AFGHANISTAN: People hand out pink balloons representing happiness

Record ID: 290393

  • Title: AFGHANISTAN: People hand out pink balloons representing happiness
  • Date: 22nd May 2013
  • Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (MAY 25, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WORKERS PUMPING PINK BALLOONS BALLOONS FLOATING WORKERS TYING BALLOONS MAN PUMPING HELIUM INTO PINK BALLOON BUNCHES OF PINK BALLOONS (SOUNDBITE) (English) COORDINATOR OF THE BALLOONS PROJECT, ZARLASHT SARMAST, SAYING: "We want to show the world, and we want to show the people of Afghanistan that if we can give away the 10,000 pink balloons to Afghanistan we are going to give away 10,000 opportunities to bring happiness in somebody's morning in the Saturday which is the first day of week and everyone is going to their work." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE CARRYING PINK BALLOONS TO BE DISTRIBUTED CHILDREN HOLDING BALLOONS PEOPLE HANDING OUT BALLOONS (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) LOCAL KABUL RESIDENT, SAKHI AMIN, SAYING: "These balloons show the message of peace for the people of Afghanistan, I am holding this because I want peace for Afghanistan." PEOPLE HANDING OUT BALLOONS AFGHAN CHILDREN PLAYING WITH BALLOONS (SOUNDBITE) (Dari) LOCAL KABUL RESIDENT, AZIZ JAN, SAYING: "These balloons in reality mean nothing but it carries a big ambition for people which is peace. This shows that all Afghans wants peace. I personally am seeking for peace that is why I'm holding this balloon." PEOPLE GIVING OUT BALLOONS KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (MAY 23, 2013) (REUTERS) SIGN READING "WE BELIEVE IN BALLOONS" NEW YORK BASED ARTIST YAZMANY ARBOLEDA CARRYING WHILE SPEAKING TO WORKERS GIRL BLOWING BALLOON ARTIST YAZMANY ARBOLEDA WALKING PASS SIGN READING "WE BELIEVE IN BALLOONS" (SOUNDBITE) (English) ARTIST FROM NEW YORK AND FOUNDER OF BALLOON PROJECT, YAZMANY ARBOLEDA, SAYING: "Our hope on that morning that we giving a way 10,000 pink balloons, we have one person that smiles or we have one person who questions what this is about, we have succeeded. Because the idea is really to allow people to wonder what is this and what does it mean. And to drive home the opportunity for possibility so they can think in the context of this community and of the war and in the context of the history of Afghanistan that there is possibility. And if we use our imagination if we use creativity there is possibility for us to build a better future together." KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (MAY 25, 2013) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PINK BALLOONS ON THE STREETS OF KABUL
  • Embargoed: 6th June 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Afghanistan
  • Country: Afghanistan
  • Topics: Arts,Quirky,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA52JGBD0Y7MA5IG8HUI7T94S9O
  • Story Text: A New York-based artist along with the support of at least one hundred Afghan volunteers handed out 10,000 pink balloons on the streets of Kabul on Saturday (May 25) to help send a message of happiness and peace to Afghans.
    One of the Afghan coordinators of the project said the aim is to get Afghan people to think about how to encourage peace and happiness in their own country.
    "We want to show the world, and we want to show the people of Afghanistan that if we can give away the 10,000 pink balloons to Afghanistan we are going to give away 10,000 opportunities to bring happiness in somebody's morning in the Saturday which is the first day of week and everyone is going to their work," said Zarlasht Sarmast, an Afghan artist and coordinator of the program.
    The organizer of the program believes every balloon represents a message of peace and hope for change in a country where citizens have suffered from three decades of war and poverty.
    "These balloons show the message of peace for the people of Afghanistan, I am holding this because I want peace for Afghanistan," said Sakhi Amin, a resident of Kabul.
    "These balloons in reality mean nothing but it carries a big ambition for people which is peace. This shows that all Afghans wants peace. I personally am seeking for peace that is why I'm holding this balloon," added Aziz Jan, another resident of Kabul.
    Insurgent attacks against civilians, government workers and Afghan security forces have increased since the Taliban announced their so-called spring offensive late last month.
    On Friday insurgents launched attack in the heart of the capital Kabul which created fear and disappointment among the city's residents.
    Such attacks reinforce concern about how the 352,000 members of the Afghan security forces will cope with the insurgency after most foreign NATO-led combat troops leave by the end of next year.
    Earlier, the New York based artist behind the project said their message of hope only needs to reach one person for it to be deemed a success.
    "Our hope on that morning that we giving a way 10,000 pink balloons, we have one person that smiles or we have one person who questions what this is about, we have succeeded. Because the idea is really to allow people to wonder what is this and what does it mean. And to drive home the opportunity for possibility so they can think in the context of this community and of the war and in the context of the history of Afghanistan that there is possibility. And if we use our imagination if we use creativity there is possibility for us to build a better future together," said Yazmany Arboleda, the New York-based artist.
    Arboleda has already unleashed coloured balloons in India, Japan and Kenya with similar messages.
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