By Vusala Abbasova
TORONTO — When Humayoon Khan began his journalism career in Afghanistan in 2008, he believed reporting could help people whose voices were often overlooked.
Growing up in a village affected by conflict, Khan witnessed how ordinary Afghan families were impacted by insecurity, military operations and political instability. Those experiences shaped his decision to become a journalist and document the struggles of communities often caught between competing forces.
“I could not find any supportive way to help people rather than journalism,” Khan said. “I stand for justice. I reported corruption countless times and searched cases of corruption, revealing those who were involved, which was highly risky.”
For more than a decade, Khan covered Afghanistan’s political developments, social challenges and the experiences of ordinary citizens. He reported on corruption, security issues and the daily lives of people affected by years of conflict.
For Khan, journalism was not only about reporting events. It was a way to connect communities, challenge misinformation and bring attention to people whose voices were often ignored.
But Afghanistan’s media landscape changed dramatically after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Many Afghan journalists left the country because of concerns about their safety and the future of independent media.
Khan eventually sought asylum in Canada. From Toronto, he continues reporting on Afghanistan while trying to keep the stories of Afghan people visible to the world.
“I’m still committed to journalism,” Khan said. “I love factual reporting to raise the voice of people.
A society divided by years of conflict
Afghanistan’s current challenges are rooted in decades of war, political instability and social division. Millions of Afghans have experienced displacement, insecurity and uncertainty about their future.
One of the most significant concerns since 2021 has been restrictions on women’s rights and girls’ education. The closure of secondary schools for many Afghan girls has created fears that an entire generation could lose important opportunities.
For many Afghan families, education represents more than a classroom. It represents hope, dignity and a path toward a more stable future.
Nasratullah Haqpal, a Kabul-based political analyst, said support for girls’ education exists across different parts of Afghan society.
“People of Afghanistan from various classes and all walks of society including academia, Islamic scholars, politicians, journalists, men and women are deeply concerned about the future of their girls,” Haqpal said.
“As a father, I have a daughter. I wanted my girl to be educated.”
Abdul Wahid Tabee, a U.S.-based Afghan affairs analyst, also emphasized the importance of education in rebuilding Afghan society.
“Girls have the right to education,” Tabee said. “The international community should stand with Afghans to reopen girls’ schools across the country.”
For many Afghans, the issue is not only about education. It reflects a broader challenge: how a society divided by conflict can rebuild trust and create space for dialogue.
Dialogue as a path toward Peace, the role of the United Nations
The United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) was established to promote dialogue among cultures, religions and communities and to address divisions caused by intolerance, discrimination and misunderstanding.
Through initiatives focused on youth engagement, intercultural exchange, media literacy and partnerships with civil society, UNAOC supports efforts to strengthen communication between communities.
In societies affected by conflict, dialogue is not only a political process. It begins with people listening to each other and understanding experiences different from their own.
Journalists play an important role in this process. By reporting accurately and giving communities a platform to share their stories, media can help reduce stereotypes and challenge narratives that divide people.
For Khan, journalism remains a tool for connection.
“When the international community left the country, everything changed,” he said. “But Afghan people are also part of the global community and active negotiations will work.”
The United Nations and its agencies have continued to highlight the importance of human rights, education and access to information in Afghanistan.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) works to support peace, human rights and engagement with Afghan communities. UNESCO has emphasized the importance of protecting journalists and press freedom, while UN Women continues to raise concerns about the participation and rights of Afghan women and girls.
For displaced Afghans around the world, rebuilding a life in a new country often requires more than safety. It requires opportunities to participate, contribute and maintain connections with their communities of origin.
Khan’s experience reflects the challenges faced by many journalists who continue their work from outside Afghanistan.
Keeping Afghan voices alive
Although he now lives in Toronto, Khan remains connected to Afghanistan through journalism.
“When Taliban took power, nearly all Afghan journalists left the country,” he said. “As a journalist in exile, you cannot do much because you might not have access to first-hand information from the ground.”
Despite those challenges, he continues to report and advocate for factual journalism.
His story reflects a wider reality: journalists around the world often work in difficult environments to document events, protect public information and ensure that communities affected by crisis are not forgotten.
Through reporting, Afghan journalists continue to tell stories about families, students, women and young people whose experiences are often reduced to headlines.
For Khan, keeping those stories alive is part of building understanding.
Afghanistan’s future remains uncertain, and rebuilding trust after decades of conflict will require efforts from communities, governments and international organizations.
But dialogue begins with human connections.
It begins when people have the freedom to speak, when journalists can report without fear, and when communities are willing to listen to each other.
Humayoon Khan’s journey from Afghanistan to Canada shows how storytelling can become a bridge between societies.
“Afghans are also part of the global community,” he said. “I will continue working for the improvement of the situation of ordinary Afghans.”
In a world increasingly affected by division and polarization, his work represents a simple idea: understanding begins when people hear each other’s stories.
