In 2001, many at the University thought Karim Thomas '04 was just a kid with some big ideas.
But today, when Afghanistan Interim Government President Hamid Karzai arrives on campus, Thomas's big ideas will become big accomplishments.
Karzai will sign the charter for a new school in Afghanistan — an initiative sponsored by Thomas and Students Providing Aid, Relief and Kind Services International, a service organization with strong Princeton roots.
Afghanistan future
Karzai will also address the University at 11:30 a.m. in Richardson Auditorium, discussing the issue of terrorism in Afghanistan and presenting his future vision for the country. "President Karzai's visit is an example of the type of ideas we think are delightful visions but not really feasible," said Janet Dickerson, Vice President for Campus Life. "The students in SPARKS have shown that there is no limit to what can be possible."
Karzai, who has led Afghanistan's interim government since December 2001, is a powerful Pashtun tribal leader from the city, Kandahar. He has worked vigorously the last two years to secure support and funding from the international community for reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. A former supporter of the Taliban, Karzai became suspicious of the movement in 1994 and is said to have played a key role in ousting the Taliban from its stronghold in Kandahar last December.
School in Kabul
Thomas and his sister Rishma Thomas '05, co-founders of SPARKS at Princeton, worked in Karzai's office this past summer, laying the groundwork for a school in Kabul that will provide Afghan youths with a modern education and foster an appreciation of the Afghan culture and traditions, said Ashirul Amin '04, one of the co-chairs of SPARKS at Princeton.
The group, which has recently expanded into the corporation SPARKS International, will continue to develop and administer the school.
The organization has already signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Afghan government, and the government has donated land north of Kabul for the school, Amin said.
The school will open this November with 40 kindergarteners and will eventually expand to 1,500 students through 12th grade. Sixty percent of the students will be girls because their education was severely neglected under the Taliban, said Ana Barfield '04, one of the co-chairs of SPARKS at Princeton.
Advisers
SPARKS is working with a number of supporters and advisers, including former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan and visiting University professor Robert Finn GS '78, Professor Wolfgang Danspeckgruber and the United World Colleges — a group of pre-university schools that brings together students from around the world to live and study in a diverse community.
"The idea is not only that the school will be a school of excellence in education but also a model of pluralism," Amin said. "The United World Colleges has a lot of experience with this stuff and will be great to work with."
SPARKS hopes to expand in the future, building similar schools all over the world.
"It's a real advantage to have this young generation building schools," Danspeckgruber said.
"One reason why there is so much widespread support for this school in Afghanistan is because the Afghans are mesmerized by this student initiative that has no empire intention behind it."
Karzai's visit will mark the culmination of a year of hard work by SPARKS members.
Security for Karzai's visit is being arranged by the U.S. Secret Service and coordinated with Public Safety, Princeton Borough and Princeton Township, said Patricia Allen, University spokeswoman.
He will also be escorted by his own security detail.
Backpacks, umbrellas and cameras will not be permitted in the auditorium, and purses will be searched. All students must present a ticket and valid University ID and will be scanned by the Secret Service, Allen said.
Sold out
No remaining tickets are available for the address.
The talk is sponsored by the Wilson School, the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination, which Danspeckgruber directs, and SPARKS at Princeton.
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