In 1997, Heidi Kuhn began her work in Afghanistan. Back then, she knew how critical it was to understand the needs of Afghan farmers, helping them to improve their incomes and work towards establishing lasting peace in their country.
Leading with peace through agriculture, Kuhn has spent the last twenty years building the economy in Afghanistan through her organization, Roots of Peace. Now, the people she calls friends and family, and their crops, are at great risk.
Heidi Kuhn, Founder of Roots of Peace, with Afghani farmers in a vineyard in Afghanistan
Heidi Kuhn
Over the past few weeks, the Taliban have once again taken over Afghanistan. Roots of Peace team members have been threatened and the entire ordeal is making Kuhn herself feel the personal impact of this moment. “These people are not only my colleagues and co-workers, they are my friends, my family.”
Named one of Forbes 50 Over 50 Women earlier this year, Kuhn has been recognized for her mission work in Afghanistan over the last two decades. A passionate social entrepreneur, her vision of replacing ‘mines with vines’ has grown Roots of Peace into a global phenomenon that moves over 160,000 metric tons of fruit and produce each year through global markets, impacting the lives of millions of farmers. In doing so, Kuhn has also sought to shine a light on the women in each community Roots of Peace works in, ensuring their wellbeing and rights are secured. At this moment, Kuhn has deep concerns about an already increasing threat of violence against women in Afghanistan under the current siege. Under Taliban rule in the 1990s, women were forced to stay in the home, not allowed to go to work, and from these, and other human rights violations, they, and their families, suffered greatly.
Kuhn and the Roots of Peace team refuse to see those devastating circumstances return.
In order for Roots of Peace to stay the course in Afghanistan, they must first focus on the safety of their team. Raising funds quickly, Roots of Peace is calling donors to fund direct aid to support over 500,000 internally displaced persons (IDP) in Afghanistan who are refugees in their own country right now. The organization is also calling upon the world to plant a seed, flower or garden in solidarity with the Afghan people and widely share on social media with the hashtag, #rootsofpeace. Amidst the guns of war, Kuhn is focused on the harvest in a country which is 80% dependent upon agriculture for jobs. “Nature does not wait for peace treaties to be signed. We are in the business of peace, as we must focus on the harvest of fresh fruits and export across contentious borders to international markets to benefit the Afghan farmers. If we do not achieve this goal, the fruits will rot in the fields and yield even a worse catastrophe on the upcoming 20th anniversary of 9/11.”
Kuhn calls in that this is a time to lead with shovels and not guns, and firmly plant the Roots of Peace in Afghanistan. She reminds us all of a powerful Old Testament quote from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah that keeps her focussed even in these dark times:
And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
And, spears into pruning hooks;
Nation shall not lift up swords against nation,
Neither shall they learn war anymore.
To learn more, Kuhn asks concerned global citizens to sign up for the Roots of Peace newsletter and follow on social media for updates to activate as the situation unfolds. Kuhn has recently published a memoir entitled “Breaking Ground” which is available for purchase on Amazon for those interested in learning more about the agriculture projects that must be kept safe during this complex time.
In a final plea and reflection, Kunh shares; “For the past 20 years, I have worked on the frontline of peace. As I witness babies loaded over razor wire fences hoping they will survive, I am reminded of our sacred obligation to the Afghan people who deserve a better exit from their beloved country as they flee in chaos—rising life or death situations.”
