Eye-witness Report from Afghanistan , Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 6:30 pm

[annm4peace]

Hear for your self of what live is like for the children and Youth of Afghanistan. See the pictures and the personal stories.



Eye-witness Report from Afghanistan , Wednesday, May 25, 2011, 6:30 pm

Speaker: Steve Clemens
Mayday Books
301 Cedar Avenue South on the West Bank in Minneapolis
6:30 pm Chili and Conversation
7:00 Presentation

Steve Clemens, Minneapolis peace and justice activist, recently participated in a 25-member peace delegation to Afghanistan . Partnering with the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers, the delegates visited a hospital for civilian victims of war and met with several NGOs whose work focuses on war crimes and the rights of civilians.

Steve serves on the Boards of Pax Christi Twin Cities and the Iraqi & Anmerican Reconciliation Project. He previously traveled to Iraq as part of a peace team and has spent time in prison for acts of non-violent civil disobedience.
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Here is a little bit of Steve trip in Afghanistan


http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/blog/steve-clemens/faces-new-afghanistan-day-7-war-zone

Y STEVE CLEMENS, MENNONISTA
April 06, 2011
She is an unveiled, defiant young woman. He is a filmmaker still recovering from his kidnapping 6 ½ years ago. She told me this morning, only half in jest, that she plans on becoming the President. He, at only 15, has known the pain of losing his father but is still willing to stand up to the intimidation of much older adults.

What Zahra, Basir, Shahrbanoo, and Abdulai have in common is a commitment to peace, acts of courage, and, yes, they are all tired - tired of living in a nation of fear, corruption, violence, ethnic animosity and gender discrimination. One turns 30 in a few months, another 20 next week. At 23 and 15, the other two belie their ages with hard-won wisdom. All four took the gutsy step of protest in the streets of Kabul on Thursday, March 17th with 35-40 others, draped in bright turquoise blue scarves and holding banners reading "Today we make a resolute stand for a peaceful tomorrow", "The citizens of Afghanistan say No to war", "We wish to live without wars", and "Warmongers, do not turn our houses into war bastions!"

Some are members of the Afghan Youth Peace Volunteers (AYPV); others belong to organizations that have aligned themselves to the AYPV, despite the enormous distrust many Afghans feel for their fellow citizens. These 4 collaborate together hoping to find ways to encourage each other in what is an admittedly lonely struggle - at least for now. While their elders sit in fear of the return of the Taliban, these young, energetic activists want their nation to move forward, not merely crouching in fear or wallowing in corruption.

Each of the four had 25 committed peacemakers from Germany, Australia, and the US travel with them for a week, listening to them, weeping with them, and smiling and hugging one another; peacemakers from four continents sharing stories and food, lighting candles to remember the victims of war. One of the International Peace Delegates, now in his 80s, had marched in the Deep South of the US in the days of the Cold War - a march from Canada to Cuba - and was there for the birthing of the Civil Rights movement. Two other internationals were so young that they couldn't remember the first Gulf War in 1991, just a year older than my youngest son.

Abdulai laughs easily but he also carries a deep wound. It was the strength and courage of his older brother, Khamed Jan, who carried his younger brother up the mountains to hide from the Taliban who had killed their father. Like any 15 year-old who experienced such a traumatic loss, Abdulai has moments of anger and times of despair but when he was scolded by adults who told him he is naïve and unrealistic for advocating that negotiations to heal Afghanistan's ethnic rivalries must also include the Taliban - at least lower-level Talibs - he quickly reminds the adults that he has already had a cup full of pain and wants the cycles of hatred, vengeance, and revenge to end.

[annm4peace]

1. I hope the FBI doesn't target STeve for his Peace and Justice activism

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[annm4peace]

2. Just want to remind people. It is much better to listen to eye witness

I hope many of you can attend. Steve is a good speaker and I'm sure he will have photos

[annm4peace]

3. I must say this was really good. Steve gave a great presentation

It would be a great presentation for religious groups or service groups.