The School of Leadership in Afghanistan (SOLA) has launched a singing competition for the upcoming elections. The winner of the competition gets 1,000 USD for composing the song that best promotes national solidarity.
TOLOnews spoke to Afghan singer Waheed Qasemi about the contest. He said that singing is an important part of Afghanistan's identity and songs are often made for important national events.
"These patriotic songs that focus on national issues effect society and take the fear of 2014 away from people," Qasemi said.
But not just musicians believe in the power of song to impact social behavior and major events.
"Making a national song that could represent all groups and encourage people to participate in the elections is effective in my opinion," university professor Muhamamd Naser Habibi said.
Just how effective initiatives like SOLA's can be remains to be seen. But the idea itself has been received well so far.
"The elections have an important role in the current situation and making a song for them will encourage people to go to the ballot box," a Kabul resident named Ahmad Jawid said.
SOLA has said one of the conditions for being eligible for the cash prize is voting in April.