Habiba lives in a small town outside of Kabul, Afghanistan. She is a passionate teacher who had been operating a preschool for 50 children in a rented two-room building. She has bigger dreams. She and her husband, parents of seven children, bought land to build a preschool for 500 Afghan children–filling a need in a community where both parents must work, providing a safe environment for their children.

Bpeace, the Business Council for Peace of New York City, interviewed Habiba in 2004 when she applied for their three-year business-building and mentoring program. Bpeace also encouraged Habiba to apply for the Thunderbird Artemis program, where she met a mentor who works for a large preschool network. Bpeace also raised $30,000 to help Habiba start construction of the school.

"Habiba is promoting peace in her community by creating a safe place for young children," says founding Bpeace board member Toni Maloney. "Habiba experienced war firsthand. In addition to a traditional children’s curriculum, Habiba is also teaching peace and nonviolence to the children. Their parents are now able to find work to support their families, which strengthens communities."

Maloney was a busy strategic marketing executive who had worked for major advertising firms. Eventually, she managed her own firm. While attending the 2002 Global Peace Initiative of Women meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, she talked with a group of 25 women business leaders, led by Ruder Finn executive Anne Glauber, who were motivated to help in concrete ways. The result was the Business Council for Peace. UNIFEM’s executive director, Noeleen Heyzer, was instrumental in initial discussions and advised the volunteers to see if they could help the women of Rwanda and Afghanistan. Bpeace employs a program manager at each location.

In April of this year, Bpeace selected a new group of entrepreneurs for its three-year program in Afghanistan. In November, Bpeace will bring 10 to 12 Afghan women to Dubai for a week of business education at Dubai Women’s College and site visits to businesses in related industries. This program is funded in part by a seed grant from the U.S. Department of State.

Maloney reports that Rwanda is safer now, and that the government is working with citizens to build an accepting and inclusive government. "The genocide and its aftermath still have an immense impact on decision-making and other life issues, however," she says. "Business owners face similar issues to ones here–lack of access to capital, competitive markets and business best practices." Bpeace is helping Symphrose Mukamazimpaka market her new hotel and conference center in her town of Butare, Rwanda, which created 40 community jobs. "Economic stability is a solid route to peace," Maloney says.

Anne Kellett agrees and quotes Speciose Ufitinema, owner of a party rental shop in Rwanda: "When people have jobs, you don’t have time to think about violence." Kellett says, "A lot of people in the U.S. think that peace is merely the absence of war, but it’s more than that. Rwandans know peace is a feeling of safety, having enough food, community–even seeing a flower. These women are truly amazing. Their ability to survive, get up every day and carry on in spite of the terrible things that have happened to them is a testament to the human spirit."

She recalls Leinualda Munyakazi, a Bpeace associate who operates a cleaning business. "GeEmeJes," the name of her business, incorporates the names of children murdered in the genocide. Kellett feels a strong kinship with Rwandans, as her parents were Holocaust survivors,and has traveled to the country three times so far.

Kellett, who lives in New York City and Vermont, while working for CitiBank as vice president of Strategic Credit Card Marketing, was looking for a global volunteer opportunity to help children. "Bpeace was a natural fit," she says. "I met like-minded people who wanted to do more than just write a check. I knew that by helping women I would also be helping children."

Kellett says that the BlackBerrys and Rolodexes of all Bpeace members and volunteers–making connections and offering assistance–was the organization’s greatest asset. "It means a lot to Rwandans that Bpeace volunteers show up and offer help."

Kellett is the former chair of Bpeace’s Rwanda program and Governing Board, but is still active in organizations that help Rwandan women, such as Made for Peace www.madeforpeace.com and Rwanda Knits www.fiberandcraft.org

"These women business owners need access to business support and information every day," Kellett says. "Funding is critical, because business loans are 18 percent and higher. Bpeace helps by guaranteeing half the loans they take at Fina Bank. The need for on-the-ground business consultants is most important too," she says.

Kellett says many women, as true entrepreneurs, operate three to four businesses and are part of the strengthening of an emerging middle class. Auréa Kayiganwa, a lawyer and former director of AVEGA widow association, wants to build housing and a community center for elderly survivors and orphans, while Emerita Mukayaranga, who founded a nonprofit conference center, also operates 41 literacy centers and has plans to open a hotel.

Lee Rubinstein of Buckingham, PA, majored in folklore, mythology and social anthropology while at Harvard University. He currently directs his talents and interests toward a career of social change, engaging people to think globally. "We’re all living on the same planet," he says. "So we must help each other." A collector of African art, he researches, educates and increasingly sells African art to enable his work in Rwanda.

Serving as a Bpeace volunteer mentor and past co-chair of the Rwanda program have been a tremendous education. Rubinstein mentors Ange Mukankuranga by email and phone, helping her make contacts in her field in the U.S. and Rwanda. She operates a photography and video studio from her home office, hiring a local crew to help with weddings, portraits and family events. She’d like to set up a separate studio, but needs to get equipment and training first.

