The U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan sees its 25th anniversary on 7 October 2026. August 15, 2021, marked five years since the Taliban’s return to power after the U.S. withdrawal.

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.

The Hague Humanity Hub and Art Works Projects present an exhibit, film excerpt, and discussion event titled The Sharp Edge of Peace: A “Just Peace Movie Night” for Afghanistan’s Women and Girls.

This event features the Art Works Projects exhibit Women Between Peace and War: Afghanistan.

Centering the lived experiences and leadership of Afghan women, the evening 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. Following the screening, audiences will be invited to engage in a multidisciplinary conversation that connects the realities portrayed in “The Sharp Edge of Peace” with the current international response to Afghanistan.

This discussion seeks to amplify the voices of Afghan women, bring renewed visibility to and action on the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, explore what responsibility the international community continues to bear in supporting Afghan women and advancing justice and accountability, and explore how different sectors can help sustain international attention, accountability, and meaningful support.

This is a special edition of Just Peace Movie Nights, “The Hague Humanity Hub’s public engagement initiative that uses film as a catalyst for dialogue on pressing peace and justice issues. The series creates space for practitioners, academics, policymakers, civil society, and the wider public to deepen understanding, exchange, and explore collective action.”

Art Works Projects believes visual storytelling can do more than bear witness. It can confront abuse, challenge injustice, and move audiences beyond awareness to action. This gathering asks us not simply to remember Afghanistan, but to listen, to reckon, and to act.

This event is part of “Art Works Year 20”—a year-long series of programs, events, and celebrations marking our two decades of visual advocacy for human rights and social justice!