s colorful cultural identity. The city of Kabul should no longer bear the scar of violence and war. The artists wanted to give their city a new and peaceful identity. Ultimately, these struggles resulted in a huge cultural art event. As we had planned and worked for, hundreds of Kabulis visited the exhibition and enjoyed the diverse programs. Everything was designed, decorated and organized in a way that visitors could easily find the subject of their interest. The visitors appreciated these arrangements and were delighted by the exhibition. Consequently, the artists were not only encouraged, but also realized that they were doing a great job by bringing change, peace and hope to society. On the day of the exhibition, we saw the smiley faces of young and old, women and men. It was a unique experience for us. They had come to see the young artists creativity, to enjoy the live folklore music, to play traditional instruments and to practice local dances and plays. Our team was very happy that they made such a successful event possible. We felt proud and close to the people. We believed that society had really benefitted from our work. Furthermore, we realized that our good and purposeful team work had enabled us to do a good job. After the exhibition, our work became a subject of discussion in the communities we were working with. Moreover, it was a source of inspiration for other cultural activists. The color of our lives is bright. Our aim is to counteract the dark image that afflicts our country and explore ways for Afghans to identify the positive and creative side of their lives. There is immense talent among ordinary Afghans, even in the most unexpected places. We explore and celebrate this richness by reaching out to all walks of life in Kabul. By this, we also want to provide a platform for emerging cultural talent among young Afghans. Through this, we hope to build a bridge between our rich cultural history and the potential of bright young Afghans of today. This requires young women and men to express their ideas with joy and confidence. We aim to use culture as a tool to enable us to express ourselves and provoke us to think and, where necessary, contribute to changing attitudes and building trust across our society.

53 KABUL IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION ردا ت ھ در ورد ه As the exhibition was approaching, our team members were very busy and had to work late hours. Due to blackouts, we were sometimes even forced to work in the dark and had to rely on the feeble light of flashlights. We were murmuring: This symbolizes our work, we resist the dark This exhibition was a unique one for the last decade! Various art works and cultural activities from different locations of Kabul were seen in this exhibition and according to the artist s own statements this exhibition enabled them to establish their artistic and cultural network. Organizing such an exhibition improves the cultural diversity and brings back the picture of our Afghan cultural identity in different artistic and cultural fields. Naim Karimi

54 KABUL IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION Artist: Nazeer Ahmad Azimi

55 KABUL IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION Artist: Mohammad Mahdi The cultural exhibition Color of Life left happy thoughts and feelings and a great smile in the face of our visitors and us, the cultural field workers of Kabul. This exhibition introduced art to art lovers, and proved that art and artists play an important role in bringing peace and national unity to our people. Uzra Shamal Artist: Nazeer Ahmad Azimi

56 KABUL IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION Artist: Khawja Qamarudin Hashti This exhibition gave the people the chance to see themselves in the mirror of cultural values and to believe more strongly in their abilities. From another point of view, the cultural exhibition paves the way for the cultural people and artists to create a network, so that they get to know each other as well as to understand the thoughts and opinions of each other. In this way they will have the ability and option to work together in the future. In line with this thought, they all together painted a tableau during the exhibition days which gave the message of peace and cultural relation. Haidar Yasa

57 KABUL IMPRESSIONS OF THE EXHIBITION Artist: Said Ali Akhlaqi Artist: Khawja Qamarudin Hashti Artist: Abdul Saboor Omari Panjsheeri Artist: Abdul Sabor Omari All the artists and visitors had one question: When will be the next exhibition? Abdul Mahfooz Nejrabi Actually this exhibition had a spiritual value. Benafsha Qaderi Artist: Faiqa Sultani

