 Being this afternoon here To celebrate together with Afghanistan nationalist of music the return of music to Afghanistan and it's a wonderful opportunity for our young musicians to share the stage today with the wonderful musician from Switzerland and That also clearly shows how much music can Easily bring people civilization and cultures together. Thank you very much for being such a wonderful friends and partners Since today we're here to celebrate music and to Engaged in a conversation through the universal language of music I'm not taking much of your time speaking, but at the very beginning. I just wanted to say a few words About the Afghanistan nationalist of music our commitment and of course this beautiful all women orchestra of Afghanistan Afghanistan nationalist of music Opened in 2010 With a number of objective to assist Afghanistan with rebuilding and reviving musical traditions Bringing and ensuring the musical rights of Afghan children Promoting freedom of expression through music Assisting and transforming the most disadvantaged class of afghan society kids from orphanages Children who used to work on the streets of Afghanistan and most importantly empowering girls and women of Afghanistan through music and education But of course we are very well aware of the power of music and the role that music can play in the reunification of Afghanistan and Creating an opportunity and dialogue between different ethnic group of Afghan Communities and as if you see in this orchestra, we've got a wonderful mosaic of ethnic Compositions of Afghanistan We've got girls here on the stage from far provinces as new list on Kunar Jalalabad Faryab, but as well as bulk and this orchestra enables them to learn and to respect each other to Get engaged in dialogue regardless of their ethnicity or background But live in peace and harmony as a nation Afghanistan National Institute of Music is very much committed to empowering girls the Formation of the old women orchestra is the latest initiative of our school But the girls are equally represented in every Ensemble and orchestras of Afghanistan regardless. It's a big size or a large size Many of the girls are playing in the youths orchestra of Afghanistan Which successfully tour the United States and many other countries and play the sold-out concert in Carnegie Hall and today? this is the first public performances of this Courageous and brave girls here in this wonderful venue and I would like to also thank you the host today for giving us this opportunity for to play with you and I'm cutting off the orchestra that you see here. It's only girls They are playing Afghan traditional instrument as well as Western classical Instruments the repertoire of the orchestras is made also of Western music as well as Afghan music even when we play a Western classical piece. It's always a New arrangement incorporating Afghan traditional instruments in their arrangements whether they play Vivaldi or Bach or Beethoven It's always a new arrangement But for today's concert we selected from the repertoire only Afghan music to introduce you and to Share with you the beauty of Afghan music. I'm not taking much of your time I end the microphone over to the wonderful Mashal Harman an Afghan born Swiss citizens who've been living and working here for many many years and it's a pleasure to have you here with us And who is assisting us with the program. She will be the master of ceremony for this afternoon concert By the end of the concert the floor will be open also to question you most welcome to ask any question You have about the school about Afghanistan about the music of Afghanistan And of course about the beautiful orchestra that you is here to share the beauty of music video Thank you very much for your attention and please join Mashal Arman Good afternoon. Thank you. Dr. Sarmas. I would like to say a few words about today's event As you most certainly know the Afghan musical milieu has suffered significantly during the past decades from war Exile and terrible oppression at the hands of the Taliban as well as from full suppression of music and arts in general These years of turmoil and war have taken their toll annihilated women's rights Education and the social fabric between men and women Very concerned by the dire state of music musicians and music education in his native country Dr. Ahmad Sarmas who obtained his doctorate in ethnomusicology from the University of Monash, Australia in 2005 Founded the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in 2010 This innovative and ground-breaking project Fully supported by the Ministry of Education of Afghanistan Ames are surviving in promoting music education in this devastated country Today more than 65 young courageous women attend the Institute in Kabul Which welcomes more than 200 students regardless of their gender ethnic economic or social background These students put their lives at risk at risk every day given that the school itself is a target for extremists They overcome multiple obstacles and defy social barriers to try to make their dreams come true Over 30 of these young women from this Institute are here with us today They are the first generation of young women to have studied classical Western music and Traditional Afghan music in their native country after more than 30 years of war These musicians are between 14 and 20 years old and are performing today With the young musicians of the Orquestes du Collège de Genève We thank the Departement of Education of Geneva and Philippe Genvais its cultural advisor for this unique and rich cultural exchange This admirable endeavor brings hope to the future of women brings hope to society and ensures the protection preservation and continuity of Afghan culture and heritage So this is their first international tour and this is their very first performance together with the Orquestes du Collège de Genève Please join me in giving them the warmest welcome ladies and gentlemen The Afghan women's orchestra in the Orquestes du Collège de Genève Should I go through from the very beginning? The first piece was called Arhawan. It's composed by Ustad Muhammad Umar a contemporary Afghan composer and a ball player and the second piece that you the two star player played in solo so wonder