Middlesbrough Event: 13 June 2010

Afghan Action had previously not had any contact with the Afghan diaspora in the Tees Valley area, so an event was held in conjunction with the North East Afghan Association at the St Mary’s Centre, Middlesbrough.

Afghan Action had previously not had any contact with the Afghan diaspora in the Tees Valley area, so an event was held in conjunction with the North East Afghan Association at the St Mary’s Centre, 82-90 Corporation Road, Middlesbrough, TS1 2RW.

Aim
The purpose of this event was to introduce the Afghan diaspora in Middlesbrough to the work that Afghan Action does with a focus on the Building Bridges project.  It was also an opportunity to encourage people to share their opinions on the future of Afghanistan and become advocates for Afghan Action.

Attendees
Twenty one people attended, with four women being present.

Key Issues Arising
The participants focused their attentions on discussing what the role of the British should be in Afghanistan.  A wide range of views were expressed.  Some thought that the British should leave Afghanistan altogether, whilst others were of the opinion that the only way for there to be a resolution to the problems in the country would be if the British remained to help secure the country.
The main points of interest were as follows:
- The Allies do not understand Afghan culture and history and this is why the recent attempts at implementing democracy have failed.  Democracy must be tailored to fit the culture and the customs of the Afghan people.
- Education is vitally important in rebuilding Afghanistan, especially in preventing people from becoming extremists and also for women.  Education needs to be provided both in major towns AND the countryside.
- Employment and reconstruction are key areas in creating a stable Afghanistan.

Interestingly, the Afghan community here in the UK was also a popular topic, and the main points that arose from this discussion were:
- Some of the money that is being poured into Afghanistan should be invested in the Afghans who are in the UK as they will return to rebuild Afghanistan in the near future.
- A lot of the Afghan diaspora send remittances back to Afghanistan, which is often the only means for survival for their relatives.  Due to restrictions on them working in the UK, this can be quite difficult.
- Afghans in the UK should be offered free training courses.  This would enable them to be more active members of society.

Conclusion
It was evident that participants relished the opportunity to be able to voice their opinions.  It was especially interesting that whilst there is a great love of Afghanistan and desire to make a positive change there, participants were also keen to become more integrated and active in UK society.

There was a particular emphasis on improving the lot of Afghan women in the UK and Afghanistan, which was very positive to hear.

Zarlashta Behzadi
Afghan Training Foundation, Outreach and Administration Officer
July 2010