58 KABUL TALE TALE ALIMARDAN ردان In ancient times in Kabul City, there was a man by the name of Alimardan who was living in Pul-e-Mahmood Khan close to the Kabul River. Alimardan was a very handsome man who was busy with his work. Every day he left home in the mornings and came back in the evenings. One day, when Alimardan was leaving home for work, he saw three beautiful girls at a water ditch, playing together. One of the three girls, who was the most beautiful one and was laughing loudly, attracted Alimardan s attention. He did not have enough time to find out who she was and where she came from. From now on, the girl s beautiful face appeared in his dreams every night. One day, Alimardan called the aged woman who knew all the women and girls of the village, as she was providing for them. Alimardan explained the signs of that girl to the aged woman and asked her to find the girl and let him know who she is and where she came from. The old woman promised that she would find that lady for Alimardan. The old woman went to different houses stating different reasons why she was searching for the lady with the signs that Alimardan had described. But she could not find such a lady in all the houses of the village she went through. One day, she was told to go and help a widow who was living in a poor area of the village and was poor herself. The old woman went there and helped the widow for a few days and brought her the required medication, so the widow felt better after a few days. One day, while the old woman was in the widow s house, she saw a beautiful girl with a jar of water. The girl came into the widow s house and after putting the jar of water in a corner of the house, she left. The old woman asked the widow is she your daughter? The widow said no, but she usually comes along with her mother and helps her with the work in my house. >>

59 KABUL TALE The old lady had finally found what she had been looking for, so she directly went to Alimardan and explained to him what she had seen. The night passed too slowly for Alimardan and early in the morning he went to the house of that lady and proposed to her daughter. The lady accepted and Alimardan made everybody happy with a marriage celebration party which lasted 7 days. Days and months passed, but Alimardan got really sick and weak, instead of being healthy and happy next to his wife. The story of Alimardan s sickness spread all over the city and all the doctors came to cure him, but they found no illness and couldn t make a diagnosis. One day an old man knocked at his door and offered to cure Alimardan. Everyone said the doctors of India and China could not cure Alimardan s illness, but how can you do that? Alimardan accepted the old man s proposal and asked him to take care of him and find any kind of medicine which could ease his pain. The old man looked at Alimardan and told him you should do anything I tell you, and do it properly if you want to live and be healthy. Alimardan replied please, tell me what I should do to get my health back. The old man said tonight when your wife cooks for you, pour some salt in her meal and after that, observe closely what she does. Lock all the doors and don t leave any water in the jar. Alimardan did as he was told and at midnight he saw his wife waking up and looking for some water. She could not find any water in the jar and when she got aware that all the doors were locked, she went to the window. She looked at Alimardan who was pretending to be asleep.the lady opened the window and moved her head until she reached the river of Kabul and drank from its water. Alimardan got really scared watching his wife doing so, but he still pretended to be asleep. And he couldn t wait to tell the story to the old man in the morning. Finally, the sun rose and with the morning light the old man appeared. Alimardan told him what he had witnessed during the night. The old man said dear Alimardan, be aware that your wife is not human and she is something else, so if you want to live then you should do whatever I tell you now. Alimardan said please tell me what I should do. The old man said tomorrow evening make the oven very hot and ask your wife to bake bread in the oven, and as soon as she sits near the oven to do so, push her inside the oven. Don t try to save her if you want to live and be healthy. Alimardan proceeded accordingly and in the morning when he opened the oven he saw two stones, a big one and a smaller one. The old man told Alimardan the big stone is your wife and the smaller one is your child. Now you can take the bigger one and you can make a lot of gold with that stone. The old man himself put the smaller stone in his bag, left the village and never returned. Alimardan got very rich and healthy, he bought lots of yards and lands in different places of Kabul and started his own business. Alimardan went to India and earned a lot of money with the secret stone. But when the Indians found out about his secret they tried to kill him and to steal the stone. However, Alimardan was informed on time by his loyal friends and could save his life. One day, when Alimardan was sailing a ship on the river of Ganga in India, he saw some ships heading towards him. His life was threatened again, as the people on the ships wanted to kill him in order to get his stone. But Alimardan threw the stone in the River of Ganga and ran away. The Indians tied their elephants with heavy metal chains and let them walk into the river to find the stone. Wherever the chains would turn into gold, they should look for Alimardan s stone. But they could not get any result from that. Alimardan lived the rest of his life without fear and in 1066 he died in the Lahore and they buried him there. The garden of Alimardan in Kabul city still keeps his name alive.

