Power Women from Afghanistan

As Hillary Rodham Clinton was pledging to address worldwide women's issues as secretary of state, I was driving to Riverside CA to meet a group of women who may hold the key to lasting peace and reform in one of the world's most troubled countries: Afghanistan. The 14 judges, prosecutors and attorneys, with three translators, are visiting the US as part of the State Department's Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform. Leading law firms donate time and money for exchanges between legal experts in Afghanistan and the US. Here's the link for more information: http://www.state.gov/p/inl/narc/partnership/index.htm

Several of the American participants, including former Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healy, had just returned from Afghanistan, where venturing outside of the US Embassy compound required Blackwater armed guards and nerves of steel. But risk is part of everyday life for the Afghan women lawyers, especially those who prosecute Afghan drug lords or preside over the trials of drug dealers and terrorists. They must also battle religious extremists who oppose education for women. "If the Taliban comes back to power, these women are certain to be killed," one organizer told me. "They have to move forward with democracy because they don't have an alternative. They're all in."

The group is staying at the historic Mission Inn, a recently restored Old California landmark hotel that has been hosting presidents and peacemakers since the early 1900s. I sat in on a session regarding the treatment of youthful offenders who are mentally ill. The Afghan women made the point that their system already insists on treating the mental illness before prosecuting a suspect, but they were confused by the concept of "depression." Their language has no word for it. A Pepperdine University researcher presented findings on the incidence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder affecting American youth who have been shot at or watched their friends die in gang violence, not so different from Afghan youth caught in the middle of a complicated war zone.
The women listened attentively to my presentation on media reform in Islamic Republic of Maldives, as I credited the former Minister of Legal Reform, Information and Arts for realizing that independent news coverage is an essential piece of sustainable democracy. They told me they already have a free press in Afghanistan, at least on paper. The problem is that it is often too dangerous to venture out into the street to do any reporting.

Several of the women were educated in the Soviet bloc during Russia's losing battle to win hearts and minds in Afghanistan. Now they are learning our system. It was easy to see the intelligence in their eyes and the warmth of their smiles. About half of the group wore head coverings and they all observed regular prayer breaks. We bonded when we realized that we had both been in the movies. Several of the Afghan women were featured in an award-winning documentary about a famous trial. I hope the situation in Afghanistan will stabilize to the point that I can do media training there someday.