ASAUK

I am trying to move my blog from the Afghan students Association's website to here so some of the articles maybe old, like this one.

Education Project for Afghan Students (First effort to establish ASAUK)

An Article for the Afghan Links News Letter, published in issue 42 on 15/11/2006

Almost three decades of war have not just destroyed the infrastructure and almost all man made things in Afghanistan, but have also paralysed the education system that is so important for the stability and prosperity of the Afghans’ beloved country.
Schools are burnt because it is believed that it is an attempt by the West to teach immorality and take people away from Islam. People who have had little or no formal education are often not fully aware of current affairs in Afghanistan and the rest of the world.
The presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan is viewed differently by each Afghan; some think they are there to help, others think they are invading their independence, which is their right by birth. The lack of skills, to express diplomatically their views, is a weakness exploited by the enemies of Afghanistan for their own purposes.

To help other Afghans and those foreign individuals and agencies involved in the reconstruction understand the problem and act together towards the solution, I have established the Afghan Students Association.

The Afghan Students Association aims to:

• promote the importance of education for both men and women
• understand the impact education can have towards the financial, cultural and social stability in Afghanistan
• improve and standardise the quality of education in schools, Universities, religious schools and private institutions
• set up an Education project in Afghanistan, which will help to teach the teachers and increase their knowledge and skills.

I have previously established a society for Afghans at Brunel University; I currently serve as the president of this society. It has helped me provide a platform for Afghan students to get together and share their views, learn and develop skills other than their selected course of study and to celebrate cultural events. We have many members from Universities across the UK. I am trying to attract students to help me with this project but I am also looking for other volunteers from different backgrounds to spread this message across and help me formalize our organization. I want to establish the Afghan Students Association as a charity in the UK to do fundraising for this project.

The Afghan government and aid agencies are working hard to bring stability and peace in Afghanistan. I want to stress that any such stability will be temporary and not for the long term without education. Educating the nation is the only way to achieve peace and prosperity in the country. All development and reconstruction plans are important to follow but education needs to be given a higher priority as it is a necessity for ensuring a long-term solution.

Email me your views on hm.mohib@gmail.com