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61 ARTIST DIRECTORY MUSICiANS & SINGERS فهرست هنرمندان DIRECTORY ARTIST Musicians & Singers _Ali Daryab Bandari (Kabul) Wants to make his people happy through his music and wants them to think about peace and security in their country and not about war. 2 _Ashraf (Kabul) Loves to play his drums and his aim is to make his people happy. 3 _Farhad (Herat) Says: I feel that I have dived into the ocean of music and I am trying to touch the hearts of the people through my music. 4 _Ghulam Habib Amiri (Herat) Says: My message to our people is that they should protect Afghan music as it is important for the enrichment of our Afghan culture. 5 _Gul Mohammad (Kabul) Is blind and shows all the people in the world that a blind man can also be talented and can take part in artistic activities. 6 _Imamuddin Omid (Herat) Says: I was not thinking that one day I will play a musical instrument and sing in public. 7 _Khuda Dad Shakil Omer (Herat) Says: My message through my art is to remove discrimination and to stay beside each other united and with tolerance in a peaceful and prosperous environment. 8 _Marof Ahmadi (Herat) Says: If I get the chance to play, I always try to let the sound of my fingers touch the heart of my people, which stays as a great memory, forever. 9 _Mirza Mohammad Tofan (Bamiyan) Plays drums, the flute and the piano. He wants to show the value of art to all people in Afghanistan. 10 _Mohammad Ibrahim Habibi (Herat) Trained many students in Iran and when he came back to Afghanistan he opened a center for painting in Herat. 11 _Mohammad Nazif Shaifta (Badakshan) Says: My music gives the message of freedom and joint cultural life for my nation. My music is touching the zenith of music, but I would like to learn more about it. 12 _Nasir Ahmad Howida (Herat) Says: I want to heal the wounds and pains of the people through my music and I want to yell to all people in the world that we had enough war in Afghanistan! 13 _Nawrouz Shah (Badakshan) Says: I am a local singer and my singing gives the message of peace, sympathy and prosperity for my Afghan nation. I hope that all Afghans get educated and reach peace and prosperity. 14 _Nesar Ahamd (Herat) Says: I think the only way to keep people happy is music and I myself love it! Nimat Sarhade (Nangahar) Learned to play the Stinkpot (a kind of local instrument for playing traditional music) with Master Khanai. Right now he is famous in the upper and lower Pashtonkhwa region and he has many fans. 15 _Raheel Ahmad Walizada (Kabul) Wants to be a loved singer in his country in the future. 16 _Sady Sadid (Badakshan) Says: When a person feels that he has the strength of art in his body, then he can explore it by learning and can educate others to follow the art he has learned.

