Global Leadership Forum at UWC-USA

This summer, I had the privilege of attending the Global Leadership Forum (GLF) at the United World College-USA (UWC) in New Mexico. UWC is a global movement that aims to bring together people of different backgrounds and experiences and unite them for peaceful endeavors and a sustainable future. The Global Leadership Forum is an 18-day summer program designed for high school students aged 14-18.

I arrived in Albuquerque airport around 2 p.m. and met with my fellow participants at the Meet and Greet area. Even though many of the participants were jet lagged from traveling long-distance, they were all super-friendly, smiling, and excited. Once everyone had arrived in Albuquerque, we then took a 2-hour long bus ride to Montezuma, which is where the summer camp was located. As we got closer to our destination, the air seemed to fill with anticipation and enthusiasm as we were all excited to begin our GLF journeys.

After our arrival and check-in, we all stored our luggage in our rooms and went on to explore the beautiful campus of UWC-USA -- especially the castle, quite literally.

A typical day at GLF starts with an 8 a.m. breakfast followed by workshops. The workshops were on a variety of topics ranging from global starvation, videography as a tool to bring social change, gender roles, sexual assault and harassment, sustainability, bystander intervention, etc. The workshops were designed to give participants the skills and tools to better prepare for engagement with the world and leadership on important issues.

The workshops at GLF triggered many questions in my head and helped me learn more about myself. I learned that leadership starts with learning about our own beliefs and values. Therefore, in order for us to know how to lead, we must understand ourselves and embody our true selves. We were asked to reflect on questions such as who we are, what we value, what we stand for, and what we desire. Reflecting on these questions helped me identify my truest self and understand both my blind spots and strengths and to externalize them.  

After the morning workshop, we would go to the castle -- UWC-USA’s main building -- for lunch. The Castle (also known as the Davis International Center) is a 19th-century building located in the middle of the Navajo Desert. Built with environmentally friendly materials, the Castle gives participants a feel of how using sustainable materials can be both good for the environment and build a comfortable house in the middle of the unforgiving desert.

Every day after dinner, we had an hour of solo time for personal reflection. Solo time was followed by our evening activities where we would have moderated discussion sessions, talent show/open mic, and games.

During our time at GLF, we did a number of hikes to explore the beautiful landscape of New Mexico. We also went on a tour of Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and the surrounding areas of UWC-USA. In Santa Fe, we volunteered at the International Folks Art market as artists’ assistants. We helped the artists greet customers, explain their products, and process payments. We also had the opportunity to learn about the cultures, local environment and sustainability efforts, and history of the Native American Nations through volunteering on their farms.

We also had a community development project. Our instructors helped us create an action plan for a project in order to bring positive social changes in our communities. During our final presentations on the last day, it was very inspiring to hear my fellow participants talk about their community projects with so much enthusiasm and passion. The topics ranged from sexual education, the inclusion of indigenous groups into the public life, providing mental health services to refugees, and gun control, to name a few.

Being surrounded by peers from over 30 countries -- all with different talents, experiences, and viewpoints -- was both an enlightening and life-changing experience. The late-night debates and arguments made me more empathetic and helped me see the world from many more perspectives than my own.

GLF was a place for a lot of “firsts”. It gave us the opportunity to do something new, to try to accomplish something for the first time. For some of us, that was being away from home, living in a shared space, hiking, living tech-free, having meaningful and intellectually stimulating conversations, experiencing the world without traveling… the list goes on. For me, it was camping for the first time (and getting hit by a storm), singing at the top of my lungs with my friends while getting drenched in the rain, emceeing the talent show, and many more.  

One of the best parts about GLF was the learning that took place with my peers outside of our workshops. GLF is a place of listening, sharing, and learning. I enjoyed sharing my thoughts about the school system in Afghanistan, while my friends talked about their favorite pieces of literature and writers from Ukraine or the most popular dish in Peru. Whether it was debating over a delicious dinner at the Castle or learning about Quakerism during solo time, learning never stopped.

GLF challenged me, pushed me, supported me, laughed with me, and laughed at me. It made me think about my impact as an individual and the mark I want to leave behind. GLF is a place of frequent debates and arguments, and it is a community of love and acceptance. Even though we all came from different parts of the world and had different life experiences, we were also surprisingly very similar. Our common goal to uplift humanity is what united us.

