Many individuals with grand aspirations turn to writing, expressing their thoughts and emotions on paper. The pen becomes the echo of the voiceless, sometimes holding the power to change the world. It recounts the painful wounds of time and opens a window of hope for a generation trapped in the shadows of despair.
Writing is a complex journey, beginning with the ink of thought and advancing towards bright horizons with the writer’s passion and dedication. In Afghanistan, there are young people who have embarked on this path, those who strive not only for today but to leave a valuable legacy of truth and hope for future generations. This legacy will stand as a testament to the wounds and dreams of this land.
Farshad Omari is one of these young individuals. With a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in public administration and sociology, Omari, 30, views his writing as a means to assist his peers and bring about societal change. He mentions that his first book, “New Journalism Methods“, was published three years ago, covering essential topics related to media, media management, and digital media.
“In this work, I began with the basics, such as planning, ideation, production, and media management. The third section focuses on digital media,” he explained about his book.
Despite lacking financial support, Omari has persevered and released his second book, “Creativity in Journalism”, 18 months ago, addressing topics within the field of journalism.
In addition to journalism, Omari has written in the field of sociology, tackling social challenges and human issues. His third work, “The Sociable Human”, explores the challenges of society, individual behaviors, and the importance of communication within the community. “Recently, I wrote another book in sociology, focusing more on societal challenges and the role of communication.”
Omari, in addition to writing, is the founder of the “Hadith Elm” Academy. Through this academy, he has provided opportunities for young people to receive education in various fields, especially journalism. The academy offers both in-person and online seminars, creating a space for learning and growth.
He believes that mutual acceptance and avoiding unhealthy competition could pave the way for young people to succeed and bring them closer to their goals.
Despite his commitment to progress and success, Omari points out that Afghan society has little interest in reading books. He identifies the lack of support for young writers as one of the main reasons that has diminished the motivation for reading and writing among the youths. “There should be a program or initiative to encourage young people who own books to share them. Such programs, especially from the government in terms of education systems and writers, have been lacking.”
Khobaib Ghofran, spokesperson for the Ministry of Information and Culture of the de-facto government of the Islamic Emirate, states that the ministry has implemented various programs to empower writers both in Kabul and the provinces. He adds, “We have launched different initiatives to support publishers, including creating an association and an office for publishers and writers, establishing an office for writing and translation, and collaborating on book publishing. In the future, we plan to launch further programs to encourage writers.”
Although young writers are eager to use their knowledge and art to change society, recent political upheavals in Afghanistan have led to reports of several writers and intellectuals leaving the country.