62 ARTIST DIRECTORY MUSICIANS & SINGERS ACTORS PAINTERS & CALLIGRAPHERS Musicians & Singers Actors Painters & Calligraphers 1 _Sayed Ahmad Husain Poor (Bamiyan) Says: I believe that art can be a good medium for happiness and strength. We need to pull away the people from violence and war towards culture and art to create a peaceful and prosperous life. 2 _Shaker Zarin (Nangahar) Says: My art makes the heart of those happy who are sad. Poems of famous poets sung with my Ruba will definitely conjure a smile on their faces. 3 _Shekibullah (Kabul) Wants to be a good singer in the future with the support of his family. 4 _Zekrullah (Badakshan) Says: Afghanistan has passed three decades of war and therefore, this nation needs to get strength in its soul. I am happy that I can serve my people with my music and I want to keep them happy forever. 1 _Bamica theater group (Bamiyan) Has produced and played more than 65 theater plays. Their main topics are forced and minors marriages, addiction, health, education of women and gender discrimination. 2 _Farid Anis (Herat) Says: I am an artist because this way I can easily transport meaningful messages to people in order to keep their values. One of the greatest messages that I have, is, that addiction is dangerous as it endangers peoples lives! 3 _Gul Pacha Haidari (Nangahar) Says: Through my movies and theater plays I want to show our real culture to the world in order to change the dark picture of Afghanistan, which exists around the world. 4 _Gulab Jaan Bameek (Kabul) Has played roles in different theater plays and is currently leading the Chehrae-naw acrobatic team. Hasamuddin (Balkh) Played roles in different theater palys and short films. He speaks in three languages, namely Dari, Pashto and Uzbik. Mohammad Hasani (Kabul) Has won the trophy for the best film at the Human Rights Festival in _Mola Nazar (Badakshan) Says: The theater plays played with handcrafted horses what has been left from my ancestors. My artistic skills give the message of peace and unity and they introduce the traditional and local culture to our people. Abdul Bashir Omid (Badakshan) Loves his arts and is keen to express the feelings of his society through his artistic skills. 1 _Abdul Aziz Najafi (Bamiyan) Had exhibited many of his art works in several exhibitions and in one of the artistic exhibitions dedicated to the world peace, he won the second prize. 2 _Abdul Hakim (Herat) Is one of the talented calligraphers of the region. He is a cultural activist being engaged in many cultural and artistic activities in Herat. 3 _Abdul Rab Habib Yar (Nangahar) Says: I want to take pictures, that have a message, but it should be a positive message which has an impact on our society.

63 ARTIST DIRECTORY PAINTERS & CALLIGRAPHERS Painters & Calligraphers 1 _Ahmad Farhad Kaihan (Badakshan) Says: My artistic works give the message of peace, stability, prosperity and tolerance. 2 _Ahmad Shah Maroofi (Kabul) Says: I imagine national unity and peace in most of my artistic pieces and want to show this to the people of my country and the world. 3 _Ahmad Tamim (Balkh) Wants to express his inner feelings to the people through his arts. Most of his paintings are expressing peace, freedom, and poverty. his paintings he wants to give the message of peace and friendship for the people and the entire nation. Esmatullah Saberi (Bamiyan) Believes that he can transport the message of peace, love, friendship and prosperity through his paintings. 6 _Faiqa Sultani (Kabul) Exhibited her paintings in different exhibitions in Washington DC, Berlin, India, and Afghanistan. Faiqa wants to draw the attention to the problems and challenges of women in Afghanistan. 8 _Hafiza Mohammadi (Balkh) Wants to reflect on issues of her community, especially on those of the women, through her paintings. 9 _Haji Jamshid Norzaye (Herat) Joined the painting department of the University. He has presented his pictures in many exhibitions. 10 _Hameeda Ansari (Kabul) Works hard to introduce her culture to other countries, She has already participated in many different exhibitions. 12 _Mahdi Niazi (Balkh) Believes that there are no restrictions to express oneself through art. Mr. Mahdi has exhibited his arts in four local and one foreign exhibition. 13 _Mariam Sandokht Ataye (Badakshan) Has a message for other women: Anyone who finds herself with a talent for any art, should follow it and explore it on behalf of her people and society. 14 _Mohammad Amir (Herat) Participated in several national and international painting exhibitions. His paintings transport the message of increasing self-esteem and the national identity of Afghanistan. 4 _Ali Reza Rahimi (Bamiyan) Says: As an artist I have the responsibility to have an active part in building my homeland and expressing my culture to other nations. We must narrate and transfer our cultural heritages to our next generation. 5 _Din Mohammad Dindost (Badakshan) Is a good architect and through architecture he feeds his family. But through 7 _Fareshta Mohammadzai (Herat) Says: One of my greatest achievements is the first price in Afghan and the second price in an Asian painting contest. Farzana Sahar (Balkh) Was always interested in art and started painting one year ago. She usually draws with a pencil. She wants to express her inner feelings through the pictures. Hamid Sadra (Balkh) Says: With my paintings I want to create a beautiful idea in the mind of the people, because I want a beautiful and free Afghanistan. 11 _Jamila Orkida (Herat) Says: My message and contribution to Afghanistan is that I want to show the world that Afghanistan is not a place of war, but it is a place of change and hopes. 15 _Mohammad Ayoub (Nangahar) Says: Through painting I want to give the message of peace, brotherhood and affection to my people. As the nations of the world think that the people of Afghanistan neither create art nor have interest in art, I want to prove by my art that Afghans are artistical and have passion for art.

