Building Bridges That Lead to Understanding & Peace

Afghan student Wajiha with an exchange letter from an American friend.

In this globalizing world we live in, ideas and cultures are coming into contact with one another at an astonishing rate. Particularly after 9/11, it’s more critical than ever to promote increased cultural awareness, sensitivity and understanding between Western and Afghan cultures and the best place to start is with young people.

Since its inception in 2005, HTAC’s Cultural Exchange Program has brought together over one hundred students from extremely diverse social, cultural, religious and economic backgrounds – not to mention connecting children who speak different languages and practice very different customs. Through this unique program, students have not only gained greater respect for one another, but have discovered they share many common interests, values, hopes and dreams, including a more peaceful world.

Our exchange program has two primary goals:

• Connect selected schools in the West who have a keen interest in learning about education and life in Afghanistan with schools in Afghanistan where there is a similar interest among students there in learning about their counterparts in the West.
• Facilitate formal exchange projects that engage students at partner schools in broadening their attitudes and perspectives and promote cross-cultural learning.

Exchange projects (which are developed by the students in our partner schools, translated by our educational team, and exchanged via the internet or in-person to each school regarding subjects ranging from ‘A day in my life at school’ to ‘What democracy means to me’ are helping these students, their teachers, parents, and local communities form positive impressions of students from another country, laying the seeds to mutual understanding and ultimately, a more peaceful world.