Reprinted: A Condolence Letter from S-CAR's Dean to the Family of Yama Quraishi

Dear Mr. Ambassador:

As Dean of the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University, I write to express my deep condolences on the death of our student and your fellow citizen, Mr. Ahmad Yama Nazir Quraishi. I join all the members of the School and the University to mourn his death. So many of our students come to us to study conflict resolution from parts of the world beset with destructive violence. So many return to contribute what they have learned. Such a person was Yama Quraishi.

I asked teachers and student colleagues of Nazir Yama's to reflect on his life, as they knew him. I am sending along some of these reflections. I hope you will pass them on to his family and friends.

From three of his teachers:

Yama was a student in my Negotiations class. A brilliant young man, serious, engaged, friendly, curious, Yama was a true believer in empathy and all-inclusive  dialogue in a way of solving even the most long and violent conflicts, as he saw in his count1y. In his generous sincere class reports, Yama introduced us to an Afghanistan different than the one torn by war that we usually see on the news, but of rich, diverse cultures,  with warm, intelligent and passionate people, eager and committed to find peace for their troubled society, as he was. In the Negotiations class exercises and discussions, Yama navigated with patience, respectful, gentle yet determined, leading to acceptable  by all parties' solutions, like those he believed in. It was a pleasure having Yama in class, and even more, he inspired us all, myself and the other students, to have faith and ahvays strive for a more creative, humane, powerful solution.

I had the pleasure of getting to know Yama Quraishi in my class in the Spring 2016 semester. He was already an established professional, enhancing his portfolio in his study of conflict analysis and resolution. In profound and unique ways, he understood"how the world works," and clearly communicated his knowledge and instincts in his papers and presentations. He was proud of his culture, the Afghan society and Pashtun people, and passionately and effectively explained his cultural identity to his colleagues and me. In relating his personal history, it became apparent how precious educational opportunities were to his family, intensified by a time of conflict-related prohibition of a right to an education- he gave me a renewed respect for this and other important cultural values seen through the lens of his personal history and upbringing in Kandahar. Ahmad lived a balanced life; first, he was a dedicated and successful student. Besides that, he was among my most personable students, and I had several opportunities to chat with him about his life outside of school. He had intense responsibilities at the Embassy of Afghanistan, often rushing straight from work to school, with a sincere concern for the needs and priorities of the expatriates that he served. In addition, his love and support of his family was obvious to me through our conversations. He aligned his time and energies to appropriately balance the three most important areas of his life, in my view. He was equally passionate about and dedicated to his culture, his family, and educational pursuits.

Yama was a gentle soul, with many accomplishments  and a heartfelt hope for his country. He was unfailingly generous and persevered across language and work challenges in class and felt what he was learning here was helping him make a difference  as a civil servant.This is a real loss for our community, his family, and his colleagues.

I also want to share the comments of a Mason undergraduate student, on learning of Yama's death and a bit about his extraordinary  life and service. She never knew him personally, but here is what she wrote me:

I would appreciate it if you would extend my condolences to the family on the loss of their relative, who was a brave and courageous individual, giving of himself for the betterment of the Afghan people and humanity. Yama Quraishi will serve as an inspiration to me in pursuing my degree and achieving my future and lifelong goals. I was saddened by his loss, but will remember that he accomplished much.

It was an honor and privilege to have Yama Quraishi among us for a time—such a short time, unfortunately. Nevertheless, he made a palpable impact here, and I  know he made an even greater one through his selfless service to the people of Afghanistan.

Sincerely,
Kevin Avruch, Dean

Additional Messages from Classmates Remembering Yama Quraishi

Sani Zanovic: Nazir was a true inspiration. His work was tremendous, and often times we spoke about his journey as a medical doctor in Afghanistan working as a diplomat in the U.S. He shared his experiences with his classmates, in a humble and encouraging manner, providing insight on the current situation in Afghanistan. Nazir was a hardworking, honest person, that showed me the true meaning of what it’s like to do the type of work S-CAR has shaped us to do. As CAR practitioners, we are faced with tough choices, and one of the hardest is risking your life, every day, to be the little bit of good that you want to see in the world. Nazir has truly shown me what that means, and his work has made a difference. I am honored to have called him a colleague.

Christopher Thaggard: Sitting in class with Nazir and hearing his stories inspired me to want to do more. To get out of my comfort zone and to explore the world to help bring about a positive change in this world. Nazir wasn’t just a talker, he was a doer, and that’s what I admired most about him.
 

### Photo by Afghanistan Embassy, US