Dan's Papers - September 26, 2008

"We believe more jobs means less violence, and we also believe in helping people to help themselves." These are the words of Toni Maloney of Water Mill, chairwoman of the organization Bpeace, which she founded in 2002, just after 9/11 shook the world. Bpeace (Business Council For Peace) is an international non-profit network of business people who volunteer to help women in conflict and post-conflict countries build sustainable businesses. "Several of us got together to launch a volunteer organization of business professionals, who could use our business skills to help women entrepreneurs in post-conflict countries expand their business and create employment. Those jobs will help create more peaceful communities," said Maloney. The female entrepreneurs that Bpeace assists employ nearly 1,800 people who support more than 12,000 Afghan and Rwandan family members.

On September 27 at Bay Street Theatre in Sag Harbor, there will be a benefit for Bpeace's effort to help Afghan women improve their lives and their war-torn country. It is a screening of the documentary Thread, the inspirational story of five remarkable Afghan women who are taking control of their lives and their futures, and in the process are helping to rebuild their devastated country. A Three Graces production, created by filmmaker Laurie Chock, this film captures the true story of how these courageous women risked the potential dangers of kidnapping and defection to take a long journey to New York City, where they took an intensive three-week business-training program at the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.). There, they learned about the fashion industry, in order to take these skills to their own country to open up small businesses - unheard of in Afghanistan. The 10 women were brought to the city by Bpeace in 2005, and the movie documents their travels.

"They visited with designers and retailers, and studied at F.I.T.," she said. "When they returned home, one woman ran for Parliament, a few opened their retail businesses, and one woman sells knitted baby clothes to a New York store called Sons and Daughters."

Maloney said the upcoming documentary "shows a side of these Afghan women that people rarely see - they are feisty and determined." Following the screening, one of the women will be present for a Q&A from the audience. "We are bringing 12 more of these women to New York in two weeks. They will be apprenticing all over, at different businesses," she explained. "One is a furniture maker, another a commercial printer, another a beekeeper, and another a radio broadcaster." Bpeace is also helping women of Rwanda, and looking into helping women of other countries.

Also on September 27, the Tulla Booth Gallery in Sag Harbor is having a photo exhibit to accompany the movie. In the lobby of Bay Street Theatre will be photos of Afghan women taken by travel photographer Steve McCurry, who exhibits in Booth's Main Street Gallery. McCurry's famous photo of the Afghan girl with the big, sad eyes, taken at a refugee camp, was the cover of National Geographic in 1985.

"I heard about this movie, Thread, and I wanted to add to it, so I will be selling these photos and also Steve McCurry's beautiful photo books, and donating a percentage to Bpeace," Booth said. McCurry also donated a photo to the event, of which half the sale will go to Bpeace and the rest to his charity, Imagine Asia.

Thread: Bay Street September 27 at 7 p.m. There's a wine reception, followed by the film at 7:45 p.m., and discussion/dessert at 9 p.m. Tickets are $55, sold only in advance. They can also be purchased online at www.bpeace.org/thread. For info: 631-574-7144.