14 Oct. 2008
Afghan students and students from neighbouring countries are the special guests attending the Afghan Student Forum together with students from NATO member countries. All have been invited to exchange views on the Alliance’s presence in Afghanistan.
This is the third time NATO has organized an Afghan Student Forum. This year’s edition is taking place from the 13th to 17th October at the University of Bayonne, Faculty of Law, in France.
“Bayonne will be connected with the World”. Monique Tuffelli, Head Outreach Countries Section of NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division, underlines: “youth has to be involved in the discussions on Afghanistan’s future, it is a question of peace and security in the world”.
Neil Lopes, a citizen of Cape Verde pursuing a degree in political science, has been selected on the basis of his motivation: “It is not a matter of the degree you passed. More than a resume and a motivation letter, you have to prove your interest in Afghanistan’s situation”. This Cape Verdian’s testimony confirms Mohammed’s impatience to hear the conviction of the other actors: “I am here to share an experience. I study in the AmericanUniversity of Afghanistan, in Kabul. It is so difficult to tackle such a sensitive topic in my country, as you can easily imagine. It’s easier to talk about the political issue here in Bayonne, with foreigners.”
While participants leave the amphitheatre to join the welcome cocktail, Thomas, a French youth studying transborder cooperation, explains: “Our first contact went very well. We talked about anything and everything. We have the rest of the week to hold more in-depth discussions”.
Pierre Bougeois
Alexandra Corsi Chopin
Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme de Paris
Disclaimer: the views and opinions expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect NATO’s views.
