Education: The necessary tool to defy the Taliban

Education—the experience that allows one to shape one’s mind, beliefs, and ideas. It is essentially the process by which a society transmits its thoughts, knowledge, skills, and values to a new generation. Without education, one would not be able to solve analytical problems, develop critical thinking skills, create innovative ideas, or discover a cure for terminal diseases. Not only does education help us learn and apply theories, and figure out math problems, but it also allows us to learn our societal values and develop social skills.

Education is the opposite of ignorance, as it allows us the opportunity to acquire knowledge on topics otherwise uninformed of. It’s been through educational programs that children have been taught to avoid drugs, steer clear of peer pressure, and to just say “no.” In America, there is a common belief that by educating our children, they will be less likely to commit crimes, get involved with the wrong group of kids, and veer off of the path to success in life. Statistics show that about 75 percent of America’s state prison inmates did not complete high school. It is also believed that time spent in the classroom plays a role in instilling values that are opposed to criminal actions. Hence, by educating the children in our country, we are giving them opportunities for success, thus driving them away from a life of crime, violence, and terrorism.

These Taliban militants inflict crime on villages, as well as spread the belief that terrorism is necessary. (Photo courtesy: Galuna.com News)

In Afghanistan, the complete opposite belief is held by those who oppose progress. The Taliban know that by educating the Afghan people, more will be willing to stand up and fight against them. Since they recognize this, they try to recruit those who can’t afford to go to school into their army, and destroy the schools of those who do go. Upon writing this article, I was curious as to why someone would decide to join the Taliban, when so many live out of fear of it. My research informed me that those who join the Taliban make $10 a day, whereas 40% of the population is unemployed. Many, unfortunately, commit their lives to destroy somebody else’s, in an effort to maintain their own well-being and safety. The Taliban is the central unit of crime in Afghanistan, not only within their borders, but also across the borders of many other countries. Like American children, Afghan children NEED education in order to avoid crime; in their case it isn’t peer pressure from their friends they have to say no to, but pressure from their entire culture. If these children can be educated, they can “just say no” to the Taliban, and join the fight against terrorism.

It only takes $12.95 to ship a box of school supplies overseas—to save a child, a school, a village.

As civilians, we do not have the means to go fight the Taliban on our own, but we do have the capabilities to fight, one box of school supplies at a time. By helping through the means of education, you will not only be saving the life of a child, but you could be saving the life of your own child. If the Taliban continues, who knows where, when or, what attack might happen next. What price would you put on your kid’s, grandkid’s, or great grandkid’s life?

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