Thank you, GLF, for an experience I will cherish for a long time.

Yale Young Global Scholars Program

This summer I attended the Yale Young Global Program’s International Affairs and Security session at Yale University for two weeks. YYGS is an academic opportunity for high school students who are interested in delving deeper into their areas of interest, whether it be politics, philosophy, economics, or sciences.

I walked into Saybrook College, my residence hall during my stay at Yale, with mixed emotions because the thought of going to an Ivy League school was daunting. I was scared that I would not fit in or not be able to engage in the academic discussions. But it did not take long for those fears to fade away. YYGS was such an amazing, exciting, and profound experience. It was more engaging, challenging, and interesting than any class I had ever taken. It really challenged my views and gave me insights on so many things that I never knew. For example, we were discussing national security and privacy, and I learned the ways in which the US government can obtain an electronic surveillance -- also known as wiretaps -- on US citizens and how this process differs from the electronic surveillance used for foreign intelligence purposes.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to gain new perspectives and learn more about the issues that I care about. What made YYGS so exciting, vibrant, and engaging was definitely the community. Everyone at YYGS is so motivated and ready to change the world in some way. I had some intense intellectual engagement and conversations -- whether it was in our discussion sessions and seminars, in the dining hall, or in our dorms -- with my peers because of our willingness to inform our views and better understand the world we live in. I loved hearing everyone’s perspective on international, global, political conflicts, and it was so inspiring to see like-minded students at YYGS. Yale helped me break out of my comfort zone and made me a better critical thinker.

The YYGS schedule was packed with seminars, lectures, capstone project sessions, and other fun activities. A typical day at YYGS would start with a lecture at 8 am taught by internationally acclaimed Yale professors. The lectures were on a variety of important topics such as cyber warfare, climate change, electronic surveillance and privacy, and so on. After morning lectures, we were split into small groups where we would discuss the lecture and address any questions on the topic. Afterwards, we would get together with our family groups and relax, have fun and reflect on our day. We would then attend our seminars that were focused on topics related to international affairs. My favorite seminar was @realdonaltrump: Donald Trump’s Presidency on Twitter. Tsedenia, our facilitator for the session, made the course engaging and fun.

After our seminars, we would walk over to one of Yale’s award-winning dining halls for dinner. Dinner was a great chance for me to socialize with people from all around the world and, of course, enjoy the delicious food. After dinner, we had our Capstone Project, one of the most important components of the YYGS experience. The Capstone Project is basically a mini-version of Yale’s undergraduate senior thesis where we would spend two weeks researching a topic of international affairs and do a 15-minute presentation as the final product of our research.

Our research topic was about how the British imperialism manifested colorism in modern day India, specifically as seen in skin whitening cream ‘Fair and Lovely’. My colleagues in the group - Ayanda, Ishika, and Betty - brought informed views and enlightened insights that elevated the quality of our concepts. I grew up in Pakistan where colorism is a customary practice perpetuated by cultural believes and the mainstream media. I never thought in my life that I would end up learning so much about something that I have subconsciously experienced in the past. After our capstone project session, we had two hours of free time. I took this opportunity to spend time with my friends at the Saybrook Courtyard, explore New Haven, or work on my Capstone Project.

YYGS was one of the most diverse programs I have ever attended. There was a large spectrum of people attending the International Affairs and Security session. More than 120 countries and 47 U.S. states were represented with 44% international students. My suite mates were from Russia, Costa Rica, and Washington, D.C. Living with people from all around the world for an extensive summer program was an unforgettable experience.

Participating in fruitful discussions, engaging in stimulating seminars, listening to controversial opinions, spending ‘family time’ with people of different background, exploring new academic interests while being among some of the world’s most intellectually curious, passionate, and inspiring individuals is what YYGS is all about. I entered YYGS not knowing a single person, but made some very genuine friends in the blink of an eye, and left with a heart full of memories. YYGS was an incredibly life-changing, eye-opening, and instructive program, and I am forever grateful for all the talented people I met, and for all the knowledge I gained in those two amazing weeks of my life.

International Youth Day Celebration in Kabul

I wrote a blog post about how Kabul celebrated International Youth Day which got published on Paiwandgah - Afghanistan’s largest citizen journalism platform.

