2manyoranges
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This was so positive.... what now?
and
and
Through the lens of the skateboard, not the bike .... Kabul became this ... what will happen now? ....
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- that was so promising.
2manyoranges
Old School Grand Master
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Yes, those images of the US evacuation from Kabul were so reminiscent of the scenes in South Vietnam. State-building has not been a triumph of Western interventions, and Afghanistan has been marched over by so many feet for so long. The Taliban are making conciliatory noises, but things do seem so dark.
CassidyAce
Senior Retro Guru
Good video (first one). The second one is unavailable now. What was it?
2manyoranges
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Thanks CA - Blimey it was up until yesterday ... it focussed on girls skateboarding in Kabul in the indoor skate park featured in the first video - and introduced them to education as well as sport. It had identifiable individuals and I wonder if it’s been taken down to protect people, in the light of current events in Kabul.
Having done research on the impact of skateboarding and scootering on young peoples’ lives (at Adrenaline Alley in Corby) I think that the sports can have a powerful role in shifting views of women and different social groups. I know that they are not as important as securing fundamental rights and freedoms, but they do have an impact. Some academics criticise what Skateistan (Berlin-based) is doing around the world eg
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2020/3/10/skateboarding-wont-save-afghan-girls
I see where such criticism is focused - skateboarding by itself won’t stop stonings, improve access to justice, establish equal rights etc. But I think such criticisms assume that interventions such as Skateistan think that they are the Big Solution - and thus fail. But actually I think that the interventions are modest in their aims and are effective - they do help individual girls and boys and do change values and the social world in a beneficial way. You can regard them as a a failure only if you overestimate what they actually intend to do. I for one will continue to work on getting better access to skate parks and pump tracks and continue to watch young people’s lives change as they participate.
In England this Summer one of the afternoons which sticks in my mind was one where a group of angry, aggressive 8-12 year olds (clearly from very difficult families) changed to smiling, collaborative kids after we let them ride the pump track on our jump bikes. They saw us being generous and supportive. And suddenly from them came smiles and respect (for each other as well as us), not anger and competition.
Having done research on the impact of skateboarding and scootering on young peoples’ lives (at Adrenaline Alley in Corby) I think that the sports can have a powerful role in shifting views of women and different social groups. I know that they are not as important as securing fundamental rights and freedoms, but they do have an impact. Some academics criticise what Skateistan (Berlin-based) is doing around the world eg
https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2020/3/10/skateboarding-wont-save-afghan-girls
I see where such criticism is focused - skateboarding by itself won’t stop stonings, improve access to justice, establish equal rights etc. But I think such criticisms assume that interventions such as Skateistan think that they are the Big Solution - and thus fail. But actually I think that the interventions are modest in their aims and are effective - they do help individual girls and boys and do change values and the social world in a beneficial way. You can regard them as a a failure only if you overestimate what they actually intend to do. I for one will continue to work on getting better access to skate parks and pump tracks and continue to watch young people’s lives change as they participate.
In England this Summer one of the afternoons which sticks in my mind was one where a group of angry, aggressive 8-12 year olds (clearly from very difficult families) changed to smiling, collaborative kids after we let them ride the pump track on our jump bikes. They saw us being generous and supportive. And suddenly from them came smiles and respect (for each other as well as us), not anger and competition.
CassidyAce
Senior Retro Guru
Ten-a-penny academic analysis in the article, following a familiar template: what appears like a good thing to the public/media/politicians is really the product of wider, darker forces, prejudice, etc. Of course, there's a measure of truth to it: white skinned people displaying their power to help brown skinned people is consequent upon white skinned people having disempowered brown skinned people in the past; perhaps there is a bit of cultural colonialism; a few cultural stereotypes probably were involved . . . History tells us that these can all have very serious consequences, even genocide. But, for heaven's sake, this is not the decimation of the native American cultures in the name of European ones; this is kids enjoying skateboarding. A one-sided cynicism is really no better than one-sided positivity, and it's possibly worse.
On another note, the situation in Afghanistan does highlight, yet again, how simple freedoms we often take for granted, like skateboarding, going for a walk, or riding a bike, depend on our liberal democracy.
On another note, the situation in Afghanistan does highlight, yet again, how simple freedoms we often take for granted, like skateboarding, going for a walk, or riding a bike, depend on our liberal democracy.
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Superb post. Kudos for posting something fragile, emotional and complicated.
At 50, seeing Afghanistan in the headlines again for more horrid reasons the video is welcome.
One can only hope and observe at a distance the younger generation will be prepared to defend an optimistic balanced lifestyle; no country is immune to the wrestle between it's own culture traditions and outside culture influence. The wrestle never warrants violence and hurt. Frankly, a "potentially" sinister spin of a skateboarding group rather than a very sinister "other religious group" trying to alleviate local hardship is a breath of fresh air. At some point, a seed needs to be planted to grow into a tree.
At 50, seeing Afghanistan in the headlines again for more horrid reasons the video is welcome.
One can only hope and observe at a distance the younger generation will be prepared to defend an optimistic balanced lifestyle; no country is immune to the wrestle between it's own culture traditions and outside culture influence. The wrestle never warrants violence and hurt. Frankly, a "potentially" sinister spin of a skateboarding group rather than a very sinister "other religious group" trying to alleviate local hardship is a breath of fresh air. At some point, a seed needs to be planted to grow into a tree.
hookooekoo
Senior Retro Guru
I think what we're seeing in Afghanistan is that a nation has to be changed from within, rather from without. From that point of view, there are some encouraging signs, such as this:
https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-women-protest-b1904062.html
If twenty years without the Taliban is the catalyst that makes Afghans fight for what they really want, then maybe some good has come from Western involvement, even if the last few days have made for terrible viewing.
https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/afghanistan-kabul-taliban-women-protest-b1904062.html
If twenty years without the Taliban is the catalyst that makes Afghans fight for what they really want, then maybe some good has come from Western involvement, even if the last few days have made for terrible viewing.
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