The Women and Foreign Policy Advisory Council’s members include leaders from the business, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors throughout the country who have a keen interest in issues related to U.S. foreign policy toward women in developing countries.

The program was moderated by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, Fellow for U.S. Foreign Policy and Deputy Director, Women and Foreign Policy Program of the Council on Foreign Relations. Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is the New York Times best-selling author of The Dressmaker of Khair Khana; Contributing Editor-At-Large for Newsweek Magazine and The Daily Beast, reporting on economic and development issues with a focus on women.

For more information on CFR, please visit their website at: www.cfr.org

For more information Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, please visit her website at: www.gaylelemmon.com

Regreening the Silk Road

Global Partnership for Afghanistan would like to thank all of our supporters who attended our benefit gala, “Regreening the Silk Road”, on October 25th. We had a wonderful turnout with over 220 people passionate about GPFA and our work to help rural Afghans develop sustainable agricultural livelihoods.

CLICK HERE to view photos of the event!

The venue, Three Sixty°, afforded beautiful views of the Hudson River, a wide selection of exclusive silent auction items, a traditional Afghan sitar player and a fabulous dinner. Most importantly, keynote speaker, Ambassador Peter Tomsen delivered a fascinating and crucial speech in which he explained the critical role of development in achieving peace in Afghanistan.

Highlights from Ambassador Tomsen’s speech:

• “GPFA’s central stress on making Afghans the supported side of the reconstruction process, and GPFA or the U.S. Government for that matter, the supporting side, is exactly right.”
  
• “The extraordinary success GPFA has achieved has mainly been generated by putting Afghans in the lead and giving them the wherewithal to do the job – advice, training, technology and capital.”

The attendance and generosity of GPFA Global Partners made the night a huge success and we are extremely grateful. With your help, GPFA will be better able to revitalize the farms, orchards, and forests that once flourished along the famed Silk Road and thereby lift thousands of Afghan families out of poverty.

Please click here for the entire WSJ article on ‘Second Acts’.

Dana Freyer still has vivid memories of the three months in 1972 that she and her husband, Bruce, spent in Afghanistan. Driving a Volkswagen Beetle, the young couple rolled through dense forests and lush agricultural landscapes. When they returned in 2003, the country was unrecognizable.

“I was aghast at what I saw,” Ms. Freyer recalls. “Everywhere farms, fields and trees were completely devastated.”

Today, Ms. Freyer is chairwoman and co-founder of Global Partnership for Afghanistan. Working with local communities, the nonprofit provides training, plant materials and market links—all of which enable farmers to develop profitable fruit and nut orchards, nurseries, vineyards and other agricultural businesses.

Ms. Freyer practiced law for 37 years. Most of her career was spent as a partner at the Manhattan law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. But her first job out of college in 1965 was assistant to the Afghanistan ambassador to the United Nations. That’s when she first “fell in love with the Afghan people,” sparking a lifelong interest in the country’s culture and history.

It was just after the 9/11 bombings—in which Ms. Freyer lost several friends and colleagues—that she came up with the idea for Global Partnership.

“Suddenly, there was this tragic link between Afghanistan and the U.S.,” she says. “I knew the people and promise of that country, and I wanted to help transform it back into the responsible member of the international community it once was.”

She brainstormed with Afghan friends and her husband, a rabbi and entrepreneur, to devise ways to help the country “come back from the brink.” Though many organizations were focused on building schools, roads, and hospitals, none were doing something much simpler: planting trees.

“Fruit and nut trees were once the main drivers of the Afghan economy and the greatest source of export income and local livelihoods,” Ms. Freyer says. “So we set out to restore farmers’ tree businesses.”

After a few exhausting years working full time both as a lawyer and building Global Partnership, Ms. Freyer scaled back her law practice in 2006. She left the office in 2009—but thinks of herself as “rewired, not retired.”

Today, her organization, funded by private and government donations, is based in Kabul. There’s a staff of 150 in Afghanistan, as well as four people in the U.S. and a volunteer board of 14.