64 ARTIST DIRECTORY PAINTERS & CALLIGRAPHERS Painters & Calligraphers _Master Mohammad Fazel (Badakhshan) Mohammad Fazel says: My artistic work gives the message of freedom and altruism and through my artwork I want to contribute to Afghanistan s culture. 2 _Mohammad Mahdi Hassanzada (Kabul) Was frustrated of talking to people and he turned to the only real person, he ever knew to himself: I asked myself what are the mysteries, which are connected to people s faces? Suddenly I found out that another face is standing in front of me as blind and veiled as the others. 3 _Mohammad Morad (Badakshan) Worked as a teacher in his province until he became the head of the education department of Badakhshan. When he retired from his official post, he started with mummifying, lithology and botany and he collected different kinds of stones and made many handicrafts. 4 _Mohammad Nasim Moradi (Bamiyan) Mohammad Nasim Moradi from Bamiyan migrated to Iran and Pakistan with his family and studied there until he had to start to work as a tailor to support his family. Then he came back to Bamiyan and joined the calligrapher association. Mohammad Saber (Balkh) Believes that painting is the soul of his life. 5 _Mohammad Shaker (Badakshan) Had attended school until 8th class and then, due to economic problems he couldn t continue his studies, but he has a great passion to be an artist. 6 _Mohammad Tariq Habibi (Herat) Says: My father was the one who encouraged me to start painting. Through my paintings, I want to express the social situation of my own society and I want to participate in enriching our culture. 7 _Moreed Paghmani (Herat) Says: I do not want to give a special message through my paintings. I just want myself and others to enjoy my paintings! 8 _Nazeer Ahmad Azimi (Kabul) Participated in the exhibition of the Kabul University, exhibitions in the Ministry of Information and Culture, the French Institute for Afghanistan and in an exhibition of Peshawar in Pakistan. 9 _Norul Hai Omari (Badakshan) Wants to transport the message of brotherhood, unity and equality among nations. He says: With the mercy of god and the encouragement of my friends, my artistic ability is raising day by day. 10 _Omid Noori (Kabul) Says: I want my people to understand their cultural heritage so that they can invest in their culture in the future. My people need peace and I want to express the message of peace through my art. 11 _Said Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi (Kabul) Aims to bring something new into the field of painting and sculpturing. Salahuddin Ayoubi (Nangahar) Says: As peace is necessary for life, I want to give the people the message of peace. 12 _Sayed Abdullah (Bamiyan) Says: My artistic works gives the message of peace, prosperity, friendship and brotherhood and no doubt, if our work contains such kind of messages, it will definitely support peace in Afghanistan. 13 _Sharbano Ansari (Balkh) Gets her inspirations for her paintings form the beautiful nature of her country. Most of her paintings are expressing peace and a better future for her country. 14 _Tahera Hosaini (Balkh) Believes that art means freedom and that an artist can show the culture through his/her arts. She wants to serve her country through her artistic activities. 15 _Ustad Saber Naqshband (Balkh) 16 _Ustad Rohollah Rahimi (Balkh) Is teaching painting and he likes the realism style. His pictures show the culture and costumes of traditional people in Afghanistan.