Kabul’s International Youth Day

Popular singers, circus performers, dancers and many others joined the fun on Friday, August 14, as Afghanistan’s capital celebrated International Youth Day.

The festival was Kabul’s way of observing the UN-sponsored holiday, set every year for August 12. It is an attempt to empower the young generation by drawing attention to issues that impact young people.

Afghanistan’s celebration focused on”Youth and Civic Engagement,” and was organized by the Ministry of Information and Culture.

Click here to read more.

6 things that are different between life in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan; and 4 things that aren’t

After having lived in a different country for nine months, away from my family, I have noticed several huge differences and similarities between life in Afghanistan and Kyrgyzstan. I experienced a lot of great things including learning two new languages.

I was very excited to travel to a foreign country and study there; learn a new language, make new friends. But I also noticed several differences in among the two nations.


Here’s are some of the differences that stood out to me:

No children working on the streets:
One of the huge difference that I noticed was that in Kyrgyzstan you do not see any child working on the streets, washing cars or begging. Every time I walked to school or went to the market, I would see kids going to school. But in Afghanistan, there are still millions of kids who are not in school and so many of them work on the streets.

Better education and life for children:
When I started school, on the very first day, I was amazed to see that kids had fancy cell phones and tablets. They were all on almost every social media website, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, just to name a few. Kids are allowed to go anywhere they want. There is no fear of kidnappings or anything like that. But in Afghanistan, from my own experience, my family members, especially my mom, worries a lot and most of the time I am not allowed to go somewhere far from home alone.

Freedoms and respect for women:
Kyrgyz people are more socially progressive than Afghans. They have more of freedoms, especially women, and live in peace. Women in Kyrgyzstan have a lot of freedom. When you go to the markets and bazaars, you can see women working in the shops. I saw a lot of women bus drivers, which was amazing. In Afghanistan, women face a lot of hardships and violence. Most women are not allowed to go out alone. Many girls are not allowed to go to school and become victims of child marriage. Women are harassed a lot in Afghanistan, but in Kyrgyzstan, people respect women a lot. When I asked some of the Afghan girls studying in Bishkek that what is the thing that they like the most in Bishkek, their answers was the freedom and independence. They can do anything they wanted and there was no one to say stop them. On the other hand, I have seen on the buses in Kabul that the men and the teenagers remain seated if though there older women who are standing. In Kyrgyzstan, when you are on a bus and you see an older woman standing, you leave your seat for her.

Socially polite:
Also in Kyrgyzstan, people greet each other even if they don’t know each other. But if you say ‘Hi’ to someone in Kabul, usually the other person will reply, “Do I know you?” In Kyrgyzstan, you can go where ever you want and do whatever you want; there is no one to say anything bad or stare at you. It is not the same in Afghanistan.

Clean, green and beautiful:
Kyrgyzstan is a very beautiful and green country. You can find parks, trees and beautiful nature almost everywhere. But in Afghanistan, you can hardly find a park, and that too may not have trees.

Respect for animals:
Animals are treated very well in Kyrgyzstan, but in Afghanistan there are so many animals who are always living and sleeping on the streets who are sometimes injured very badly by the people.

But that said, not everything was different about the two culture.

Value of sharing:
They shared several similarities too. One of the similarities that I noticed was that both Kyrgyz and Afghans are great at sharing. Whenever they cooked large amount of food, they would share it with their neighbors.

Hospitality:
And both countries are also known very well for their hospitality, which is a really great.

Language:
Even the language has several common words. There are a lot of Dari words which are the same in Kyrgyz language.

So much pulov!! :
Another similarity thing I noticed is that both Afghans and Kyrgyzs eat a lot of pulov and meat and serve it to their guests.

Book Review : 'I Am Malala.'

I Am Malala : The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and was Shot by the Taliban is a memoir written by Malala Yousufzai, co-written by Christina Lamb. Malala was only 15 when the Taliban shot her in the head on October 9th, 2011. Malala is an education advocate, girls' rights activist and the youngest person ever to receive the Noble Prize. In her book I Am Malala she describes her life as a schoolgirl before and after she was shot by the Taliban. This book also tells people how difficult it was for Malala to live under the Taliban rule.