Ms. Freyer travels to Afghanistan at least once a year and sees firsthand the fruits of Global Partnership’s labors: In 600 villages across 12 provinces, the organization has planted nearly 10 million trees in orchards, timber lots and nurseries.

One day, Ms. Freyer would like to turn Global Partnership into a for-profit business run entirely in Afghanistan. That would allow her to spend more time doing the other things she loves: traveling, hiking, kayaking, cycling and spending time with her four grandchildren. But that day is still distant.

“I won’t feel I’ve succeeded until the world sees Afghanistan not as a war, but as 30 million people with dreams and hopes just like theirs.”

Click here to watch the video.

Get Away in Luxury

Lot 1: Telluride Adventure

Value: $15,000 per week

Donors:  Gail and Fred Kittler

Magical Telluride is yours for a week with family and friends, winter or summer in this magnificent Colorado home on the hillside of the San Juan Mountain Range in Southwest Colorado.  No matter what the season, the natural beauty of Telluride is the perfect retreat for those who love biking, hiking, fishing, skiing or snowshoeing. The house comfortably sleeps 12 guests and is equipped with a spacious kitchen and dining room. Enjoy meals or cocktails on the deck with spectacular views of the sunset. A hot tub will help your muscles relax after a long day of fresh air and exercise. The downstairs movie room allows for entertainment on those nights when you are too tired to go out on the town.  Available all weeks except December 15-January 5, February 17-25 and June 15- August 17^th.

Lot 2: Stratton Mountain Home and Ski/Golf Package in Beautiful Vermont

Value:  $4,000 for five days/4 nights

Donors:  Dana and Bruce Freyer, Karen Ganz

Enjoy five days and four nights of glorious skiing, fall foliage, or summer delights with family and friends in Vermont’s Green Mountains. Magnificent 5-bedroom, 3 bath ski house (2 kings, 1 queen, 2 doubles, 1 single) with full views of Stratton Mountain, beautifully furnished and equipped with private sports center (pool, gym, racquet ball, sauna, hot tub).   Downhill and cross country skiing and snowshoeing are just a 5 minute shuttle bus from your door.   For summer/fall, enjoy 2 rounds of golf at breathtaking Manchester Country Club.  Dates to be arranged with donor.

Arts and Culture

Lot 3: Four American Ballet Theater Tickets and Lunch

Value: $550

Donor:   Maureen Quinn and an anonymous donor

American Ballet Theater has long been considered one of the world’s leading ballet companies.   The winning bidder will receive four prime Orchestra tickets to an ABT matinee performance preceded by lunch for four at famed chef Daniel Boulud’s Bar Boulud.

Lot 4: Exclusive Admission to Metropolitan Opera Rehearsal and Back Stage Tour

Value: Priceless

Donor:  Camille LaBarre

This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for two to attend a rehearsal by the renown Metropolitan Opera Company followed by a private back stage tour.  Date to be determined by donor and winning bidder.

Lot 5: Metropolitan Museum of Art – Private Highlights Tour  of priceless art and treasures with Lunch for Six in Trustees’ Dining Room

Value: Priceless

Donors:  Cherie Jafar and Suzanne Thompson

Few art lovers have the opportunity to see the Met’s priceless art and treasures through the eyes of leading experts.  The winning bidder will receive a private, guided tour of the Met’s most important holdings by docent Cherie Jafar for 6 people, followed by lunch in the exclusive Trustees’ Dining Room.  Available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Lot 6: Metropolitan Museum of Art – Private Tour of 19^th century galleries with Sue Ann Williamson followed by  Lunch for 6 in Trustee’s Dining Room

Value: Priceless

Donor:  Sue Ann Williamson

Sue Ann Williamson, co-author of Learning to Look and curator of art collections placed in the American Embassies of Prague and Paris, will lead a very lucky group of 6 on a guided tour of the Met’s 19^th Century galleries, including the beautiful Annenberg Collection, followed by lunch with Sue Ann in the exclusive Trustees’ Dining Room overlooking Central Park.   Date to be determined by winning bidder and Ms. Williamson.

