Kabul, Afghanistan - On September 24 UPF-Afghanistan held a celebration in honor of the International Day of Peace. We had 80 people attending the event, including Ambassadors for Peace, Youth Ambassadors for Peace, a Member of Parliament, the Deputy District Leader of Pole Khosh (Mr. Fraidun Nizami), social activists, and musicians.
The event had two sections. The first focused on peace messages such as that of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in video form and the Message of Peace from Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai. After that, UPF Director Umberto Angelucci gave the UPF message on the theme "Living for the Sake of Others Is the Way of Peace." Then Dr. Sifigh, a Member of Parliament from DaiKondi, gave a message especially encouraging the youth.
The second part was a Music Festival for Peace. We had different Afghan musicians play traditional Afghan songs focusing on the theme of peace. The young people were especially inspired, first clapping and eventually joining in the dance. We ended with the National Dance of Afghanistan, the Atan.
One of the key factors that added to the success of the event was that the participants were all from enemy tribes and also from antagonistic Muslim sects. We all united under the motto "One Family Under God" to bring a united foundation for the future peace of Afghanistan.
