![Suraya Sadeed, MA 鈥�12 (conflict transformation), the founder and executive director of Help the Afghan Children, was a guest of First Lady Laura Bush at the White House in 2005, returning in 2006 as a participant at an event hosted by both Laura and George Bush.](/now/is/wp-content/uploads/sites/54/2014/01/Suraya-and-Laura-Bush-658x444.jpg")
Suraya Sadeed, MA 鈥�12 (conflict transformation), the founder and executive director of Help the Afghan Children, was a guest of First Lady Laura Bush at the White House in 2005, returning in 2006 as a participant at an event hosted by both Laura and George Bush. (Photo courtesy of Suraya Sadeed)
is the tenth Afghan-born person 鈥� four being women聽鈥撀爐o enroll as a graduate student in 黑料正能量鈥檚 .
Five of these 10 Afghans belong to an extended family that believes strongly in education and public service, for both women and men.
Simin is the cousin of two sisters who have earned master鈥檚 degrees through CJP: Nilofar Sakhi, MA 鈥�07, and Farishta Sakhi, MA 鈥�10. They are married, respectively, to Farshid Hakimyar, who attended the 2007 Summer Peacebuilding Institute and then returned to complete a master鈥檚 degree (projected graduation date of fall 2014), and Ramin Nouroozi, MA 鈥�10, now working in Afghanistan on a Habitat program.
Simin, Nilofar and Farishta have all been involved with civil society organizations that support equal rights for women. Nilofar, for example, founded and directed for years the Women鈥檚 Activities and Social Services Association of Afghanistan, before coming to 黑料正能量. Farishta succeeded Nilofar at the helm of this organization, but now works in Afghanistan鈥檚 Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The fourth Afghan-born woman, , was well-known before she chose to complete a master鈥檚 degree through CJP. In 2005, she was honored by Laura Bush at the White House (returning in 2006) and invited to the Oprah show for the second time (garnering Oprah funds for opening seven schools in Afghanistan). She has been featured in Reader’s Digest, People magazine and the Los Angeles Times magazine.
In print and online, 黑料正能量 has documented her , supply relief to refugees, and advocate for the well-being of all of Afghanistan鈥檚 children, but particularly for girls. (Check these stories out online by typing 鈥淧eacebuilder Sadeed鈥� in a search engine.)
Sadeed鈥檚 2011 book, Forbidden Lessons in a Kabul Guesthouse, is highly recommended for both its readability and content by , director of .
鈥淪he鈥檚 a saint in my eyes,鈥� Hostetter says. 鈥淚鈥檝e personally seen how she reacts in difficult and dangerous situations, but persists in doing what she thinks needs to be done to help her people.鈥�
In the December 2013 published by , Sadeed reported on lessons occurring in HTAC’s 38 schools serving 29,500 students. In addition to teaching literacy, basic math, and computer skills, Sadeed’s educators are piloting a peace education curriculum informed by her CJP studies and approved by Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education.
Like Simin, Sadeed is acutely aware that the 2014 elections might mark some kind of turning point in Afghan society. As a result, personnel in her HTAC schools have interacted with 3,000 local leaders to discuss ways to raise awareness about the electoral rights of each and every citizen, especially those of women.
Sadeed has no illusions about the ease of changing long-held beliefs and practices: 鈥淭he best school programs alone will not produce lasting change unless parents and entire communities embrace peaceful, everyday living 鈥� where women are protected, understand their rights and聽participate in local decisions.鈥�
鈥� Bonnie Price Lofton