About

About

As an independent voluntary community organisation, Afghan Academy International is the first educational, cultural, arts and social group working in the UK since the early 1980s. By providing a unique range of projects and services, the Academy aims to support Afghans in the UK and abroad to achieve a better standard of living, health, education, cultural understanding, employment opportunity and integration. This is accomplished through advice, information and guidance, as well as providing platforms for interactions, coordination, cooperation and networking with academics, artists and professionals, as well as other organisations, agencies and local authorities. The Academy aims to preserve the Afghan historical and cultural heritage, whilst promoting peace, critical thinking, freedom of speech and expression, academic liberty, and a greater understanding and appreciation of different cultural norms. We welcome you suggestions. For any further information, media inquires and interviews please contact us: Contact us

Background

In the last four decades, Afghanistan, once a land of many aspirations, cultures and people, with a memorable love, respect and hospitality for all, has sadly been drawn into conflicts, resistance and self-destructions. It is heart breaking to witness how people’s personal and social lives have been ruined and their identities and cultural heritage have been distorted since the start of the political turmoil in the late 1970s. Since then the world has witnessed the flight of Afghans into neighbouring and Western countries for safety, survival and the start of a new life for the first time. In the early 1980s, due to the arrival of a large number of Afghan refugees in the United Kingdom, the Afghan Academy International (The Academy), an independent, non political and non tribal organisation, was born to serve and support the newcomers with early personal and social needs, as well as to provide and promote cultural and educational activities to the new Afghan community when it was needed the most. The activities which were initiated by the Academy such as publishing books, magazines, organising seminars, musical and cultural events, have proven to be the best alternative education in that given time and circumstance. Nowadays the second and third generations of Afghans have a higher level of achievement in schools and universities and the community has grown in size and is well established compared to what it used to be. Nevertheless, the need for our educational, cultural and social services are still very significant. We are very much thankful to our volunteers, individuals and families who have supported and valued our work and in turn have given us a unique insight into their lives sharing their experiences which helped us to tailor relevant care, support and services according to their needs. As we have learnt, education is one of the key means in helping people to learn new opportunities and experience common factors and values and appreciate the world around them by being an active part of the society where integration and exploration open many doors to new horizons in life. For this and many other reasons, education, as a universal concept and value, is more then ever needed in today’s world where conflict and disturbance are on the rise and peace, tolerance, pluralism, multiculturalism, co-operation and mutual respect are needed in a local and global level.

Founders

The Academy started its work following the need for an independent educational, cultural and social group who could support the newly arrived individuals in the early 1980s. Shapur Amini started the organisation after his arrival in the UK in 1981 with the help and cooperation of Afghans in London and later was joined by Assiya Majgan Amini who co-founded the Academy since 1991. Both Shapur and Assiya have also founded new projects, initiated and lead these within the Academy that have supported and benefited many people. Since the start scholars, artists and people of goodwill have joined the Academy and provided in kind support or participated in our projects. We have an excellent team of academic and professional experts, volunteers and are supported by Afghan and international personalities of whom we are very proud of.
 

 

