Tourism As A Beacon of Hope?
Posted by D'Arcy McKittrick on Mon, May 04, 2009 @ 12:28 PM
Here is an eloquent and inspiring guest post from David L. Andersen, ecotourism planner and architect, poet, colleague and friend.
It is easy to find reasons to be distressed… the threat of H1N1 flu…the economic downturn…growing unemployment…the continuing conflicts in the Middle East…revelations of scandals…global warming…on it goes.
But think of that small tree seedling that takes root between two rocks, and begins its slow hopeful journey toward the sun…one such sign of hope occurred last week in Afghanistan. It received almost no attention in the midst of the never-ending abundance of more sensational negative news…
On April 22nd, as the war and turmoil in that country ground on, a remarkable thing happened. The Afghan government in Kabul announced that that it will create it’s first National Park!
It plans to dedicate 220 square miles in central Bamiyan province’s Band-e-Amir lake region to be set aside and preserved for future generations. It is an area of breath-taking blue water lakes and waterfalls flanked by a stunning, naturally sculpted landscape. Officials hope that it will serve as a springboard for future tourism development in the years to come.
Cynics may find this idea crazy considering the war-ravaged country has a long history of conflict. I believe it is a hopeful sign that, even with the sound of gunfire echoing through the mountains of Afghanistan, some can envision a peaceful future. While some say that humans are naturally inclined to be fighting each other, I submit humans are naturally inclined toward peace. We long for it. We plan for it. One does not create parks, build schools and roads, if there is no hope for the future. The incredible brave vision represented by Band-e-Amir National Park is compelling evidence of this.
David Andersen, May 1, 2009