wonderfully with Najiba John it's a classical piece of Afghanistan, which is very much based on the same tradition that is prevalent in India the tradition of North Indian classical music and now it's a Wonderful opportunity and it's a pleasure for me as the founder and director of the Afghanistan National Institute of music to invite Zarifa Hadid who is one of the two female conductors responsible to lead the orchestra in this wonderful opportunity here in Switzerland and Which will be followed up on a small tour of Germany Zarifa is the second female conductor of Afghanistan a very brave young lady from the province of Ghazni She plays viola and also develops the conducting skills under the guidelines of the director of orchestral studies of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music Mr. Bishop Zarifa the orchestra is in your disposal the full song that Zarifa has conducted the first one was called Sakina Sakina is a female name. It's a love song performed by the orchestra the second song that she conducted is a Pashto song called Palloy Agrobandi on the top heels That's a romantic song also Mindless song in the east and southern part of Afghanistan Now it's a great pleasure for me to invite to the stage The first female conductor of Afghanistan bravely and courageously Decided to step in To lead the afghan youths orchestra as well as the all women orchestra of afghanistan Negina fulwak a Wonderful musician a beautiful young lady She's the one to open the way and the parts for all other female conductors to follow in her steps Negin stages here and the orchestra is yours being here with us this evening Before answering your question, I would like also to welcome to the stage mr. Kevin Bishop the director of the orchestral studies of the Afghanistan National Institute of Music who played a Significant role in preparing the two girls also conductor and the orchestra mr. Bishop given this opportunity. I also would like to Express our deepest gratitude to the world economic forum For enabling this girls to bring to come here and to share the beauty of afghan music with you Without the total support of the world economic forum that performance could not take place Thank you very much Niko for putting so much energy with your team in that this wonderful project Thank you I also would like to express my deepest gratitude to all and in faculty who are here as a faculty as a chaperone here in preparing and teaching our students and Sharing their skills with this wonderful young musicians. Thank you all and in faculty Beautiful and wonderful musician from the College of music from Geneva for joining us and sharing their skill with our musicians Thank you very much a few more minutes To pass to the floor and you've any question We are all here to answer your question, but we've got only five to seven minutes left in our disposters No questions Hi, I'm Sharia. I'm from Malaysia. So Congratulations on doing this and thank you for your courage To take the music of Afghanistan around the world I'm just wondering what are your plans in terms of you know building more musicians In Afghanistan who are women and how else you might leverage this global platform that you've been given to You know talk about the rights of women and girls the number of musicians that you are Seeing in that stage is just limited number of our students with that we are teaching music currently We've got 30 of them in this stage But we have got over 200 students boys and girls involved in co-education and Creating music together in Afghanistan We also have planned if the political situation will allow us and of course the funding Will allow us to open the branches of the Afghanistan National Institute of music in other provinces of Afghanistan, but Though Afghanistan National Institute of music is not present currently in other provinces But we have wonderful opportunity that allows us to have the best talents of the country from every corner of Afghanistan From far distances in our school In terms of using the same enough platform We are very much open to travel around the world and to The take the positive message from Afghanistan through music through performances through joint performances Also to get involved in intercultural dialogue with the international community. Hi, sorry So it's great to hear your plans for Building out the program. I wanted to ask what can we do as members of the international community to help you all help? You advance the program. Thank you very much for your generously and To offering your support We're the Afghanistan National Institute of music stands today It's thanks to the total support of the God Minister of Education of course the international community and the donor community played a significant role in developing the music school and Expanding the musical school and the expanded expanding our programs You may contribute in many ways to the Afghanistan National Institute of music beginning for Sending musicians to teach in Afghanistan Offering a scholarship for our graduates to study for higher degrees in music education Which is not available in Afghanistan But also financial supports to the expansion of the program and to keeping and sustaining the program is Very much welcome such an amazing opportunity for us to hear you here I'm just curious to know if you're also able to travel throughout Afghanistan and perform or Are you limited to the the region that you're in right now? This orchestra is a new orchestra and this is the their first big international tool They played several concerts in the capital Kabul But up until now in the last two years since the establishment of the orchestra We did not have an opportunity to travel around the country Those students traveled in the neighboring countries to play some of them in the makeup of different ensemble and orchestras But we've got a very strong visibility within the Kabul through the local TV stations and many public performances as well. Thank you very Very much once again for being with us this afternoon. Thank you very much for the very war Recept of this wonderful young and courageous musicians. Thank you to all our partners and to people who Facilitated to make this to happen. Thank you for being here this afternoon again