Lot 7: Nederlander Theatre Tickets and Dinner at Hot New Eatery Ça Va Brasserie

Value:  $400

Donors:  Anonymous

Nederlander Productions is renowned for legendary shows, among them The Lion King, Wicked, Catch Me if You Can, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and The Addams Family.  The winning bidder will receive four tickets to an evening performance of a Nederlander Productions play.  Pre-theatre dinner for four at Todd English’s acclaimed Ça Va Brasserie.

Lot 8,9,10:Acrylic Works of Art by Layla Jafar

Donor:  La Dee Da Decor

One of New York’s hot young artists, Layla Jafar challenges conventional artistic boundaries with her distinct ability to probe her urban New York City surroundings in search of inspirational designs.  Each piece is a compellation of recognizable shapes set in new visual frameworks which draw you into to the color, movement and texture of her work.  Her passion for colorful backdrops and massing of circular patterns blend harmoniously and creates drama and energy in any room.

Lot 11: Framed Watercolor by Nicola Johnson

Value:  $500

Donor:  Nicola Grover Johnson

“Tomorrow’s Harvest,” is a beautiful framed still life by noted Connecticut watercolorist Dr. Nicola Johnson, depicting  a silvery meadow blue butterfly and the lush fruits that once grew in abundance and fed weary travelers along Afghanistan’s Silk Road. Once again, orchards are thriving and fruits are providing critical food for GPFA farmers and their families.

Adornments

Lot 12: Amethyst and Rubellite Earrings by Betteridge Jewelers of Greenwich

Value: $3,250

Donor:  Terry Betteridge

A signed pair of yellow gold amethyst and rubellite dangle earrings by noted jewelry designers Goshwara. The earrings are set with a very fine pair of large round amethyst globess weighing a total of 56.45 carats and are accented by a pair of perfect cabachon rubellites totaling .78 carats. The earrings can also be attached to a chain and worn as a necklace.

Lot 13: Margo Morrison Emerald Lariat Necklace

Value:  $425

Donor:  Margo Morrison

One of a kind raw emerald lariat designed by Margo Morrison, whose unique designs are worn by top celebrities including Julia Roberts, Julianne Moore and Gwyneth Paltrow and featured in major magazines including Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, People and Lucky.

Lot 14: Persian Turquoise Earrings

Value:  $2,200

Donor:  Mrs.  Robert D. Kemp

Exquisite pair of signed Persian turquoise earrings in 18k gold set with especially fine large turquoise stones.

Lot 15: Persian Turquoise Brooch

Value:  $1,000

Donor:  Mrs. Robert D. Kemp

Antique Persian turquoise and 14k gold brooch from a private collection.

Lot 16: Saks Fifth Avenue Shopping Spree

Value: $1,500

Donor:  Saks Fifth Avenue

Where are the Louboutins?  Run wild at any Saks store!

Lot 17: Pamper Yourself with Tasseled Cashmere Throw and Basket of Exclusive Kai Body Products

Value: $ 1,100

Donor: Suzy Bonbrisco and Patricia Gourlay Store, Greenwich

Snuggle up in this beautiful cashmere throw while pampering yourself with exclusive skincare products from Kai Fragrances, a favorite of Oprah, Charlize Theron and Naomi Watts .

Lot 18:  Lotte and Lilly Silk Scarf

Value:  $225

Donor: Lotte and Lilly Collection of Resort

Adorne yourself with a beautiful scarf from the Lotte and Lilly Collection of Resort.

Eat, Drink and Be Merry

Lot 19: Elegant At-Home Catered Dinner for 8 Paired with Fine Wines and Custom Designed Floral Centerpiece

Value: $1,200

Donors:  Philippe Gudet, Horseneck Liquors, and Suzy Bonbrisco

Renowned private chef Philippe Gudet, who trained with legendary chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, will cook you and your lucky friends a sumptuous and beautifully presented dinner.   Greenwich’s Horseneck Liquors will work with you to supply the perfect wines for your meal and Susie Bonbrisco will create a unique seasonal floral centerpiece for your table.  Available Monday through Thursday only depending on chef availability.

