Youth Symposium for Peace & Tolerance | Balkh Province
The fourth round of Youth Symposium for Peace & Tolerance initiated by the Afghanistan Economic & Legal Studies Organization (AELSO) along with the direct collaboration of the Information & Culture Directorate of Balkh province as well as other national & international think tanks has been successfully organized in Balkh province on February 2021. The main theme of the symposium was “the role of neighboring countries on ensuring the values of democracy, prosperity and tolerance, and their impact on the peace process of Afghanistan”. Youths, university lecturers & students, members of the provincial council, civil and human rights activists, and cultural and social activists of Balkh province, participated in the symposium.
At the beginning of the program, Abdul Latif Barakzai, head of AELSO’s media department who was hosting the symposium, welcomed all the participants and introduced panel members.
Then Abdul Qahir Beheshti, head of AELSO’s research department called the role of the neighboring countries in the Afghan peace process and securing the values of democracy, tolerance, prosperity and the fight against extremism, highly important. Specifically talking about Pakistan’s fundamental role in ensuring sustainable peace in the country Beheshti said:
“Undoubtedly, the peace process in Afghanistan is in its most critical and decisive stage, in which every decision directly determines the fate of our society. In these decisions, along with domestic parties, the role of international community, major global powers, regional countries particularly Afghanistan’s neighboring countries are highly important.”
Beheshti added:
“Due to following maximum strategic depth, Pakistan has the highest influence over Afghanistan’s neighbors in regards to the peace process of the country. Pakistan, with having the longest shared border with Afghanistan, extensive cultural and religious ties; Educating Afghans in Pakistani Madrasas (religious schools), influence armed opposition groups, dominating the country’s economic blocs, and Afghanistan’s need for Pakistani ports for export and transit of goods, highlight the country’s role in Afghanistan’s political and social processes. By being honest and acting honestly, Pakistan can use these soft powers in a positive way for ensuring long lasting peace, prosperity and tolerance in the Afghanistan.
Continuing the program, Raihanah Sadat, a member of the Balkh Provincial Council, spoke about Iran’s role in the Afghan peace process and ensuring human values in the country. “The country’s regions through the Chabahar port, and having effective relations with the Taliban, can highlight Iran’s role in the country particularly in the Afghan peace process.”
Najibullah Sulaimankhil AELSO’s board member and one of the speakers of the symposium spoke about China’s role in ensuring peace in Afghanistan adding that Afghanistan needs to define its role in the Belt & Road (BRI) Initiative which is trillion dollars project designed and being implemented by China. Considering the scope of the BRI, Afghanistan is in the strategic point of this project which determines the effectiveness and one time completion of this project.
“Afghanistan’s cooperation with China in such major initiatives for regional and global connectivity, and the activation of the Afghanistan’s diplomatic apparatus in line with the country’s economic policy in the national interest of Afghanistan, and the outcome of such major Chinese programs will surely result regional integration and cooperation, especially China’s cooperation for ensuring peace & stability in Afghanistan.”
Continuing the program, Sayed Noor Ahmad Azimi; university lecturer spoke about the role of Afghanistan’s Northern neighbors in ensuring the values of democracy, prosperity, mutual acceptance in Afghanistan and the peace process, adding:
“Afghanistan’s Northern neighbors have tried to play a mediating role in the Afghanistan’s peace process since President Karzai. On the other hand, considering the need for energy transit from Central Asia to South Asia, Afghanistan’s Northern neighbors need the safe geography of Afghanistan. A peaceful Afghanistan will ensure the on time implementation of mega energy projects such as TAPI. There for, these countries are trying to promote values of peace, prosperity and tolerance in the Afghanistan in order to ensure a safe and on time completion of such projects.”
In the Q&A section, the experts of the Youth Symposium answered participants’ questions about the positive and negative role Afghanistan’s neighboring countries can play in the peace process of Afghanistan and ensuring free society values in the country.
After the panel, group work was done and then the representatives of the groups presented their views and opinions about the causes of extremism in the universities and Afghan society, and ways to effectively tackle them.
The Youth Symposium for Peace and Prosperity ended with gifting books to the guests and distributing certificates of participation for the participants, praying for a peaceful & prosperous Afghanistan.
Communication & Public Relations Department