Founders Statements & Aims

Promoting Peace, Education, Culture, Arts, Critical Thinking, Freedom of Speech

War, either in Afghanistan or in any other part of the world, is sadly a too well-known and a cruel phenomenon that has been haunting the lives and minds of individuals and nations alike since the beginning of history. We have been witnessing and learning about conflicts and wars of all kinds in many far away lands including Afghanistan, as well as on our doorsteps, so much so that it is misguidedly beginning to pose itself as a common occurrence in our lives, to hear of this or that atrocity, this suicide bombing or that explosion, going on day by day. Yet we must resist this commonplace “banality of evil”. Peace, not war, is the natural state for human beings to live in. It is the dialogue for peace that is crucial and should be kept alight and on offer to anyone practising the wrath of war, but not the virtue of peace. Peace, a significant, meaningful and a much missing word, is the biggest challenge of our times. The Academy promotes peace, pluralism, cooperation and dialogue to overcome violence and to appreciate universal human values. We believe war is the darkness and peace is the light and light always diminishes darkness in man and in society. As active citizens and as conscious human beings it is our responsibility to become peace ambassadors for ourselves, our family, neighbourhood, society, country and the world as a whole and to make war and violence a failure. War is always a failure, because each new war only creates new enemies, new widows and new hatred. Without doubt, it is peace that breathes within our souls, bodies, cultures, faiths and civilisations. From chaos and disunity, peace stands for the wholeness inside us human beings, which when attained, we can stand side by side and practise love and harmony through our thoughts, actions and words.
Without doubt, the arrival, formation and existence of any diaspora community has its own story and characteristics. With this in mind, therefore, for the majority of Afghans who have come to the West in different stages of wars and deadly conflicts, the scars and memories still carry many unimaginable deep terrifying effects. It is in these scenarios that education and the task of modern educators dealing, engaging and providing care and services to the refugees and victims are significantly crucial in every and each encounter with them, either being on a one-to-one dialogue level or in meetings, community gatherings or events. For the Academy, as an impartial, educational, cultural and social organisation in the UK, it has been exciting and rewarding to witness how our services, activities and initiatives have guided and benefited many Afghans of different ethnic backgrounds and beliefs. Even today, their genuine continuous support and involvement signifies their support and appreciation of our work. We have a unique collection of seminars and lectures by Afghan scholars on DVDs and always welcome your work and materials to enrich our archives and support our activities, projects, publications and our future broadcasting plans.
The Cambridge English Dictionary states that culture is, “the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time”. In the words of E.B. Tylor, “culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.” With this in mind, many westerners who have visited and stayed in Afghanistan, time after time, have confirmed the richness of Afghan culture and Afghan ways of life, including the generosity and hospitality that the Afghans show towards others and the honour and care that they hold and give to strangers and guests alike. The Academy promotes these values as the living core of real Afghan culture and identity and organises activities to reflect these values. The Academy’s ultimate goal is to strive towards a harmonious and peaceful human society for all and condemns and challenges the distorted images associated with Afghans as they have been portrayed by the wars and violence of the past few decades. The last four decades of wars and conflicts in Afghanistan have changed the face of the arts in the country and have influenced the rhetorical styles and values of Afghan poetry, literature, music, theatre, dance and cinema in a positive, as well as negative way. The styles and contents of Afghan arts are the expressions of Afghans’ lives in many different periods of time. For each and every artist, art can be a powerful tool to introduce and represent views, expressions and to some extent the means for struggling to achieve the wishes and dreams of individuals and the nation. Today, Afghan arts represent many different expressions with some central themes emerging: which includes the desire for peace, the sufferings of women and their struggles for freedom and social injustice, the wishes of youth and the new generations, as well as reflections on war and conflicts, the political turmoils, wide spread corruption, the failures and achievements of local and presidential elections, the possibility of reclaiming a sensible spiritual heritage out of the hands of extremism, and, of course, reflections on Afghan cultural heritage and the impact on Afghanistan of new trends and developments in international art movements. The birth of Afghan arts and artists in diaspora is another promising element in promoting arts amongst Afghans in the community. There are many Afghan artists outside Afghanistan and here in the UK, whose works and talents are enjoyed by many people in the society, who have been also participating in different occasions and events. The Academy has been promoting arts now for many years, supporting Afghan artists, organising events and opportunities for the Afghans and art enthusiasts in the community to get together in many different events and enjoy shows and exhibitions.
The undeniable power of media is a happy fact when it is used to improve the abilities of people by gaining more knowledge and information through education, culture, arts, sciences and technology for them, as well as enjoying entertainments and connecting with the world and other people. The developed countries have had this privilege a long time ago and yet some traditional mediums such as film, radio and television have been well over-taken by opportunities in the internet and other technologies and smart devices. Nevertheless, film, radio and television are still running high holding their grip on their markets. On the other hand, countries who did not have some or all of these privileges, now seem to have been enjoying almost the same technologies including the internet and smart devices though in a slower pace and average level. In Afghanistan, the four decades of war have destroyed nearly everything including the central government, the army and police forces, the infrastructure, as well as disrupting educational, cultural, economic, agricultural and farming systems. Even the natural nomad’s life has been damaged. In the last decade, many developments have taken place including the formation of an elected central government and the reform of and repair of government establishments and institutions. The boom in media development and progress in Afghanistan is a unique phenomena. Today, there are hundreds of radio and television stations, as well as daily, weekly and monthly newspapers and magazines are in circulation. The only negative aspect that has come to light is the war of the air-waves and the propaganda enjoyed by rival warlords and opposing political groups that have produced a negative aspect to all these new achievements. How to normalise the situation and avoid more conflicts, as well as eliminating extremism, are the urgent tasks for the Afghan government, as well as the international community and the NGOs who are providing opportunities and care and support to the masses. Within this spectrum, the Academy has been playing its part by providing educational and cultural services and activities which have proved to be facilitating the learning experience of diaspora communities in helping to advance awareness in the society. Our work continues to do so and we are constantly initiating new approaches. The Academy holds a unique collection of interviews, seminars and lectures by Afghan and other scholars in various different formats and always welcomes your work and materials to enrich our archives and support our activities, projects, publications and our future broadcasting plans.

 

We thank and appreciate our dedicated teams and supporters who have stood by our side for many years! We also thank and appreciate all our friends and volunteers for their continuous support, time and efforts!

Shapur Amini & Assiya M Amini

Late Academician Dr. A. Javid

Late Diplomat Ustad Aziz Naim

Pohand Hashimi

Late Poet Mr Haidar Nayssan

Late Dr Enayullah Iblagh

Late Mr Ali Afzal

Late Professor Benjamin Zephaniah

Late Al-Haj K Nezam

Late Dr Parwani

Mr Shahzada Habibyar

Mr Ahmadshah Faqirzada

Ustad Najib Amini

Mr Ahmadshah Obaid

Mr Hafiz Hadamyar

Mr Aman Mehran

Mr Ansari

Abdullah Ali Ahamadi

Mrs Fatana Amini

Mr Salamat Khan Sediqi

Mrs Hawa

Ustad Sharif Saiq

Eng Abdulmalik Bahaar

Mr Monir Walizada

Yousuf Mahmoud

Mr Sharif Ghorbandi

Mr Nasir Pajman

Ustad Haroon Omar Mehdi

Mr Fazil Hamadani

Eng Bashir Saiq

Ustad Najib Amini

Ustad Aziz Aryanfar

Ustad Sharif Saiq

Dr Akhshid Javid

Professor Dr Ali Wardak

Ustad Nasruddin Saljuqi

Dr Rachel Pepper

Dr Ajmal Zemmar

Mr David Barnad

Miss Mariam Amini

Eng Bashir Saiq

Mrs Mariam Azizi

Mr Salamat Khan Sediqi

Mr Samad Azizi

Miss Madina Amini