Flying Kites: A symbol of freedom and joy in Afghanistan

As the UN convenes in The Hague to discuss the country's future, the people of Afghanistan need to be put at the top of the agenda says Achmed Sadat, Oxfam Volunteer and Dutch Afghan.

This week is an important week for the people of Afghanistan. UN decision makers are meeting in the Netherlands to discuss providing more money for humanitarian relief and the protection of civilians. Oxfam campaigners and Afghans were there in front of national press and journalists, flying a colourful array of kites on the beach outside the Kurhaus hotel, in The Hague - where many of the delegates were staying.

I am 22-year-old Dutch Afghan and I volunteer for Oxfam. I left Afghanistan 13 years ago with my parents. I love kite flying. This is a great sport for Afghans, everybody enjoys it: old, young, the rich and the poor. Our kites are fighter kites, and we compete with them and for many Afghans they are also a symbol of freedom and joy.

My friend Habib and I grew up in the Netherlands, we have not been back to Afghanistan yet, but are planning to go there this year as part of our project Back2ourRootz. We are looking for two young men of our age and would like to make a film about our lives. We would like to show how growing up in different countries, in peace and in conflict, had affected us: how we are different and how we are the same. The situation is really complicated in Afghanistan but we are very proud to be Dutch Afghans and do not want to forget where we are coming from.

Today we arrived at the beach and the sky was beautifully covered with kites of all sizes, colors and shapes. The sun was shining and the people were smiling. We are so happy to see that the kite is becoming a new symbol of Afghanistan: a positive symbol. It is a much better symbol than the images of war and the oppression of women.

Our message to the diplomats meeting this week is simple: put the people of Afghanistan on top of your agenda. This meeting can't only be about military strategy and counter-terrorism tactics. The real needs of Afghans must be central to any discussions on the future of the country. We believe governments attending should put Afghan civilians first by; protecting civilians, making aid effective, improving humanitarian responses, and building peace and a peace process.

We are so happy to see that the world remembers Afghans and shows solidarity with their problems.

Achmed Sadat, Afghan blogger