On Wednesday, April 26th, members of the U of T Scarborough community came together to 'Journey into the Heart of Afghanistan'. This event allowed for people to get a personal, first hand account of memories and experiences of the Afghan people that work and study among us at UTSC.
The evening started at the Doris McCarthy Gallery for an intriguing guided tour of the current exhibit 'Return, Afghanistan' with photos by Zalmai. This unique look at the exhibit was led by Inyat Habib, UTSC Parking Services, as he shared his reflections, reactions and personal experience from Afghanistan to the photographs of the exhibit.
Following, a reception and discussion in the Ralph Campbell Lounge featured Professor Aysan Sev'er as she shared a short history about Afghanistan and equity issues that are faced by its people. A highlight of the event was the presentation of two incredible students, Weeda Mehran and Hosai Nawroz. Weeda described her emotional responses and experiences of visiting Afghanistan to study suicide attempts by women that burned themselves. Hosai took us through the events that involved her families loss of her father and her mother's ultimate decision disguise her daughter as a son in order to escape Afghanistan and the Taliban.
The event was concluded with the screening of the movie 'Kandahar' that brought to life the hardships and the hopes of the Afghan people.
This thought provoking event helped those present to become educated, become engaged and spark the conversations that help us understand the people that we work and study with.
This event was hosted by the Special Advisory on Equity, the Doris McCarthy Gallery and the Office of the Vice-President and Principal.