Reexamining Our Role Each Year on 9/11: Reflections on 23 Years of Support in Afghanistan

Message

More than 20 years have passed since the United States launched airstrikes on Afghanistan on October 7, 2001, in response to the terrorist attacks on September 11.
Last year, I had the opportunity to speak about Afghanistan at a university. I was struck by how many students were unfamiliar with the 9/11 attacks—an event that once shocked the entire world—reminding me how memories of that time are gradually fading.
In contrast, the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in August 2021 and the establishment of their interim government are still fresh in many people’s minds.

（Photo : Afghanistan in 2003）

SVA began its support activities in Afghanistan in 2001, following the U.S. military intervention.
Why did Afghanistan become the target of airstrikes? Why are so many people in the country still struggling to secure food for the next day?
As the memories of 9/11 fade, we must continue to ask ourselves—and the international community—how we have engaged with Afghanistan, how we should have engaged, and how we ought to engage moving forward.

Three years have now passed since August 2021, and serious concerns remain about human rights violations, particularly those affecting women.
With Afghanistan increasingly isolated from the international community and humanitarian aid rapidly declining, we at Shanti are committed to maintaining steady dialogue with the Afghan people.
We aim to support them in envisioning and shaping the future of their country—one rooted in their own hopes and agency—through long-term, patient engagement.

(Photo : Children visiting the library by Yoshifumi Kawabata)

We believe in nurturing critical thinking in the next generation, so they can discover pathways to coexistence within diverse values and perspectives.
We will not give up on dialogue. We will continue to stay connected.
Afghan people value human relationships deeply. Sustaining and strengthening those bonds is our mission now more than ever.

Through our activities, SVA will continue to stand by the people of Afghanistan.

▶ Watch the video: “A Day at the Children’s Library in Afghanistan” (Japanese)