One year ago, on May 18, 2018, a brave civic activist, Hidayatullah Zaheer, was killed at an attack on the Ramazan cricket tournament he had organized in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. What had begun as a pleasant outing for young people to celebrate peace and unity, and to have some respite from pervasive fear in their lives turned into an ugly night of destruction and deep sorrow.
Today, as peace talks with the Taliban generate both fear and optimism in the country, it is important to reflect on the courage of activists like Zaheer, and their vision and struggles to promote peace in the most difficult environments.
He set up computer labs in the remote border areas where no one else would go.
Zee, as those who knew him called him, was a fearless grassroots activist known for his ability to bring people together and give voice to the most marginalized, and to imagine a better future. He led a youth network called Watan Pala Zwanan (or ‘youth for the public interest’) from across eastern Afghanistan that provides support to local communities, and mobilizes young people across communities behind a vision of inclusive peace.