"People see Ange with a camera or video camera and take a second look because this is a non-traditional career for a woman," Rubinstein says. "She is doing what she needs to do. She has found a niche. She currently has a job at the National Curriculum Center and was a primary school teacher before that, but it didn’t pay enough to support her post-genocide extended family. Also, during the 1994 genocide, people were rounded up at schools and murdered. To go back there brings back terrible memories," he says.

Selma Jackson of Brooklyn, NY, was asked by a friend to join Bpeace. She traveled to Rwanda last year to teach a marketing workshop to associates. She wore a tie-dyed dress that day. At the break, Constance Mukankusi admired it and invited her to see her own tie-dyed fabric creations. Jackson loved them. "At the time, I did not know we would be matched as mentor and mentee, but it has worked out very well," she says.

Jackson operates the 4W Circle of Art and Enterprise Inc. (www.4wcircle.com), which provides supportive services and studio space to artists. Mukankusi is the president of Ujuzi, her business of textiles, jewelry and handmade crafts. She is a founding member of ATRAC, the Association for Trade and Promotion of Rwanda Art Craft and Culture.

Jackson is helping her find international markets for her goods. Mukankusi would like to get training in fabric painting. "Constance visited Washington, D.C., New York, Oklahoma and California on another training program. We were lucky enough to extend her New York week at my space, and when I go back to Rwanda I will see hers. While she was here, Constance was pleased that artists bought her beads, and that a fashion designer quickly sold out the clothing he had made from her cloth."

ATRAC lies in the heart of Kigali and is Mukankusi’s latest cooperative. "We produce craft products like baskets, fabrics, wood-made crafts, in general all Rwanda-made crafts. We also try to be creative in all different crafts that our members can come up with. Our vision is promoting young artists and increase in export of craft products," Mukankusi says. She is developing a craft school under Ujuzi, required under Rwanda law to become a company. Once Ujuzi’s registration is complete, she will begin the school. "My target groups will be HIV/AIDS victims, street kids and women in prison. I will be training them on making different crafts and fabrics," she says.

Mukankusi appreciates help from many Bpeace members. "They took me around to visit different areas related to my business... [T]he bead export that I had pursued first gave me some experience on how to deal with clients. I learnt modalities of export orders, like going through the steps of exportation."

Maloney says Afghanistan is still not safe for women. Many women fear being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Simply taking a taxi somewhere is dangerous. Having electricity for only two hours a day makes it difficult to accomplish anything. Lack of access to high-quality materials can also prevent profitable businesses," Maloney says, noting the team of craftswomen who made exquisite and delicate embroidered pieces, but who don’t have good cloth or thread to work with.

Afghan radio broadcaster Zakia Zaki was accepted into the Bpeace program. Tragically, she was murdered at home with her son on the day she learned the good news.

"I think about Zakia a lot," says Bpeace volunteer Ladan Pazhouhandeh, who moved to the Washington, D.C., area less than a year ago from New York. Ladan enjoyed interviewing Zaki on one occasion as Zaki applied to Bpeace. "Zakia would broadcast twice a week about women’s rights and issues. She kept her antenna mobile in an effort to hide it from the Taliban, who was targeting her and her station. She was given the antenna while studying journalism in Kabul. She started Radio SOLH (Persian for peace) with the American equivalent of $100, eventually hiring 16 people. I hope that Zakia’s friends and family will push forward to materialize Zakia’s dream of equality and justice for Afghan women."

Ladan initially signed up for Bpeace’s e-mail newsletter and was immediately invited to become a member, which she gladly did after reading about Bpeace’s work and accomplishments. She has volunteered in any way she could since joining in 2005. Iranian-American, Ladan is fluent in Persian. Her interpretation skills were valuable on a Bpeace mission to Afghanistan as she helped out other interpreters and drivers on the trip. While there, she discovered that she was in her element teaching a session on using Internet and e-mail–something associates requested. Ladan will continue to use her background in accounting and finance to mentor associates.

"Bpeace is an international network of businesspeople–men and women–who volunteer. We are looking for businesspeople with technical knowledge in tourism/hospitality, radio broadcasting, beauty salon management, light manufacturing, oil and gas importing and customer service: human resources, accounting and finance and marketing," Maloney says, indicating that anyone may join Bpeace and volunteer in any capacity.

"We may never know everything that these women have gone through. We look at business through a cultural lens, and promote peace through economic, human, social and political capital," says Maloney. "We look at ‘fast runners’–women who have started businesses despite incredible odds, who have intuitive business sense, but still need advice and support to build them to their fullest potential," she says. "Bpeace is helping female entrepreneurs connect the dots between business and peace."

Business Council for Peace
www.bpeace.org

Build Habiba’s Day Care Center
www.afghandaycare.blogspot.com

"Brooklyn and Manhattan Embrace Constance"
www.constancebackstory.blogspot.com