The Future of Kabul: Meeting with Students of the American University

On Wednesday, 2 March I had the opportunity to meet the young students of the American University as part of an event called “Kabul City’s Future.”

It was the first time these students had a face to face encounter with the mayor of their city. They were enthusiastic and asked many questions. I was very excited to see how energetic and lively they were.

This was one of the most exciting visits I've had during my 13 months as the Mayor of Kabul.

I believe the youth has a big role in contributing to solving the city’s problems - particularly because they can bring new ideas and initiatives to old challenges. Using their capacity and energy will be great resources to improve the quality of life in Kabul.

There is no doubt that Kabul has many problems. The rapid population growth from 1.5 million in 2001 to 5 million currently is creating many challenges for housing, traffic and sanitation. While there is a poor public participation culture I expect the youth will be the agents of change to help us tackle these challenges.

I've been successful in drawing the attention of the donor community to Kabul's problems, but I also hope to gain the attention and support of the young generation to change the face of Kabul and achieve our common goal to meet the international standards of a clean and beautiful city.