On Wednesday 4 December 2013 19-21 US-based journalist and documentary filmmaker Brent E. Huffman (photo) participates in a seminar on Chinese mining companies involvement in the Mes Aynak project in Afghanistan, that threatens to destroy ancient Buddhist cultural artifacts located on top of the copper deposits, the largest untapped copper reserve in the world. Huffman’s film ”The Buddhas of Mes Aynak” will be shown at the seminar that is jointly organised by SASNET, UPF (Association of Foreign Affairs at Lund University) and the Swedish Committeee for Afghanistan in Lund. 

Brent E Huffman is working as Assistant Professor at the Medill School of Journalism, Media and Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University in Illinois state, USA. After following China’s international development in Africa for the last few years, he became interested in China’s Mes Aynak project in 2011, and began documenting in volatile Taliban country the beginnings of the largest private investment in Afghanistan’s history. Huffman later discovered that as a result of the Chinese copper mine, the entire region would be completed destroyed by open-pit mining. This cost-effective method would force local Afghans to relocate out of the area, as well as demolish their homes and the ancient Buddhist artifacts. The fate of Mes Aynak hangs in the balance as the Chinese company begins creating their destructive open-pit copper mine.

Venue: Café Athen, Akademiska Föreningen (AF), Sandgatan 2, Lund.

Earlier the same day – 4th December 2013 – the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Lund University (CME) organises an academic seminar with Dr. Huffman. The seminar will be held 13.15–15.00, in the seminar room at CME, Finngatan 16, Lund. More information will follow.