"Afghanistan in Transition"
Contact: Becca Colbaugh
Office: 405-943-
Mobile: 918-693-1570
E-mail: bcolbaugh@ieew.org
OKC non-profit featured in new book about Afghanistan
OKLAHOMA CITY – NOVEMBER 23, 2009 – The Oklahoma City non-profit organization, the Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women, and its program to train Afghan women entrepreneurs are included in a new book titled “Afghanistan in Transition.”
The newly released book is written by Oklahoma native Caroline Firestone. Firestone currently resides in New York and besides being an author, she is also a philanthropist, Afghan advocate and member of the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council.
Terry Neese, Institute founder and CEO, serves alongside Firestone as a member of the Council.
“We believe that the work we are doing is an extension of what our soldiers are doing in Afghanistan – helping the Afghan people rebuild their country,” Neese said. “We are helping that rebuilding process by training businesswomen, because a country that is economically sound has a greater capacity for peace.”
Firestone said that Neese’s work in Afghanistan is not only inspirational, but also successful.
“Terry’s brave decision to use her entrepreneurial skills and spirit to help train Afghan women is a gift that truly keeps on giving,” Firestone said. “The Mentorship and Pay It Forward components of PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS are what make her program so unique and so effective.”
The release of “Afghanistan in Transition” comes at a time when President Barack Obama nears his decision on U.S. troop levels in the country.
The 268-page coffee table book holds the compelling photos and stories of the Afghan people – the men, women, children, doctors, musicians, farmers, teachers, and so many more. The book also features several organizations that are dedicated to helping the country, including the Institute. The book also explores the military operations in Afghanistan, including stories from American soldiers who are helping to fight for Afghans’ freedom.
The Institute runs the PEACE THROUGH BUSINESS program, which trains women entrepreneurs from war-torn countries, including Afghanistan and Rwanda. The program is implemented in three phases: In-Country Education, where students are taught basic business skills for eight weeks in their countries; Leadership Development, where the top 15 students from each country are selected for travel to the United States for further training and mentorship; and Pay It Forward, where each student is committed to paying forward her education to her fellow countrymen and women. Oklahoma City businesswomen have mentored several of the students over the past three years.
“We want to congratulate Caroline for this remarkable book – it is both inspirational and beautiful,” Neese said. “While there are certainly undeniable setbacks in Afghanistan, the people are still moving forward. This book is a testimony to the country’s thriving culture and people.”
Though Firestone is now a New Yorker, her Oklahoma roots are deep, as her father owned the Oklahoma City – Ada – Atoka Railway before he sold it a year prior to the Great Crash of 1929.
“Afghanistan in Transition” is not yet available in major bookstores; to order, please contact Firestone directly at 212-838-0800 or send an e-mail to chfirestone@
Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/
