Quotes from The Kite Runner

"For you a thousand times over"

"There is a way to be good again"

"Now, no matter what the mullah teaches, there is only one sin, only one. And that is theft. Every other sin is a variation of theft.When you kill a man, you steal a life, you steal his wife's right to a husband, rob his children of a father. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. (...) There is no act more wretched than stealing. A man who takes what's not his to take, be it a life or a loaf of naan - I spit on such a man. If there’s a God out there, then I would hope he has more important things to attend to than my drinking scotch or eating pork." (Chapter 3)

"Children aren't coloring books. You don't get to fill them with your favorite colours." (Chapter 3)

"Quiet is peace. Tranquility. Quiet is turning down the volume knob on life. Silence is pushing the off button. Shutting it down. All of it."

"I brought Hassan’s son from Afghanistan to America, lifting him from the certainty of turmoil and dropping him in a turmoil of uncertainty."

"I think that everything he did, feeding the poor, giving money to friends in need, it was all a way of redeeming himself. And that, I believe, is what true redemption is, Amir jan, when guilt leads to good. I know that in the end, God will forgive. He will forgive your father, me, and you too. Forgive your father if you can. Forgive me if you wish. But, most important, forgive yourself." (Chapter 23)

Bernardo's Written Presentation

Ethnic Groups and Languages

- The population of Afghanistan includes many different ethnic groups. We don’t know exact figures about the size and composition of the various ethnic groups.

- The largest ethnic group are the Pashtuns, who make up about 40% of Afghanistan’s population. (Amir)

- Although Pashtuns live in many areas of Afghanistan, their base is centered in the south, in a region near Kandahar.

- Male Pashtuns live by ancient tribal code called Pashtunwali, which gives importance to courage, personal honor, resolution, self-reliance and hospitality. The mother tongue of the Pashtuns is Pashto, an Indo-Iranian language.

- The second largest ethnic group in Afghanistan are the Tajiks, a people of Iranian origin. They are about 25% of the population.

- They live in the valleys north of Kabul, and are closely related to the people of Tajikistan.

- The mother tongue of the Tajiks is called Dari (also known as Afghan Persian), which is an Indo-Iranian language closely related to Persian. It is more widely spoken than Pashto in Afghanistan. So, although Pashto is the language of the largest ethnic group, all the other groups use Dari to communicate with one another.

- Another ethnic group are the Hazaras. They live in the central mountain ranges, a region known as Hazarajat. (Hassan)

- Since the Hazaras were part of a religious minority group (Shia Muslim), they were persecuted by the Talibans. Many Hazaras went to Iran, which provided political and military support. They speak a dialect of Persian.

- There are several other ethnic groups, less important, including the Uzbek, Aimak, Turkmen, Baloch, among others.

- All together, these smaller ethnic groups speak more than 70 languages and a great variety of dialects.

Khaled Hosseini visits Afghanistan

Ana Rita's Presentation

Education in Afghanistan

Education in Afghanistan was improved during the reign of King Zahir Shah (1933-1973). Primary schools were made available to about half the population under twelve years of age. Improvements were made in the secondary school system and in the national university at Kabul. However, a high percentage of the population remained illiterate. There was also some controversy over textbooks. They passed on the message that all Afghan children should imitate Pashtuns. Their mode of dress and code of conduct was shown as entirely positive and deeds of Pashtun rulers were shown in a positive light. The structure of Afghan society shown in textbooks was pyramidal. Male Pashtuns were at the top, then other male Sunnis, Shi’ites and, at the bottom, Hazaras. Women were rarely mentioned and, if so, only Pashtuns.

The Soviet war in Afghanistan destroyed the education system. Many teachers left the country due to the war and in the 1900s there were only 650 schools left. The photo (see powerpoint) shows Afghan resistance fighters returning to a village destroyed by Soviet forces.

During the Taliban regime, schools were destroyed and education was denied to women. The madrassa (mosque school) became the basis for primary and secondary education. The photo (see powerpoint) shows a security guard walking through a destroyed girls’ school. The Taliban claimed that girls’ education is unislamic.

After the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001 Afghanistan received international aid to rehabilitate the education system. Public school curricula still include religious subjects, but their instruction is left to religion teachers. In 2003 about 57% of men and 86% of women were still illiterate. Modern-style schools were built.

Nevertheless, there are still many problems as far as education in Afghanistan is concerned, such as the lack of funds. Afghanistan relies on external donors, which makes it difficult to predict the annual budget and, consequently, to plan school curricula. Education Minister Hanif Atmar said in 2007 60% of students were studying in tents – some Afghan parents don’t allow their daughters attend school in such conditions. Another problem is the lack of women teachers (only about one quarter) – parents don’t let their daughters be taught by men. Consequently, large percent of girls are not allowed to attend school.