Lot 20: Tour, Catered Lunch and Wines of Bouchaine Vineyards, Napa Valley

Value: $670

Donors:   Bouchaine Vineyards

The oldest operating vineyard in Carneos, Napa Valley, Bouchaine is noted for its chardonnay and pinot noir.  Tour the beautiful grounds, taste Bouchaine’s prize winning wines and enjoy a catered lunch with a breathtaking view of the gardens, vineyards and harbor.  Winning bidders will also receive a magnum of 2007 Estate Pinot Noir signed by Bouchaine owners Gerret and Tatiana Copeland and winemaker Michael Richmond.   Tour limited to four adults and reservations must be made within one year.

Lot 21: Dinner, Wine and Flowers for a Party of Ten

Value:  $1,200

Donors:  Rye Country Store, Hafner Vineyards, and Bruce Freyer

Everyone loves food from the Rye Country Store!  They will prepare and deliver a dinner for ten accompanied by a case of 2007 chardonnay from Hafner Vineyards, a small family winery in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley.   Their wines are sold directly to patrons and leading California restaurants, but not available in stores. Bruce Freyer will provide a beautiful floral centerpiece.

Lot 22: Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1997

Value: $1,000

Donors:  Nancy and Walter Raquet

Add this rare collector’s 1997 Chateau Lafite Rothschild to your wine cellar or drink it now with your very best friends.  A Bordeaux red blend from Pauillac, it boasts a dark ruby color and has notes of ripe black currants, violets and vanilla.

Lot 23: Afghan Feast for 10 at Bamiyan Restaurant

Value: $600

Donors:  Professor M. Ishaq Nadiri and Faruq Achikzad

Bamiyan is New York’s most highly regarded Afghan restaurant, will authentic food and a décor that takes you to the bazaars of Kabul.  The winning bidder receives an all-inclusive dinner for 10 people including tax and tip, alcoholic beverages, tea, coffee, combination dessert, combination appetizers, and entrees.

Lot 24: J Papers Holiday Card Package

Value: $500

Donor:  J Papers

Send your friends and family holiday wishes with 150-250 personalized holiday cards and envelopes from designs by Vera Wang, Kate Spade, and William Arthur from Greenwich’s most exclusive purveyor of invitations and cards. The winning bidder will also receive two beautiful holiday candles.

Be a Sport

Lot 25: Golf Outing and Lunch at Golf Club of Purchase
Value: $675

Donors:  Polly and Jim McTaggart

A Jack Nicklaus Signature Course, the famed Golf Club of Purchase is 18 holes of pure golfing pleasure. A party of two will join Polly and Jim McTaggart for a round of golf with carts and lunch at a mutually convenient date.

Lot 26: NY Knicks:  Two Prime Tickets and Sports Package

Value: $500

Donor:  National Basketball Association

Show your team spirit!  Two tickets to a 2011-2012 season game packaged with a Knicks swag bag.  Date to be determined by winning bidder and donor.  In the event of a lockout, tickets will be honored when games resume.

Lot 27: Four Box Seats to Yankees Game

Value:  $835

Donor:  John Gardiner

Box Seats for four for a spring/summer 2012 game and VIP parking pass.  Date and time to be determined by donor and winning bidder.   Not available for games against Mets or Red Sox.

Lot 28: Four Tickets to March 29, 2012 Islanders vs Penguins

Value:  $550

Donor:  Julie Grand, National Hockey League

A must-see game for any hockey fan.  Comes with your own NHL swag bag complete with a cap signed by Ranger’s star goalie Henrik Lundqvist!

