Stop extremism. Teach Afghan kids to embrace peace

Most stories we hear about violence coming out of Afghanistan describe suicide bombings, roadside attacks or firefights between the Taliban and NATO or Afghan forces.  What typically goes underreported is the everyday violence that occurs in communities between neighbors and family members and it is most frequent in the less-educated, more conservative regions of the country where a culture of violence and aggression has existed for generations.

Guzal is a 12th grade girl, and one of 900 students who enrolled in HTAC's peace education program in Jouzjan Province, a region in norhtern Afghanistan.  In class, Guzal learned about the fundamental principles of peace and took particular interest in non-conflict resolution and mediation; concepts she had never heard of before, but she found them interesting.  Little did Guzal know, she would soon need to use these new skills to prevent a horrible tragedy from happening.

During the course of the school year, Guzal's grandfather (who owned a house in good condition on a reasonably-sized plot of land), passed away, leaving the property unclaimed.  A furious conflict erupted between Guzal's step grandmother and her uncle.  The grandmother wanted to pass on the house and land to her step-children while the uncle insisted the house was his.  As their back-and-forth argument escalated, her uncle threatened to kill Guzal's step-grandmother.

Guzal, relying on her non-violent conflict resolution and mediation skills that she learned in class, interceded.  As Guzal tells the story, she stoood between her raging uncle and step-grandmother, explaining that killing one another would not resolve things; that there was a better way.  After a tense half-hour, she convinced them to take their matter to court and resolve the problem in a fair, proper manner.

During the proceedings, Guzal, acting in a neutral manner, helped both her uncle and step-grandmother explain their case to the judge.  The judge divided the property legally and fairly to the satisfaction of both parties.  When it was over, Guzal's uncle (overcome with emotion), apologized to Guzal's step-grandmother for his harsh behavior and both of them hugged Guzal, thanking her for mediating their conflict. 

When Guzal finished telling HTAC her story, there was a contented smile on her face.  She had learned about peace and a tool she could carry with her for the rest of her life.