Introduction

This project seeks to work with Afghan youth who have grown up in an environment largely defined by the gun, providing them with vocational training and skills development.

Vision

To see Afghan children going to school, happily and securely, each wearing a pair of shoes, a proper uniform, a backpack containing books, pens, paper, a box of lunch and a bottle of clean water. They will be playing safely in their schoolyards without fear of landmines or cluster bombs, living in harmony created by their society. They will have a dream of what they will be when they grow up, perhaps a doctor, a teacher or an engineer.

Background

During the last 23 years Afghan people have experienced war and destruction, leaving approximately two-thirds of Afghanistan in ruins. Presently, Afghanistan's limited infrastructure is incapable of supporting those who remain in Afghanistan, let alone if all of those Afghans who have fled their country should now return.

Goals/Aims

"From Guns to Pens" worked with Afghan youth who have grown up in an environment largely defined by the gun and, where possible, Afghans are returning to their homeland. By providing vocational training opportunities the project was practical, needed and necessary: practical because the training will focus on developing skills that can be used by the recipients to gain employment: needed because there is an acute shortage of skilled trades people; and necessary because by providing Afghan youth with a set of new employable skills, you create an identity that goes beyond the gun.

"From Guns to Pens" has three main goals:

1. To construct a community centre with classrooms, a vocational training centre, a meeting place for the community and a mother-and-child heath clinic.

   • This will be achieved through the deployment of teams consisting of 30 Australian and 45 Afghan volunteer vocational trainers, psychologists and counselors.

2. With the assistance of other countries setting up similar projects, in five years from 90% of 40,000 street-working youth should be skilled and engaged in peacefully rebuilding their country.

   • This will be achieved by working closely with the Australian Federal Government, the Afghan Education and Public Health Ministries and Non-Government Organizations in Australia and Afghanistan.

3. Where possible, "From Guns to Pens" will be extended to provide short-term professional vocational training programs to accommodate Afghans returning to their homeland.

   • It is anticipated that once the youth programs are set up this can be achieved given available resources and space in the rent-free building provided by the Afghanistan Administration.

Methodology

A needs analysis will be undertaken involving informal interviews with Afghans in Australia detention centers, Afghans who have legal status in Australia, a cross section of Afghan citizens, government representatives and NGO personnel. Following the needs analysis, a resources schedule, a risk matrix and scope of the training and development programs will be prepared.

Budget

The cost of the pilot project, recommended to be conducted over two years is $3,218,200. Human resources conducting the vocation training and peace development programs is the major cost centre. Approximately 120 Australian teachers will visit Kabul to work alongside approximately 190 local Afghan teachers during the first two years.