An Interactive Event and Exhibit Honoring the Resilience of Afghan Women Peacebuilders
On March 17, 2025, ICAN held Watan E Ma – وطن ما – Our Homeland, to honor and recognize the enduring strength and defiance of Afghan women. The event was a reminder that Afghan culture is rooted in an ancient civilization that established coexistence and pluralism as norms, and that positioned women equally and with dignity in society.
Coinciding with Nowruz—the Persian New Year celebration of renewal and hope, which Afghans are currently banned from celebrating in Afghanistan—the event centered Afghan women peacebuilders’ courage and resistance as they continue their unyielding pursuit of a new day of peace, freedom, and equality for all Afghans.
Let us honor their courage, invest in their vision, and ensure their voices shape the future of Afghanistan.
“It’s my privilege and honor to have ICAN host this event along with our many partners, and to be able to walk this long walk with Afghanistan’s women peacebuilders. You are extraordinary heroines, working day and night to ensure that your resilience and resistance today bring greater light, laughter, hope, and joy to your beloved nation, today and for future generations.” – Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, MBE, Founder of ICAN
This Winter Will Also Pass
O coldness of winter,
Within you, thousands of springs lie hidden.
The fire of love, within the ice,
Will create the warmth of life.
Be patient, O soul,
For beyond this long night,
The light of dawn waits for you.
~ Rumi
این زمستان نیز خواهد گذشت
ای سردی زمستان،
در دل تو هزاران بهار نهفته است
آتشِ عشق، در دلِ یخ
گرمای زندگی خواهد آفرید
صبر کن، ای جان،
که در پسِ این شبِ طولانی
نورِ صبح، چشم به راهِ توست
مولاناجلالالدین رومی ~
Watch this short video to experience Watan E Ma – وطن ما – Our Homeland
Footage: Samy Ahmadi
Music: Mehrnam Rastegari, Quraishi Roya, Sahel Handa, and Mir Naqibul Islam
Agenda:
Music and Poetry Reading:
- Sahel Handa, distinguished rubab player and cultural preservationist
- Shafiqa Khpalwak, renowned Afghan poet, writer, and human rights activist
Opening Ceremony:
- Nina Yaqob – Award winning Afghan-German opera singer
- France Bognon – Interim CEO, International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN)
- Wazhma Frogh – Human rights lawyer and peacebuilding practitioner, Founder of WPSO Afghanistan and WPSO Canada
Teach-Ins:
- The War Against Ourselves: Afghan Women Peacebuilders’ Response to the Mental Health Crisis
- Reclaiming the Narrative: Afghan Women on the Frontlines of Freedom, Justice, and Change
Musical Interlude:
- Sahel Handa, distinguished rubab player and cultural preservationist
Film Screenings and Presentation:
- Kaaj – Farahnoz Forotan, Founder and Director & Beheshta Ahmadi, Program Director
- We The Women – Nahid Shahalimi, Founder & Managing Director
- HRD+
- Writing Hawa – Najiba Noori, Afghan documentary maker (recorded)
Special Remarks:
- Richard Bennett, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan
- Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, MBE, Founder, International Civil Society Action Network (recorded)
Musical Interlude:
- Sahel Handa, distinguished rubab player and cultural preservationist
- Nina Yaqob, award winning Afghan-German opera singer
Teach-Ins:
- Redefining Masculinity: Engaging Men as Allies in Gendered Peacebuilding in Afghanistan
- Bread and Butter at the Peace Table: The Link Between Economic Security, Gender and Peacebuilding in Afghanistan
Poetry Reading:
- Shafiqa Khpalwak, renowned Afghan poet, writer, and human rights activist
Iftar Dinner Reception:
- Afghan cuisine catered by Dunya Kebab House
Music Performance:
- Mehrnam Rastegari, award-winning Persian musician, composer, singer, and master Kamancheh player
- Quraishi Roya, Afghan-American rubab virtuoso
- Sahel Handa, distinguished rubab player and cultural preservationist
- Mir Naqibul Islam, distinguished tabla virtuoso
Exhibit and Event Close
Throughout the event, please be sure not to miss:
- Networking space and connection activity
- Art prints and handcrafted clothing and jewelry for sale with all proceeds going to Afghan women artists and artisans
- Traditional Afghan and Persian rugs on display from Oriental Rug Care NY
- Water, tea and coffee provided throughout for those requiring refreshment
Meet the artists, collaborators, partners, and women peacebuilders of Watan e Ma – وطن ما – Our Homeland
“Over the last two years, we’ve supported 30 Afghan women leaders and organizations to continue their work both inside and outside Afghanistan.
This partnership has encompassed everything from grantmaking, mentorship of community leaders, peer to peer exchanges, joint advocacy, and documentation of our partners’ strategic approaches in these extremely challenging and rapidly evolving contexts.
Over the last two years, we’ve been able to channel over 2.5 million dollars into Afghanistan into the hands of women leaders.” – France Bognon, Interim CEO, ICAN
For inquiries, please contact Melinda Holmes (melinda.holmes@icanpeacework.org) and/or Sarah McMains (sarah.mcmains@icanpeacework.org).