65 ARTIST DIRECTORY PAINTERS & CALLIGRAPHERS POETS Painters & Calligraphers Poets 1 _Wasi (Nangahar) Says: I am not only respected for my art, I am also respecting the art of others, because I feel that art is the only medium for reforms in society and social life. Art and artistic works have the ability to change people, and that is why I do consider art as the most valuable phenomena. 2 _Zinab Haidari (Kabul) Has participated in the Documenta exhibition in Kabul. Her art was also shown in Sydney, Australia. She reflects on peace and friendship in her artistic creations and wants to fight against social disasters and addresses the problems of women. 1 _Abdul Alim Thaqib (Kabul) Is working as a reporter. He won an international award in 2004 and was recognized as one of the best reporters in Afghanistan. 2 _Abdul Malik Sayad (Badakshan) Started to write poems when he was 14 years old. He has a poetry collection of 670 which is ready for printing, but due to economic problems he has to wait. 3 _Abdul Wasel Latifi (Badakshan) Abdul Wasel Latifi from Badakshan worked in many governmental and non-governmental institutions. He wrote many poems which give the message of peace and unity in Afghanistan and says: I want to give the message of tolerance and mutual trust to my people. 4 _Abu Muslim Azizi (Badakshan) Says: I want to express the facts about Afghan society through my poems, because the biggest oppression is to hide the truth. I want to express Afghanistan s values in my next poetry collection, because nowadays we seem to pay less attention to our values. 5 _Belal Waziri (Nangahar) Writes about peace, love, unity and brotherhood. Many of his poems are published in the newspaper and in magazines. 6 _Hamid Khawadi (Balkh) Says: I am not ignoring my friends in times of difficulties and I love to be with my friends for discussing poetry and reciting poems. Hedayat Noor Stanikzai (Nangahar) Participates in many poetry sessions in his province. 7 _Khalida (Kabul) Won the prize for the best film at the Human Rights Festival He is the director of the cultural training center of Afghanistan in Kabul. Khalida (Balkh) Is a 9 year old girl. She writes about her own pains, the pains of her family and about the pains of the community. Khoshal Mohmand Khaliqyar (Nangahar) Says: Whenever I am upset, I go to the cultural container and start singing with the CFW s and that makes me happy. 8 _Mir Ahmad Shah Zi Gham (Badakshan) Worked in many provincial instituts in his province and travelled to Iran, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan. His last poems are called Nawaye Ashna (known voice) and have not yet been published due to economic reasons. Mohammad Fayaz Bamyani (Bamiyan) Returned to Afghanistan after having stayed in Iran for 10 years. After his graduation from the literature department of the Kabul University, he started to work as a teacher in Bamyan. He says: The old parts of Kabul university, the tall trees there, the beautiful and poetry dialect of the teachers, the high mountains of Bamyan and the Band-e-Amir made me a poet. 9 _Muzhgan Faramanesh (Herat) Published her first poetry collection called Painful minds. She writes about love and social life.

66 1 2 3 Poets Nazi Sharifi (Badakshan) Loves poetry since her childhood and started to write poems at the age of 14. The topics of Nazi s poems are paternity, love, the pain of separation and hopelessness. Her poetry collection is published under the name of woman stands speaking with a dead body. 1 _Qudratullah Adeeb (Herat) Says: When I write poems, I am reflecting on the pain and troubles of our people and society. 2 _Sediq Lalzad (Badkahsan) Wrote many poems. One collection emphasizes on the situation of women in Afghanistan and has been published under the name of girl s diamond eye. 3 _Somia Ramesh (Herat) Has participated in many national and international conferences and seminars and some of her poems have been translated into English. Sahar (Balkh) Is interested in folkloric stories and has written lots of them. Sayed Mobin Morshed (Bamiyan) Says: While I was a child I was already writing down everything in the form of stories and poems. When I joined university, one of my teachers read my writings and he encouraged me to continue.

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