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i n t e r n a t i o n a l

Afghan Carpet Success Story

The Fatima

bint

Mohammed

bin Zayed

Initiative

Interview with UAE Mission

to the United Nations and

International Organizations in

Geneva, H.E. Lubna Qassim,

Deputy Permanent Represent-

ative and Mazwand Jabarkhyl,

Managing director FBMI

Q1: Could you tell us how it all started? difference, especially for women.
UAE Mission to UN: Sheikha Fatima bint Mohammed is an Afghan society is a very patriarchal society, but the home is
Emirati initiative that aims to empower women and raise the dominated by women, a fact that surprises many. I realized
standards of living of the people in Afghanistan through weaving. that if we supported women and gave them an opportunity
The UAE mission to UN in Geneva proudly hosted the Peace as well, the country could succeed. We have to act as humans
Project in the esteemed premises of United Nations. The in our own capacity, and this is what Her Royal Highness
exhibition was well attended by diplomats and dignitaries on Sheikha Fatima bint Mohamed strongly believes as well.
the side line of the Global Refugee Forum. As a result of the success of this initiative, today the women who
The Peace Carpet Project aims to create hope for the people were part of this project, earn more than their husbands do. It is
of Afghanistan and counter the war rugs. The beauty of the a huge success aside from the fact that the company is a social
FBMI’s Peace Carpet Project is that it invites carpet weavers to enterprise, and we produce hand-woven carpets, free healthcare
create carpets without a predetermined design, encouraging and schooling, market wages, and an equal-opportunity
the maker to weave their own vision of peace. employer. We were very happy when one of employees who had
The Peace carpets commonly contain designs incorporating the been working with us for eight years was elected to the Senate. It
scales of justice, herds of livestock signifying noting working is a source of inspiration that also keeps us going.
freely on lands and buildings that represent schools.
FBMI: One of the main reasons behind this initiative was the Q2: You call this a peace project. Why?
lack of grass roots development in Afghanistan since 2001. UAE Mission to UN: On 15 December 2018, H.H. Sheikh
From our own experience, we knew that the benefits of all the Khalifa Bin Zayed, President of UAE, declared 2019 as the year
aid money and the money spent by the coalition groups were of Tolerance. One of the primary objectives of this phenomenal
not reaching those at the lowest level of Afghanistan society. value was to be a bridge of communication between people of
Therefore, we tried to make a fundamental change, make a different cultures in a respectful environment that rejects adhesion

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