ALUMNI Fighting for A former journalist o≠ers a glimmer of hope for a struggling country. by nicole branan he sound of She also felt a growing a bomb deto- Sarah Chayes in a disillusionment with war-ravaged village nating breaks near Kandahar Western culture and its the stillness current emphasis on di- ofT Kandahar’s morning viding the world into hours. To Sarah Chayes two opposing blocs: the ’84, in her o∞ce in the West versus Islam. “I small building that is don’t believe in the clash home to the soap and of civilizations,” she says. body-oil cooperative she “I believe that most has founded, the blast human beings share sounds like heavy boxes some basic aspirations cascading onto an up- and basic values.” The stairs floor. Like everyone extent to which di≠erent in the southern Afghan people have achieved city, Chayes is accus- their aspirations depends tomed to the sound of on what has befallen gunfire or the dull throb them over time, and not that accompanies suicide on some irrevocable cul- and roadside bombs, but tural di≠erence, she this time the shock wave adds. So when President that usually rattles win- Karzai’s uncle asked her, dows is missing. “That in early 2002, to stay in means that the explosion Kandahar to help get the must have been quite far country back on its feet, away,” she says. But its she didn’t think twice. impact becomes clear “That was the opportu- moments later when am- nity I had been waiting bulances, taxis, and pri- for,” she remembers. “I vate cars rush through could talk to people on the streets carrying the both sides of this alleged injured to hospitals. The divide and help them scenario is not unusual, hear each other.” Chayes says. “The thing Chayes first served as is, you live with it and it field director for the non- starts to feel normal.” than staying in hotels with other interna- governmental organization Afghans for It’s been six years since Chayes, a tional journalists, she moved in with a Civil Society (www.afghansforcivilsoci- courageous and energetic Cambridge na- Kandahar family, learned , and ety.org), which has helped rebuild a vil- tive, first came to Kandahar as a reporter. formed close friendships with the locals, lage destroyed during the war, launched As a National Public Radio “smoke including President Hamid Karzai’s fam- successful income-generation projects for jumper”—a foreign correspondent dis- ily. But she was increasingly frustrated by Kandahar women, and conducted various patched to crises—she had left her the fact that she wasn’t contributing to socioeconomic studies. But in 2004, she base numerous times to report on the how the conflict turned out. “As a jour- chose to move into the economic sector conflicts in the Balkans and in Algeria nalist I was only there, holding my micro- because it seemed critical to the country’s during the 1990s. But Afghanistan kin- phone in people’s faces, but I wasn’t part rehabilitation. The following spring she dled a deep fascination in her. Rather of the story.” opened Arghand (www.arghand.org),

Photographs by Eve Lyman www.haa.harvard.eduHarvard Magazine 75 JOHN HARVARD’S JOURNAL which manufactures natural skin-care almonds, and apricots directly from farm- until Arghand is able to operate without products from the abundant fruits and ers at prices that compete with opium. her: perhaps in three to five more years. nuts of the orchards of southern Afghan- Arghand also provides employment op- But the region has become increasingly istan and exports them to the United portunities. Currently the cooperative volatile and violence has surged, leading States and Canada. To date, the coopera- consists of eight women and four men her to wonder how much longer she can tive supplies more than a dozen stores; from di≠erent walks of life and varying safely do her job. “The situation around others are waiting in line. educational backgrounds, including the us is quite grim,” she allows. “Kandahar Arghand, which is Persian for “tri- former bodyguard of an assassinated and the Afghan south really feel like they umphant” or “conquering,” tackles one of Kabul police chief and several women are falling apart.” Just before she left for a Afghanistan’s most dangerous problems: who are single parents or have disabled two-month fundraising tour in August, its dependence on the opium poppy. The husbands. three Afghans with known connections country is the world’s leading supplier of Life is harsh. Chayes, who lives in the to “internationals” or the government opiates and its drug trade is booming. same building that houses her coopera- were killed and their bodies were hung at “That criminalizes politics and puts tive, keeps a Kalashnikov AK-47 rifle in three-day intervals in the village of one of Afghanistan’s people at the mercy of her room and Arghand’s male employees Arghand’s members: “part of a massive armed gangs,” Chayes says. Growing the take turns spending the night in the intimidation campaign run by the Tal- drought-resistant, high-value poppy building as a security measure. Chayes no iban,” she says. She is exploring ways to plant is often the only choice for poor longer drives unaccompanied to the U.S. direct the cooperative remotely from her farmers in the south who have no other military base from which she ships Arg- home in Paris more of the time. “That’s access to credit in a region where water is hand’s products. “The base is half an hour not just because of my own safety,” she scarce and expensive and the value of licit away,” she explains, “so if I have a flat tire, notes, “but because my mere presence in produce fluctuates dramatically. that becomes a life-threatening experi- Kandahar makes life much more danger- In this dire situation, Arghand is a ence, because I’m immobilized and could ous for my cooperative members.” glimmer of hope. The cooperative buys become a target of opportunity.” Still, Arghand o≠ers a source of encour- roses and produce such as pomegranates, She plans to stay in Afghanistan at least agement for Chayes and others. “There is