Source : Flipkart

When Malala was shot by the Taliban, she received support and prayers from all over the world. After undergoing many surgeries, Malala finally recovered and she is living now with her family in Birmingham. Before reading her book I didn't know how incredibly brave she and her classmates were for continuing their education. Malala was inspired at a very young age and raised her voice for her rights and how her whole family supported her especially her father who played a very important role in her activism. She wrote blogs for BBC Urdu about her life in Swat Valley under the Taliban rule and when the Taliban banned girls from going to school.

Malala explains how whenever she would see some street children digging through the garbage she wanted to secure a place for them in her father's school. When the Taliban banned girls from going to school and was shutting down her school, she told a journalist, "They cannot stop me. I will get my education if it’s at home, school or somewhere else. This is our request to the world – to save our schools, save our Pakistan, save our Swat." This shows her love for education. Despite getting a lot of death threats from the Taliban, she continued to fight for the basic human right of being educated. She also shared some of her personal and interesting details like how she learned English by watching "The Ugly Betty".

Malala is a true inspiration not just for the people of her own country but for everyone in the world. She continues to fight for the right of education and keeps inspiring people by her speeches. It is worth reading Malala's book and I would recommend it for everyone. For some middle school students it might seem very difficult and lengthy to read but you can also read the "Young Readers Version."

Trip to Issyk-Kul

Selfie at Issyk-Kul Lake

The first semester of my school finished and my winter break started so I decided to go on a trip to a village called "Chilpik" in Issyk-Kul region. My friends and I packed up our stuffs and started the five hour journey from Bishkek to Karakol. When we arrived in village one of our friends took us to her grandmother's home (where we were supposed to stay). For dinner we enjoyed some Kyrgyz food and had some tea. The very next morning we visited the ONLY ZOO in Kyrgyzstan. It was my first time visiting a zoo so it was quite good. We saw a lot of different animals and birds. After visiting the zoo, we went on to the mountains for hiking. The weather was really good and we enjoyed a lot hiking on the mountains. That night we enjoyed some really delicious Kyrgyz plov.

Issyk-Kul Lake - Cholpin Atta
Photo Courtesy : Kamila Haideri

On the second day of our trip, we went to visit the second largest lake in the world, Issyk-Kul lake. The water was freezing cold. We wanted to have a ship ride but we couldn't because the water was frozen. Then in the afternoon we went to another village called "Tyup" to visit our friend and spend our new year with her family. We had really delicious and mouthwatering food that night. We weren't expecting other things so we ate a lot. And after we were finished eating my friend brought a turkey soup for us. We were full but my friend said it's a tradition people eat a lot during new year. When it was 12 o'clock, the fireworks started. And we went out to see some really awesome fireworks.

New Year's Dinner.
Photo Courtesy : Kamila Haideri

The next day we went to a place called "Cholpin Atta", it was the last parts of Issyk-Kul lake and the water was completly frozen and when the water was moving we could hear it's voice. On our way back to Bishkek, the car stopped at one point and we got to see the lake again. It was really beautiful. It was one of the best experiences of my life. I got a chance to experience a village life too.

Photo Courtesy : Kamila Haideri

First Post from Bishkek

First day at school.

In my previous post, you read about my journey from Quetta to Kabul to take a tough admissions exam. After taking the test, I got the confirmation email that said I was accepted to the Silk Road International School in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. I was very excited to start my school and meet many people from around the world. On my first day of school, I just loved it. The teachers and the students are very friendly. My new school provides many facilities for students like library, smart-boards in every class, a basketball court and a football ground, table tennis, ICT lab with internet connected to each computer and a clean and neat environment. My first day at my new school went pretty well. A new classmate of mine from Pakistan gave me a school tour and during lunch we went to the cafeteria and enjoyed some Kyrgyz food. During Physical Education class my classmates were playing football but I didn't join them because I am not a very big fan of football. I preferred to play basketball with some other students. In our class, we have students from Pakistan, Turkey, Kurdistan, Afghanistan and local students from Kyrgyzstan. All of my other classmates live in Kyrgyzstan with their families and they usually ask me if I miss my family and I answer, "I do miss my family, but I am very happy to have this opportunity." I am taking Russian, Kyrgyz and French classes too and I am very excited to be fluent in three more languages. 

Source : http://www.sris.edu.kg/silkroad