Health and Fitness

Lot 29: Private Nutrition Counseling by Daria Ventura
Value:  $600

Donors:  Daria Ventura, Binky Brooks

Eat better and exercise more effectively with this nutrition and fitness package.  Daria Ventura, M.S., R.D., C.D.N, will provide a four-session private nutrition counseling package at your home or her office, including a comprehensive analysis of your diet and a customized healthy eating plan to get you feeling and looking your best.  Amp up your workouts with three private training sessions with highly recommended New York City based trainer Binky Brooks.

Lot 30: One Month VIP Membership, Fitness Assessment, Pilates and Massage at Equinox Fitness

Value:  $475

Donor:  Equinox Fitness

Get fit with a one month VIP membership to any Equinox Fitness club, including a fitness and training assessment, private Pilates session and ½ hour massage (massage available only at the 43rd Street facility).

Click here to read the article.

Yael Julie Fischer graduated from Columbia Law School in 2010 and is now an associate at Kirkland and Ellis law firm.

GPFA will hold its fall benefit dinner on October 25, 2011 at Three Sixty°, a spectacular event space in Tribeca.  Our keynote speaker is Ambassador Peter Tomsen, Special Envoy on Afghanistan from 1989 to 1992 and author of the newly released The Wars of Afghanistan.

Click here to watch Ambassador Peter Tomsen’s recent appearance on Jon Stewart’s The Daily Show.

Our theme is Regreening the Silk Road: a crossroads of global trade and prosperity which traversed Afghanistan at a time when the country flourished with farms, orchards, forests and vineyards.  GPFA works to make that past a part of Afghanistan’s future and we hope to inspire our guests — between 250 and 300 influential business, public sector and philanthropic leaders –  to join us in this journey to restore Afghanistan’s agricultural economy.  Now more than ever, it is critical to show people in leadership positions that, far from being a lost cause, Afghanistan can once again thrive.  And GPFA is a key player in making that happen.

The event will feature a silent auction of unique items donated by GPFA friends.

Ticket Prices

Farmer            $175 per person under age 35

Gardener         $375 per person

Forester          $600 per person

Cultivator         $1,000 per person

Sponsorship packages available at the $5,000, $10,000 and $25,000 levels.

Please click here to purchase individual tickets to GPFA’s Fall Benefit.

To purchase tickets by mail, send your check, made out to Global Partnership for Afghanistan, to:
Post Office Box 1237
New York, NY 10276-1237

To purchase tickets by phone, or for more information regarding sponsorship packages, please contact:

Emily Dery
Development and Administrative Assistant
Global Partnership for Afghanistan
(212) 735-2541
edery@gpfa.org

The Council’s purpose includes providing  GPFA’s staff and board with  expertise on key issues, such as forestry and economic  and market   development, access to key policy makers, and help expanding  our network of experts, partners and supporters.

We  look forward  to partnering with these talented and committed people, who have much to contribute to GPFA.

Dr. Clark Binkley is the Chief Investment Officer of GreenWood Resources and the Managing Director of International Forestry Investment Advisors, LLC, a firm he founded in 2005 to develop and implement innovative, socially responsible, high-return timberland investment strategies.  He was formerly Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer of Hancock Timber Resource Group, the forest management arm of the Boston-based firm Hancock Insurance. He serves on the Board of Directors for Ecotrust, which develops new scientific and information tools to improve social, economic and environmental decision-making, CellFor, Inc., a biotechnology company, and West Fraser Timber, Ltd., the leading softwood lumber manufacturer in North America.  Over the past 30 years he has consulted to numerous forest products companies, governmental agencies, and conservation groups. He holds a B.A. in applied mathematics and an M.S. in engineering both from Harvard University, and received his Ph.D. in Forestry and Environmental Studies from Yale University.

Marshal T. Case, former President and CEO and now President Emeritus of the American Chestnut Foundation (TACF), brings a decades-long commitment to conservation, education and nonprofit development. Marshal became TACF’s Executive Director in 1997. TACF’s Board of Directors designated him President and CEO at the 2003 Annual Meeting. Prior to this he was deputy director and head of the education department at the International Crane Foundation in Baraboo, Wisconsin. Marshal has also served as Senior Vice President of Education for the National Audubon Society. Marshal worked on a wide variety of National Audubon’s environmental activities, while also spearheading the creation of 17 new local Audubon chapters in the Midwest, South, and Northeast. Marshal graduated from Cornell University with a degree in Wildlife Biology and Science Education.

Dr. Graciana del Castillo is a an expert in emerging country issues. She has advised governments, international organizations, banks and corporations on issues relating to sovereign risk, foreign direct investment, business climate, public-private partnerships, and post-conflict economic reconstruction. Most recently, she was a Founding Partner and Managing Director of Macroeconomic Advisory Group (MAG). At the United Nations, she was a Senior Officer in the Office of the Secretary-General (SG), where she advised on economic policy issues as well as on matters related to the Latin American region. Dr. del Castillo has been an Adjunct Professor of Economics at Columbia University, where she has taught graduate courses in international economics since 1990. She has also taught at New York University, Hunter College, and Hofstra University (1987-89). She is the author of “Rebuilding War-Torn States”, published in 2008, in which she cited Global Partnership for Afghanistan’s approach as a model for economic development in a country in conflict. She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University (1986) where she wrote her Ph.D. dissertation and M.A. thesis with Nobel Laureates Robert A. Mundell and William Vickrey, respectively.

Mariam A. Nawabi is an attorney and social entrepreneur. She is General Counsel and Strategic & Business Development Director for AMDI Inc., and a Founding Member of the Afghanistan Advocacy Group, which is a national network of Americans who wish to engage in dialogue with policymakers regarding development and security in Afghanistan. Mariam was a leading force behind commercial and legal reform in Afghanistan post-Taliban. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of several nonprofit organizations engaged in capacity building efforts in Afghanistan, including the American University Foundation of Afghanistan, Aschiana Foundation, and Nooristan Foundation. Mariam is a graduate of the Georgetown University Law Center (J.D., cum laude 1999), where she served on the editorial board of Law and Policy in International Business and of George Mason University (B.A., International Studies, summa cum laude, 1995), where she was a recipient of the Peat-Marwick, Datatel and John C. Wood scholarships and a White House intern.

Ambassador Ronald E. Neumann was formerly the United States Ambassador to Afghanistan (2005-2007) and previously served as ambassador to Bahrain (2001-2004) and Algeria (1994-1997). He is the son of former ambassador Robert G. Neumann and traveled extensively after college in Afghanistan while his father was ambassador there. Mr. Neumann joined the United States Department of State as a Foreign Service Officer in 1970. After an initial posting in Senegal, he began to specialize in the Middle East, particularly in the Persian Gulf, beginning in 1973 when he served in Tabriz, Iran. Mr. Neumann currently serves as the president of the American Academy of Diplomacy, a Washington, DC-based think tank.  In 2009 he authored The Other War: Winning and Losing in Afghanistan, a book exploring political and military issues of Afghanistan.

To the Editor:

Afghanistan holds the key to its future in the roots of its past, as Patricia McArdle’s essay about local food and energy resources explains (Afghanistan’s Last Locavores, Op-Ed, June 20).

Afghanistan’s farmers, who represent 80 percent of the population, need help at the village level to revive their lush fruit and nut orchards, which fed Central Asia’s Silk Route travelers for centuries.

The large scale, costly, unsustainable projects of most Western aid ignore indigenous, sustainable construction and farming practices. For agricultural development to succeed, it must improve Afghans’ technical skills and introduce low-tech, low-cost technologies like solar-powered or gravity-fed irrigation systems and underground storage facilities that don’t need diesel generators.

These are strategies that grass-roots development organizations like the Global Partnership for Afghanistan have used in hundreds of villages throughout Afghanistan without high-cost foreign contractors.

Our increasingly competent Afghan staff members train other Afghan professionals and farmers, who take ownership for the process and the results, as their ancestors did for generations.

DANA FREYER
New York, June 22, 2011

The writer is Board Chairwoman and Co-Founder of the Global Partnership for Afghanistan.