AN EVENING WITH THE EDITOR

On November 15, 2007, loyal magazine donors gathered at Loeb House in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to hear Harvard Magazine editor John Rosenberg present “The Making of Harvard Magazine: How Your Alumni Magazine Is Edited, Written, and Produced.” A lively Q&A followed.

To learn how you can become a Friend of Harvard Magazine, please visit www.harvardmagazine.com/friends. From bottom left: Lionel B. Spiro ’60, M.Arch. ’63 and Harvard Magazine deputy editor Craig Lambert ’69, Ph.D. ’78; Mrs. Paula Budlong Cronin ’56, Harvard Magazine managing editor Jonathan S. Shaw ’89, Joseph S. Vera ’50, and Mrs. Jane C. Vera; Above: Professor Jill M. Hooley, Warren M. Schur ’69 and Harvard Magazine regional advertising account manager Myha Nguyen; Top: editor John S. Rosenberg.

76 January - February 2008 Chayes with Jan Mahmood, then governor of Kandahar province always something positive to and analyze the policy con- fall back on,” she says. “Even text, and because I have ac- if what’s happening at Arg- cess to people in decision- hand is small, it’s a positive making positions, I can then development.” take this analysis to them.” The work is challenging. Access to electricity, for “What makes a really great example, is frequently a con- Bordeaux is a mixture of cern. Power lines that run di≠erent varieties of grapes in through battle zones are fre- di≠erent proportions,” she ex- quently damaged and need plains. “It’s the same with constant repair. But when soap.” She and her team ex- power didn’t return for sev- periment constantly with eral days in the winter of di≠erent seed oils to develop 2006, Chayes started to in- new formulas. Chayes even quire. “I talked to the local got in touch with the curators of a perfume But Chayes’s work reaches far beyond electricity lineman and I learned that the museum in Grasse, the center of the French Arghand. Because she has relationships were demanding money to fix the perfume industry, for expert advice. with Afghan leaders as well as with inter- lines. In other words, they were holding The cooperative has enjoyed continu- national o∞cials and organizations, she is electricity hostage.” She spoke to the po- ous growth and success since its incep- in a unique place to foster communication litical adviser to the NATO troop com- tion. Last year, it was among 12 finalists in between them. “Since I started working in mander, who hadn’t known about the the BBC’s World Challenge, a global com- Afghanistan, I have encountered problems electricity problem. Subsequently, NATO petition that seeks out projects and busi- that I never would have seen as a reporter,” troops launched a military operation to nesses that not only make a profit, but she says. “I am immersed in this incredible clear the Taliban out of an area they had also give back to their communities. microcosm through which I can examine controlled, thus securing the power lines

HARVARD ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Global Series Speakers include: Drew Faust, Barry R. Bloom, Harvard School of Public Health “I look forward to this occasion Peter K. Bol, Faculty of Arts and Sciences to meet new colleagues and Jorge I. Domínguez, University/Faculty of Arts and Sciences renew old friendships.” David T. Ellwood, John F. Kennedy School DREW FAUST of Government President of Harvard University Steven E. Hyman, University/Harvard and Lincoln Professor of History SHANGHAI Medical School MARCH 28–30, 2008 William C. Kirby, Faculty of Arts and Sciences F. Warren McFarlan, Harvard Business School Douglas A. Melton, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Mohsen Mostafavi, Harvard Graduate School of Design Anthony J. Saich, John F. Kennedy School of Government

For an updated list of speakers and registration information, please visit http://post.harvard.edu/globalseries

