KABUL - In the midst of ongoing violence, more than 100 Afghan artists and activists today gave away 10,000 pink balloons to residents of the country’s capital, Kabul, in what may have been the largest public art installation to ever take place in Afghanistan.

Basing themselves alongside the historic Timur Shah Mausoleum in the city centre, the participants in the ‘We Believe in Balloons’ project handed out the pink balloons – which each contained a personal message of peace from people around the world – to 10,000 passers-by.

"I have never seen anything like this before in Kabul; it looks like the kind of parade you see on television where people are celebrating life," said Ermeer Zaim, a street vendor who watched as volunteers gave away balloons near him. "I am happy that all of these young people could bring color to our city after all of the terrible news of yesterday and today."

A similar event has been held in cities in India, Japan, and Kenya. The project is the creation of Yazmany Arboleda, a New York-based Colombian-American artist, and it aims to constructively engage with local social challenges, using art as a way to bring about change.

“I see this project as a platform that transforms the single story of catastrophe that the world sees in Afghanistan into multiple narratives that highlight our shared humanity,” Mr. Arboleda said.

Zarlasht Sarmast, a producer of the ‘We believe in artists’ TV and web programme and also one of the event’s organizers, said that despite the country’s conflict, Afghans also dream daily of a better future.

“Peace starts in our hearts and this is a good step. Art belongs to all of us. It’s a universal dream to create magic and share messages of peace. Kabul belongs to all its citizens and why not celebrate its beauty by uplifting the soul of its people?” Ms. Sarmast. “It was just beautiful to be part of this magical project and to witness my Kabul, my city, without security walls and restrictions. Kabul is beautiful and the world needs to see that. Today, we painted Kabul with colours of hope and peace.”

Most of the young volunteers that participated in the Kabul project are artists and activists that the Strategic Communications and Spokesperson Unit (SCSU) of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has worked with in past years in various peacebuilding events related to the creative arts, helping empower them to become agents of change and role models in their communities. UNAMA’s SCSU also helped facilitate partnership and links between many of the artists with Afghan institutions such as the Ministry of Information and Culture and the Ministry of Youth Affairs, as well as other local and international partners.

The colour pink was chosen for the balloons to symbolize women's empowerment and in support of women’s rights. The issue of women’s rights it related to UNAMA’s activities, with the international community – as well as the UN Security Council – expecting that Afghan authorities will respect and promote Afghanistan’s domestic and international obligations and legal norms in the field of human rights, notably the rights of woman and children.

“By giving away 10,000 pink balloons we gave our city 10,000 ideas to think about life and hope beyond the war; 10,000 opportunities to imagine a different future; 10,000 opportunities to believe in peace, gender equality, and education,” said Nargis Azaryun, one of the many local volunteers who took part in the project.

“We should make this art installation an annual tradition,” added another volunteer, Zubaida Akbar. “We should, we must and we will. I will take this photographic memory with me for the rest of my life and I really hope that others will get to experience the same one day.”

All of the event’s volunteers took part in a three-day leadership conference where they learned about how to use art for social change and peace-building and identity in urban spaces, as well as gender equality, among other topics.

According to the organizers, the funding for the project came from individuals from around the world who are against war and believe in art and creativity as a way of moving forward. So far, more than 7,000 people from 43 countries have supported the projects in their various locations around the world.

Plans exist to take the balloon project to Colombia, the United States, Australia, and Belgium.

For more on the ‘We Believe in Balloons’ project: webelieveinballoons.com.

For more photos of this event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/unama/sets/72157632796609456/

photos by Sulyman Qardash