An online programme launched by designer and activist Touraj Saberivand has taught design skills to over 1,000 young Afghan women. In this interview, he describes the challenges facing the course and its students. More about "It gave them hope that they could continue their lives" says founder of design academy for Afghan girls
Social enterprise ISHKAR provides a retail platform for designers and makers in countries like Afghanistan, Yemen and Pakistan. In this interview, co-founder Flore de Taisne says she hopes to change perceptions of places labelled as war zones. More about ISHKAR uses craft objects to show a different side to countries in conflict
This hospital nestled in a valley in Afghanistan's central highlands features a sequence of courtyards intended to "foster healing and well-being" that become increasingly more private within the complex. More about Arcop arranges Afghan hospital around public and private courtyards
Graduate design students at Iowa State University have created conceptual schemes for shelters that would house US soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and help give them a sense of safety (+ slideshow). More about Iowa graduate students design military shelters for combat zones to help soldiers feel safer
News: a proposal to carve a cultural centre out of the landscape has won the UNESCO design contest for a Bamiyan Valley site where two seventh-century statues of Buddha were destroyed by Taliban militants. More about UNESCO unveils winning cultural centre design for heritage site in war-torn Afghanistan
News: international heritage body UNESCO has launched a competition to design a cultural centre on the boundary of the Bamiyan Valley site, which housed two giant seventh-century statues of Buddha that were destroyed by Taliban militants in 2001. More about UNESCO launches competition to design cultural centre in war-torn Afghanistan