Sources:
http://www.iranica.com/newsite/index.isc?Article=http://www.iranica.com/newsite/articles/unicode/v8f2/v8f207xxvii.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_afghanistan

Adriana's Presentation

Women's Education in Afghanistan

Accessibility: Before, During and After the Taliban Regime

Before the Taliban regime, girls and women were allowed to go to school. During it, they could not go and except for some religious education, girls and women were forbidden to learn. Girls with more than 8 years old were banned from classrooms. After the Taliban regime, women returned to schools, both students and teachers. According to Afghanistan's constitution (adopted in January 2004), education is the right of all citizens (both men and women), and up to a certain level, it is free of charge.

Conditions: Means and Infrastructures

- During the taliban regime, a great part of the country's infrastructures were destroyed.

- Many of the 3.600 schools of Afghanistan were damaged or destroyed as a result of decades of conflicts.

- With the fall of the Taliban regime, schools started a period of reconstruction with the help of some international help organizations.

Future: Self-sufficiency?

Then, talking about the future, it’s important to say that in a country devastated by war, survival and earning a living are top priorities. In order to accomplish that, providing educational opportunities is essential. Literacy is a basic need. Education benefits afghan society both social and economically. It enables women to work and makes them a source of income to their families.

Help Organizations: USAID (United States Agency for International Development)

USAID has constructed or refurbished over 670 schools and distributed textbooks, school supplies and training materials. USAID created an accelerated learning program that enrolled over 170,000 students, more than half of which were girls. USAID also works to improve the quality of teaching, management, and information systems at Afghan universities, and teacher training through radio broadcasts reaches 65,000 teachers daily in all 34 provinces.

Statistics

- Before the Taliban regime, one-third of the students of Kabul University were women and more than 70 percent of the teachers were also women.

- It is estimated that in 1999, during the Taliban regime, 92 percent of the afghan girls didn't attend school and women that were teachers, that means 70 percent of the country's educators, were forced to resign by the talibans.

Sources

http://www.afghan-web.com/education/

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/03/0312_020312_afghanwomen.html

http://usinfo.state.gov/journals/itgic/0902/ijgp/gj-090206.htm

http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia_near_east/countries/afghanistan/

Afghan Proverbs

1.
No rose is without thorns.
Meaning: No one is perfect.

2.
A good year is determined by its spring.
Meaning: As goes the spring, so goes the year.
Usage: Character and quality show up early.

3.
Whatever you sow you reap.
Meaning: A person gets his just deserts.

4.
There is a path to the top of even the highest mountain.
Meaning: (a) God is more powerful than the proudest of persons. (b) Where there is a will there is a way.

5.
A tree doesn’t move unless there is wind.
Meaning: Where there is smoke there is fire, or every effect has a cause.

6.
Don’t stop a donkey that isn’t yours.
Meaning: Mind your own business.

7.
There are twenty-five uncaught sparrows for a penny.
Meaning: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, or wishes are a dime a dozen.

8.
A porcupine speaking to its baby says, " O my child of velvet."
Meaning: One’s own child is especially dear for him/her.

9.
A wolf’s pup will grow into a wolf even though it be raised among men.
Meaning: Training can not change herdity: or, you can not change a leopard’s spots: or, what is bred in the bone will come out in the flesh.

10.
Flourish like a flower, but may your life be longer.
Meaning: When one is offered some flowers.

11.
A real friend is one who takes the hand of his friend in times of distress and helplessness.
Meaning: A friend in need is a friend indeed.

12.
There is a way from heart to heart.
Meaning: Love finds a way to another’s heart.

13.
The first day you meet, you are friends. The next day you meet, you are brothers.
Meaning: Friendship grows into brotherhood.

14.
A river is not contaminated by having a dog drink from it.
Meaning: One of good character is pure despite criticism.

15.
A tilted load won’t reach its destination.
Meaning: Honesty is the best policy.

16.
It’s the same donkey, but with a new saddle.
Meaning: Clothes do not make the man.
Usage: Said of some one who has recently gained a high position unworthily.

17.
Reading Scripture in front of a donkey.
Meaning: Casting your pearls before swine.

18.
Without a green switch the ox and the donkey won’t obey.
Meaning: Spare the rod and spoil the child.

19.
Without investigating the water, don't take off your shoes (to walk through it).
Meaning: "Look before you leap."

20.
One flower doesn’t bring spring.
Meaning: One swallow doesn’t make a spring. Usage: Said of a person who tries to do too much himself.

Source: http://www.noble-knights.com/proverbs/