08/14/2026
The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan sees its 25th anniversary on 7 October 2026. The stakes remain urgent. For Afghan women and girls, the consequences are not distant or abstract, but present in the ongoing fight for education, safety, public voice, and basic human rights under Taliban rule.
In partnership with the Rule of Law Institute at Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Art Works Projects presents an exhibit, film excerpt, and discussion event titled The Sharp Edge of Peace: Global Struggle and Local Action for Women’s Rights in Afghanistan.
This event features the Art Works Projects exhibit Women Between Peace and War: Afghanistan.
Centering the lived experiences and leadership of Afghan women, the afternoon begins with an excerpt from The Sharp Edge of Peace, a film by Roya Sadat documenting four women peace negotiators during the fragile and dangerous transition that preceded the Taliban’s 2021 return to power. A series of discussions will follow, featuring Afghan women’s rights leaders and advocates working alongside Afghan refugees. Topics and speakers to include:
Women, Peace, and Security in Contemporary Afghanistan
Moderator: Juliet Sorensen, Director, Rule of Law Institute, School of Law, Loyola University
Panelists: L.Belquis Ahmadi, Human Rights Lawyer; Naheed Sarabi, Development Specialist
Advocating for Asylum Seekers
Moderator: Steve Bynum, Interim Executive Director, Art Works Projects
Panelists: Jeff Cebula (NIJC), National Immigrant Justice Center; J. Sam Cole (former immigration judge, Chicago); L. Sherizaan Minwalla, Immigration & Human Rights Lawyer
Sanctuary & Sustenance in Chicago
Moderator: Dr. Jessica Darrow, Associate Instructional Professor, School of Social Work, University of Chicago
Panelists (in formation): Zulikha Akrami, Advocate for Women’s Rights & Refugee Communities
Additional support generously provided by the Roberta Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University.
