IN a spectacular turnout, over forty Afghans mingled in the Afghan Coalition building in Fremont,
California on April 1, 2000. The occasion was the second Inter-Afghan Youth Summit (IAYS) sponsored by the SF
Bay Area based organizations Society of Afghan Professionals (SAP) and Afghan Coalition.
The meeting began as individuals from all over the United States and Canada eagerly looked over the agenda for the two-day conference.
Katrin Fakiri, President of SAP and IAYS Advisory Committee member, called the meeting to order.
Fakiri introduced Rameen Javid Moshref, the Chair of the IAYS Advisory Committee and Editor-in-Chief of the New York City
based publication Afghan Communicator. Moshref gave a welcome speech and restated the Mission Statement.
Following Moshref's welcome speech, participants introduced themselves, their organization and their reason for attending this summit.
Upon completion of the introduction, Moshref once again took the floor with a speech entitled, "Leadership: More Than Just a Title."
After laying the foundation of the topic, he opened a discussion with pre-prepared questions.
The discussion was monitored, and the pre-distributed rules of discussion were recognized. Many views were proposed in defining
a leader.
Kawun Kakar, SAP member, staff writer for the magazine Afghan Mosaic and co-editor of the On-line Afghan Studies
group afghan-politics.org, introduced the "Declaration of Unity."
The document was analyzed; suggestions were made by the group and voted on. Hekmat Sadat, staff writer for Lemar-Aftaab
and the Afghan Mosaic monitored the discussion.
After the votes, the document was revised on site, and those who agreed signed their names to the Declaration of Unity.
After Kakar's speech, Farhad Azad, Publisher of the on-line magazine Lemar-Aftaab and IAYS Advisory Committee
member, headed the discussion of "The New Afghan Renaissance". After the lecture, Azad opened the discussion to the members of the summit.
Following Azad's discussion, a workshop was organized by Flouran Wali, President of the Afghan Afghan Women's Organization of
San Diego and IAYS Advisory Committee and Nabila Massoumi, SAP member.
The workshop included a demo and an introduction to "Ten Steps of Effective Planning," as well as tips on how to create an organization.
The attendees split into two groups: those interested in working to provide aid outside of the United States and those working to provide
aid within the United States.
The following programs were created during the workshop:
- Build an Afghan library in Fremont, California
- Create a mentoring program for recent high school graduates to assist them in college
- Supply First Aid supplies to Afghan refugees in Pakistan
- Create a family sponsorship program for Afghans in Pakistan
- Create education sponsorship programs for young Afghans in Pakistan and India
The overall success of the meeting was evident by the great reaction of each individual. Kakar would state during his
lecture, "[The IAYS] symbolizes social progress we have made in America."
The presence of the representatives from almost all Afghan organizations was evidence that all that attended had a common goal,
success in the Afghan Community. Projects that were initiated are now being executed with full force. Ideas that were once dreams are now
being shared and made into a reality.
The IAYS was founded in the summer of 1999 by the Afghan Communicator magazine. The first summit was held in New York City
on August of 1999 and was attended by 15 Afghans from the US and Canada. The 1999 meeting left the attendees with the inspiration
to continue the Summit and make it an active medium of communication for individuals in the Afghan communities.
Rameen Moshref describing the August 1999 event in NYC, "What began so humble, has progressed to being [something] so great."
In March 2000, invitations were sent by SAP to members of active Afghan organizations and those active members in Afghan
communities. With a promised attendance from forty-seven people, the members of SAP, Afghan Coalition, as well as those on
the Advisory Board of the Inter-Afghan Youth Summit began efforts in putting together this organized and democratic conference.
The next Inter-Afghan Youth Summit is scheduled to be held in Washington DC.
Related Links:
