As headlines about the book Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson punctuate major US papers, two important messages still should be heeded. First, Mortenson's stories about his experiences building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan - whether true or, as is alleged, sometimes false - highlight the importance of providing Afghan children with access to primary education. This is a human right, which has been universally accepted.
And the book's focus on girls' education in rural Afghanistan has been recognised by the Afghan government as part of its firm commitment to meeting the Millennium Development Goals, based on the understanding that educating girls will empower more than half of the Afghan population. Indeed, a healthy mother makes a healthy family, which in turn constitutes a healthy and productive society.
But the other message that complements Three Cups of Tea has received scant attention and resources from the international community. Improving the quality of education and investing in the higher education sector, which must prepare a new generation of Afghans to begin gradually owning and leading the process of rebuilding and developing their own country, continues to be neglected.
For the purposes of publicity, fund-raising and politics, donors and their related NGOs, as well as private individuals, have collectively focused on school-building projects without necessarily ensuring that those schools have qualified teachers, a modern curriculum, or labs and libraries equipped with information technology systems to develop a productive labour force that can help integrate Afghanistan with the global economy.
Without looking further afield, the crumbling status of Afghanistan's major university, which once educated students from developing countries, is tragically telling. In November 2009, I paid a visit to Kabul University's library, which used to be one of the largest academic resources in the region. But I found the front section of the library partitioned into divisions, each temporarily staffed and run by a donor country with its national flag sitting on the corner of the receptionist desk.
Going through the larger, orphaned, half of the library with its broken shelves, outdated science books from the 1940s or earlier, and no central heating or AC system, I wondered where the hundreds of millions of dollars, which donors have committed and even disbursed to the education sector, had been spent.
Sadly, as any Kabul University student would tell you, much of the aid resources have been wasted on empty schools in the middle of nowhere. But those school schemes have provided parallel non-state structures, such as Provincial Reconstruction Teams and an army of NGOs, with photo and video opportunities to showcase their efforts in Afghanistan and to raise more resources to spend on similar quick-fix and half-done projects that are completely extraneous to Afghanistan's list of development priorities.
Setting details of Afghanistan's higher education strategy aside, it is time that one or a number of serious donors commit to assessing the various needs of Kabul University for effective assistance over the next three years. The international community has set 2014 as the deadline for the transition of security, governance and development responsibilities to the Afghan government. Such inclusive transition of responsibilities to Afghanistan can hardly take place without helping the country's key institutions of higher learning become functional to meet the basic standards of modern higher education.
We have a saying in Afghanistan: "Without morning tea, the war cannot begin." So the right place for donors and education advocates to begin work at Kabul University is its cafeteria where students can actually take a break and have a cup of tea. With such a beginning, we can be sure that the war in Afghanistan can start ending, if Afghans are increasingly able to stand on their own. But this initial effort must usher in university-wide curriculum development, modernisation of the partitioned library into one functional institution to support student research, and building decent extracurricular facilities to make the students' educational experience at Kabul University whole.
M Ashraf Haidari is an international security and development analyst who works with Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The five pillars of Islam
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
The Book of Collateral Damage
Sinan Antoon
(Yale University Press)
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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The studios taking part (so far)
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Here, Dr Mohamed El Abiary, paediatric consultant at Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, shares some advice for parents whose children are fasting during the holy month of Ramadan:
Gradual fasting and golden points - For children under the age of 10, follow a step-by-step approach to fasting and don't push them beyond their limits. Start with a few hours fasting a day and increase it to a half fast and full fast when the child is ready. Every individual's ability varies as per the age and personal readiness. You could introduce a points system that awards the child and offers them encouragement when they make progress with the amount of hours they fast
Why fast? - Explain to your child why they are fasting. By shedding light on the importance of abstaining from food and drink, children may feel more encouraged to give it there all during the observance period. It is also a good opportunity to teach children about controlling urges, doing good for others and instilling healthy food habits
Sleep and suhoor - A child needs adequate sleep every night - at least eight hours. Make sure to set a routine early bedtime so he/she has sufficient time to wake up for suhoor, which is an essential meal at the beginning of the day
Good diet - Nutritious food is crucial to ensuring a healthy Ramadan for children. They must refrain from eating too much junk food as well as canned goods and snacks and drinks high in sugar. Foods that are rich in nutrients, vitamins and proteins, like fruits, fresh meats and vegetables, make for a good balanced diet
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
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• Scientists estimate there could be as many as 3 million fungal species globally
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The years Ramadan fell in May
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
