: News

During the past quarter, APT started the process to select the fourth Afghan Youth Representative to the United Nations for 2021. The Norwegian Embassy in Kabul has agreed to collaborate with APT and provide funding for the program, which includes a travel to Norway and New York City. We opened the call for application during the second week of April.

Over the past quarter, APT in partnership with the Gender, Peace, and Security Centre, as well as Monash International Affairs Society at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia conducted a meeting to overview the debate rounds of the year 2020 and to discuss the timetable for cooperation to hold the debate series for the year 2021. APT in partnership with Monash University will be organizing its seventh debate round on 12 April 2021.

On March 19, 2021 for the sole purpose of organizing youth networks for peace building and change makers in Afghan societies, Afghans for progressive Thinking organization arranged a one-day local debate tournament with around 150 youth. This unique platform enabled university students to debate and offer resolution to the challenges in the way of peace, youth and women. Teams from Tabesh, Kabul, AUAF, Kabul Polytechnic, Shaheed Rabani and Kardan Universities were up against each other. Team AUAF (Miss Nekhat Frogh Sadeq and Mr. Abdul Matloob Naweed) was able to secure the championship and Mr. Shaheen Shah Khoshal of Kabul University achieved the Best Speakers award of the tournament.

Debaters also voted opting Miss Farida Razaqi as the Best Judge of the tournament.

During March 2021, debate club leadership with coordination of APT team in Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kandahar, Badakhshan and Samangan provinces celebrated International women day. In these events, they conducted debate rounds, panel discussions and speeches to discuss the importance of women in a community, challenges, and opportunities they face in various phases of their lives.

The sole purpose of the events was to appreciate the achievements of women in term of peace, selfreliability and education.

On February 25, 2021, Kabul University Debate Club along with Gharjistan University conducted a mini debate tournament at Gharjistan University. This event was requested by Gharijstan University to Kabul University Debate Club. In this event, 24 debate teams from four universities, Kabul University, Kabul Polytechnic University, Shaheed Prof. Rabbani University and Gharjistan University participated. The debaters debated two general rounds and one final round on the theme of “Women Rights”. As a result of this event, Parwin Rafie and Mursal Muzafar of Kabul University got the championship and Ali Dost Hikmat of Gharjistan was selected as best speaker by the panel of judges. It was a wonderful event, which was planned and organized by the leading teams.

The Young Leaders Team organized a leadership workshop to around 30 students at Al-Madina Private High School. The team prepared presentations on leadership, character, self-respect and self-confidence, and presented them to the students. They also prepared group activities and discussions for students to openly share their ideas. Every group had a leader who then spoke on behalf of the team about a given question on the importance of leadership skills. Finally, the Young Leaders Team distributed a leadership book and notebooks to students so they can continue reading more about leadership at home after this workshop.