Jennie Green and Sarah Chayes are determined women. Instead of living a contented life in the glow of the Ivy Leagues or academia, they are entrepreneurs amid the chaos and violence of Kandahar. Since 2005, they have conducted business while braving death threats. Green and Chayes have gained a following among hawks, journalists, NGOs, expatriates and the military. They also appeal to garden variety peaceniks, whose outlook is questioned as Chayes and Green lay out the complexities of the situation in Afghanistan.
Green works with Chayes who founded the work co-op Arghand International. In November 2009, Green wrote an important eight-page "Note From The Field." Its straightforward manner is devoid of eye-glazing political-journalistic assumptions. Green conveys a shoes-on-the-ground point of view about the latest happenings in Kandahar. What Green noted in this field note last month was a precursor to war journalist Michael Yon's latest dispatch, which details a heavy battle for Kandahar.
Chayes is the former NPR reporter 
who grew disenchanted with the way the mainstream media wanted the war reported in 2002. She quit. Chayes wrote a book called The Punishment of Virtue, which chronicles her experiences in Kandahar where she learned the maze of power structures from the local war lords, to the military system. Chayes is now highly sought for her opinions from journalists such as Charlie Rose to high ranking military leaders. While still involved in Arghand, Chayes is at ISAF headquarters in Kabul.
Arghand International is a co-op that provides jobs for 15 local Afghans from the Kandahar area. Chayes and Green founded Arghand to provide an alternate revenue source for men and women with few options. They use locally grown plants to produce oils that go into making creams and hand-formed soaps for
export. Their recent progress includes putting locals to work, installing the most powerful solar generator in Kandahar, and producing 1000 kilos of handmade soap for export to the U.S. That they do any of this is an example of fortitude and smarts for what's going on. Their headaches include the Canadians, who abruptly decided not to let Arghand use an APO address earlier this year to ship merchandise inexpensively and safely in and out of the U.S.
Article comments
1 - Glenn Contrarian
Kanani -
Wonderful article...and your first page is indicative of how positive results can be achieved with FAR less investment than the cost of a predator drone strike.
However, I should point out that the Obama administration DID address the chronic corruption in the Karzai regime - Hillary spoke of it in a speech in Afghanistan, IIRC. The problem, however, is poverty. As long as there is widespread poverty, there is corruption. That is a fact of humanity...and anyone who wishes to deal with people in such an environment must first learn to work WITH the corruption. Why? To bring stability to the region.
Once stability is achieved (even if with an iron hand), then work towards building infrastructure - education, technology, health care, etc. - and only then, as life improves for the people, can one truly work towards changing a culture built on corruption to one built on the rule of law.
2 - Kanani
Glenn I do hope you'll download the full contents of the Field Note, and also read Sarah's book. In addition, all of the links in the article will take you to individuals who give a first hand account of what's going on.
Chayes is an advisor to General McChrystal.
3 - Kanani
Here is Sarah Chayes's latest speech given on 16 November 2009 at Dartmouth. You can listen to it there.
She mythbusts many of the assumptions held by the international community about Afghanistan.
4 - Ruvy
Kanani,
Excellent article. I remember reading about these women elsewhere, and wondering if Sarah Chayes, who has a Jewish name, at any rate, realizes that many of the Afghans she is helping with her efforts are fellow Children of Israel.
5 - Kanani
Hi Ruvy! I don't think she makes any mention of it in her book. Sarah Chayes is really a fascinating individual. When I reviewed her book, the best description I could come up with is that if Indiana Jones had a girlfriend today, Sarah Chayes would be his new Marion.
If you go onto the Charlie Rose site, you can watch interviews with her. She's very forthright and cool.
6 - Christine
Kahani, been meaning to get to your article, been very busy. And I "ditto" Ruvy, excellent article!