Promoting Peace Through Poetry

World Poetry Canada and World Poetry International presented Alaha Ahrar ’12its World Poetry Youth Ambassador Medallion this summer. Because visa problems prevented the student from attending the award presentation in Canada, UMW held its own ceremony for Ahrar on Aug. 23.

Visa issues precluded Afghan citizen Alaha Ahrar ‘12 from accepting the World Poetry Youth Ambassador Medallion at an official ceremony in Canada, so UMW held its own event in her honor. Photo by Karen Pearlman

A citizen of Afghanistan, Ahrar studies at Mary Washington through generous support from William and  Theresa Young Crawley ‘77 in the Initiative to Educate Afghan Women.

Eklil Hakimi, Afghan ambassador to the United States, was invited to the presentation, but he was summoned to Kabul that week. His wife, Sultana Hakimi, represented the Embassy of Afghanistan at the ceremony.

Both Sultana Hakimi and UMW President Richard V. Hurley presented the medallion to Ahrar, who read one of her poems to the group assembled in George Washington Hall. Like many of her poems, this one was about world peace.

Ahrar read it twice – once in her native language and once in English.