Afghanistan is one of the world's most dangerous countries, a nation torn apart by almost three decades of war – but after so much fighting, could the solution be found in books?
A University of Canterbury (UC) PhD student believes the solution to the country's problems lies in the education of its youth.
Tariq Habibyar says children are still struggling to get hold of books – despite skyrocketing school attendances – and he wants to give 5 million Afghani children access to reading material by the year 2020.
The 29-year-old student recently won a $5000 scholarship to support the project and he's using the funds to kickstart the education-based charity Aida Children's Foundation.
The yet-to-be registered organisation is being developed in conjunction with 12 locals in the Afghan city of Herat.
"The most appropriate way to promote a sustainable peace in Afghanistan is education," he told 3 News.
"In rural areas there you basically have no libraries and especially because of the poverty, people cannot afford to buy books."
The problem's two-fold, according to Mr Habibyar; many villages don't have access to books, and literature about Afghanistan's culture and history is also lacking. The effect is preventing students from engaging in meaningful discourse about their culture and political landscape.
Mr Habibyar grew up with threats of the Taliban hanging over his livelihood and remembers his longing for reading material.
"Going to back to my own childhood, how much I desired to have colourful books, how much desired to have books with pictures," he says. "My father couldn't afford to give books to me.
"We're a young country in terms of age - 14 million children between the ages of zero to 14 - and that means that we need children's education to promote peace and equality."
The pending foundation will kick of its work in Herat this December with a writing competition aimed at talented schoolgirls.
"The children, aged nine to 12, would write the stories for a cash prize of say $60," Mr Habibyar says.
"They will get paid for the story that they share and write, and gradually when you find a bunch of students who can write, they will get paid."
Eventually the foundation will aim to build a "dynamic" group of writers and editors and create a host of books on a range of subjects, such as culture, values, Afghani language, numbers and the country's long history.
"The mentality, where they get paid for their work […] is another way to really get peace in Afghanistan," Mr Habibyar says.
"We want to engage the students and writers and let them know they can get paid."
Eventually the books will be sold to Afghani children across the world, with the proceeds going back to fund the free dissemination of reading material in their homeland.
Initially the Aida Foundation plans to work with schools but, as funding becomes available, they hope to put a library in each district.
In the meantime, Mr Habibyar needs to secure funding to get the process started and he plans to approach UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for help.
He is hoping to finish his doctorate in Christchurch over the next couple of years while helping his team get the ball rolling at home.
3 News
Read more: Is education the answer to Afghanistan's problems? - Story - NZ News - 3 News
A University of Canterbury (UC) PhD student believes the solution to the country's problems lies in the education of its youth.
Tariq Habibyar says children are still struggling to get hold of books – despite skyrocketing school attendances – and he wants to give 5 million Afghani children access to reading material by the year 2020.
The 29-year-old student recently won a $5000 scholarship to support the project and he's using the funds to kickstart the education-based charity Aida Children's Foundation.
The yet-to-be registered organisation is being developed in conjunction with 12 locals in the Afghan city of Herat.
"The most appropriate way to promote a sustainable peace in Afghanistan is education," he told 3 News.
"In rural areas there you basically have no libraries and especially because of the poverty, people cannot afford to buy books."
The problem's two-fold, according to Mr Habibyar; many villages don't have access to books, and literature about Afghanistan's culture and history is also lacking. The effect is preventing students from engaging in meaningful discourse about their culture and political landscape.
Mr Habibyar grew up with threats of the Taliban hanging over his livelihood and remembers his longing for reading material.
"Going to back to my own childhood, how much I desired to have colourful books, how much desired to have books with pictures," he says. "My father couldn't afford to give books to me.
"We're a young country in terms of age - 14 million children between the ages of zero to 14 - and that means that we need children's education to promote peace and equality."
The pending foundation will kick of its work in Herat this December with a writing competition aimed at talented schoolgirls.
"The children, aged nine to 12, would write the stories for a cash prize of say $60," Mr Habibyar says.
"They will get paid for the story that they share and write, and gradually when you find a bunch of students who can write, they will get paid."
Eventually the foundation will aim to build a "dynamic" group of writers and editors and create a host of books on a range of subjects, such as culture, values, Afghani language, numbers and the country's long history.
"The mentality, where they get paid for their work […] is another way to really get peace in Afghanistan," Mr Habibyar says.
"We want to engage the students and writers and let them know they can get paid."
Eventually the books will be sold to Afghani children across the world, with the proceeds going back to fund the free dissemination of reading material in their homeland.
Initially the Aida Foundation plans to work with schools but, as funding becomes available, they hope to put a library in each district.
In the meantime, Mr Habibyar needs to secure funding to get the process started and he plans to approach UNICEF and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for help.
He is hoping to finish his doctorate in Christchurch over the next couple of years while helping his team get the ball rolling at home.
3 News
Read more: Is education the answer to Afghanistan's problems? - Story - NZ News - 3 News