Harvard Magazine 77 JOHN HARVARD’S JOURNAL in the region. “If I hadn’t come up against She sees herself as a bridge between Is- Comings and Goings this problem myself,” she adds, “I never lamic culture and the United States. “I dis- would have found out about it.” covered in the process of doing Arghand University clubs o≠er a variety of so- Although Chayes no longer works as a that the beneficiaries of our actions are just cial and intellectual events, including radio reporter, she hasn’t abandoned jour- as numerous in the U.S. as they are in Harvard-a∞liated speakers (please see nalism entirely. Her first book, The Punish- Afghanistan,” she says. Building relation- the partial list below). For further infor- ment of Virtue (2006), chronicles her expe- ships with retailers and other audiences, mation, contact the club directly, call the riences in Afghanistan and explores Near such as those she meets during fundraising Harvard Alumni Association at 617-495- Eastern history, the subject she studied as tours throughout the United States and 3070, or visit www.haa.harvard.edu. an undergraduate and during two years Canada, improves the reputation of On January 17, the Harvard-Radcli≠e in a doctoral program at the Center for Afghanistan in America and vice versa. Club of Southern California hosts “A Middle Eastern Studies. In the process of Arghand o≠ers Americans a way to get Case-Study Discussion on K-12 Education writing the book, she found herself revis- involved and a way to help, she says. “I Today,” based on the Long Beach Unified iting her Harvard professors, including hope that this will influence the direction School District. Speakers from the Gradu- Gurney professor of history Roy Motta- that our societies are going to take: ate School of Education include Dean hedeh, whose “moral and material sup- whether we are going to live in a bipolar Kathleen McCartney, academic dean port was precious.” world consisting of two irrevocably hos- Robert B. Schwartz, and associate profes- “I am glad these di≠erent threads of my tile civilizations, or whether are we going sor Monica Higgins. On January 28, the life knitted themselves together,” she to live in a world made up of intercon- Harvard Club of the Palm Beaches pre- says. “Interestingly, what I studied at nected civilizations that are di≠erent but sents Robert A. Lue, professor of the Harvard has become the absolute founda- not mutually exclusive. I think that is one practice of molecular and cellular biology tion of what I have done with my life.” (A of the biggest issues that our generation is and director of life-science education, for self-described “Harvard baby,” she is the confronted with in this century.” That’s a a discussion on “The Transformation of daughter of the late Frankfurter professor lofty goal, she acknowledges. “I know Teaching and Learning in the Life Sci- of law, ’43, LL.B. ’49, a pio- that whatever I have to o≠er is a drop in ences.” On January 28, Doyle professor of neer of international law, and Antonia the bucket,” she says. “But I may as well cosmology John P. Huchra talks about Handler Chayes ’50, a legal scholar, medi- put my drop in a crucial place. And Kan- “The State of the Universe” for members ator, and former federal administrator dahar is such a place.” of the Harvard Club of San Diego. who is now a visiting professor of inter- On February 20, the Harvard Club of national politics and law at the Fletcher Nicole Branan is a freelance writer based in Col- Cincinnati examines “The Challenges of School of Law and Diplomacy.) orado. Globalization” with speaker George C. Lodge, Chua Tiampo professor of business administration emeritus. On February 23, Eye on Harvard is an Internet talk show “for John Palfrey, the executive director of the and about Harvard people” that appears on Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Eye on Harvard InTimeTV.com.The subject matter is broad— Harvard Law School, examines “Digital topics so far have ranged from stem cells and Natives” for the Harvard Club of Maryland. evolutionary biology to adventure travel and North Korean politics. But the aim is specific: to “bring together like-minded individuals who share a background, certain Old and New interests, and a history,” says Chicago-based host Ogan Gurel ’86. “It’s not just another TV show. It really represents a confluence of important social and techno- in Chicago logical trends.” A medical doctor, Gurel also hosts Insights in Medicine, another InTimeTV show University president Drew Faust that targets physicians. On the Web, he says, “You have to build shows around spe- stopped in Chicago on November 9 for a cific niches, rather than for mass appeal.” Eye on Harvard’s guests have included black-tie dinner to celebrate the 150th an- Gurel’s classmate, Paul Kent ’86, assistant professor of pediatric hematology/oncol- niversary of the city’s Harvard Club—the ogy at Rush University Medical Center, who discussed the politics and ethics of re- oldest continuously operating alumni club search on stem cells and cord blood; evolutionary biologist Neil Shubin, Ph.D. ’87, anywhere, according to the Harvard now at the University of Chicago; and Nancy Collins, M.B.A. ’99, CEO of Global Alumni Association (HAA). (A Boston club Adrenaline Inc., who talked about her transition from investment banking to travel was founded in 1855, but did not survive, entrepreneurship. and the current Boston club traces its roots The show’s audience has grown steadily, from a few hundred to a few thousand only to 1908. The Cincinnati club, with an viewers during the last several months. If the increasing popularity of Internet TV is 1858 founding date, trails Chicago by just any indication, the trend will continue. “Graduating from Harvard,” Gurel explains, one year.) Although the club’s five founding “you always want to do the next best thing, and really make a mark.” fathers—two physicians, a lawyer, an insur- ance-agency owner, and the city surveyor

78 January - February 2008 Photograph courtesy of the Harvard Club of Chicago