Afghanistan

Journal en direct

19 June 2004: UNICEF and the Ministry of Information and Culture host a three-day workshop on "Children and the Media

© UNICEF Afghanistan/Carwardine

A journalist from Kabul concentrates on her note-taking during a three day workshop on Children and the Media, sponsored by UNICEF and held in the Afghan capital from 12-14 June 2004.

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Letter from Kabul, 19 June 2004.
Edward Carwardine, Communication Officer, Kabul, Afghanistan

A rocket was fired at a military installation in Kabul on Tuesday evening. I was hosting a small dinner to say goodbye to a colleague, and we were just listening to the sound of the crickets in the garden, when there was a heavy thud - and within minutes the chirping of the crickets was replaced by the roar of helicopter motors as the international peacekeeping forces began to swoop over the city, seeking out the source of the attack.

Attacks against targets in Kabul are thankfully few and far between, although in recent weeks there has been an apparent increase in incidents in the provinces. In the house where I live, we have adopted our own measuring stick for rocket attacks; if the windows shook in their frames, it was close and sizeable and we huddle around our communication sets in the living room to hear what our Security Officer is going to advise, preparing to descend into the bunker.

If the windows didn't judder, the target was distant enough to relax a little. Tuesday's incident was far enough away not to cause too much alarm amongst the dinner guests, but the low-flying helicopters - invisible against the jet-black night sky - didn't exactly enhance the party atmosphere.

Afghans have their own stories about rockets. One of the UNICEF drivers told me how he remembers the nights during the Taliban-Northern Alliance conflict, when he was able to identify which rocket was fired into the city by who, just by the sound. His daughter still feels nervous being in a room alone, thanks to the memory of constant shelling. I asked him, after this week's incidents, whether he would consider leaving Afghanistan this time - if things got worse. He considered that to be defeatist. "We hope things won't get worse," he said simply. "We are all tired of fighting in our country."

Last week, another group of Afghans demonstrated their determination to build for the future. UNICEF and the Ministry of Information and Culture hosted a three-day workshop on "Children and the Media", bringing together journalists from across Afghanistan to discuss and debate their role in protecting and promoting children's rights. As one would expect with journalists, the debate was often heated and swung from one issue to another like an intellectual pendulum.

But there was consensus amidst the arguments; children were important to the future of Afghanistan, and the media had a responsibility to ensure that children's issues were kept high on the agenda. The group produced a 12-point "Declaration of Intent", which set out their commitments to upholding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, protecting children's dignity in their reporting, listening to the views of children when planning programmes, and striving to increase opportunities for children to actively participate in media activities.

© UNICEF Afghanistan/Carwardine

A young Afghan girl sets out her expectations of the media in promoting children's rights during a three day workshop on Children and the Media, sponsored by UNICEF and held in the Afghan capital from 12-14 June 2004.

It was a positive document - although the journalists themselves called for broader discussion, and more interaction with the Government and other parties to ensure that the debate could be taken further.

What was especially impressive was the fact that, while the focus of the nation is very much upon the forthcoming elections, ongoing security concerns and progress in reconstruction, the media recognized that the voices of children should not be lost amidst the discussions.

A group of four children joined the participants at the workshop to set out their expectations of the media; one young girl spoke vehemently about the need for journalists to respect and uphold her rights as a child. Her passionate address was met by thunderous applause.

UNICEF is now looking at ways in which her views, and the response of the media, can be channelled into more tangible actions. Funds are being set aside to support media projects that help to raise awareness of children's rights and enable children's participation in programming.

The workshop has really helped to focus attention on the positive way forward. While there are those who believe that firing rockets into the capital, or attacking humanitarian convoys and compounds, is a means to an end, it is clear that the vast majority of Afghans see the future being shaped through discussion, exchange of ideas and investment in its young people.

If the majority view wins through, I hope that the daughter of our driver will soon be able to sit in her living room alone, without fearing another sudden thud and the shaking of the windows.