Zubair Qureshi
CEO and Founder of the ‘Roots of Peace’ Heidi Kühn a few months after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Twin Towers in 2001 realized landmines were spread all across Afghanistan—a country 80% dependent on agriculture.
With funding from Diane Disney Miller, daughter of Walt Disney, she partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to remove landmines in the Shomali Plains north of Kabul.
Heidi Kühn faced challenges spread over three continents – Europe, Asia and Africa – in removing landmines and rehabilitating the demined land.
These and other interesting details are given in her book ‘Breaking Ground’ that was virtually launched by the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development And Transparency (PILDAT) a day earlier (Thursday). Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Ambassador Mohammed Sadiq was the keynote speaker at the virtual book launch.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, President, PILDAT, Shahid Khan, Roots of Peace Senior Adviser and Honorary Consul General of Pakistan, and Gary Kühn, President, Roots of Peace, also spoke at the book launch.
Heidi Kühn shared her plans and insights as the author of the book.
Ahmed Bilal Sufi while commending Kühn’s efforts, said the positive results of her work allowed local farmers to plant vines, fruit trees and cash crops, and, connected local farmers to international markets. He also spoke about the creation, struggle and success of the organization founded by Ms. Kühn which is aptly named ‘Roots of Peace.’
The virtual book launch was moderated by Emmy Award-winning Journalist, Ms. Cheryl Jennings.
Partnering with the University of California, Davis, Kühn started her work to grow fresh grapes and also produce raisins on former minefields in Afghanistan with funding from USAID.
‘Roots of Peace’ restored the agricultural land in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan by planting various fruits like grapes, pomegranate, nuts, figs, apricots, and apples.
Mehboob said, “We at PILDAT look forward to partnering with Ms. Heidi Kühn and her Roots of Peace to do humanitarian work in Pakistan especially in the former FATA area to help the Government in reconstruction and development of agriculture.” The keynote speaker Ambassador Sadiq said the timing of this book launch was very interesting as shortly the inaugural session of Intra-Afghan negotiations was going to begin in Doha, Qatar. “We are hopeful that at this inaugural session of Intra-Afghan negotiations, people of Afghanistan and their stakeholders will be able to decide on an agenda for future talks,” stated Ambassador Sadiq.
Heidi Kühn, founder of Roots of Peace and author of Breaking Ground while thanking the participants said her book described difficult 23-year journey helping war-torn countries remove landmines and restore land for agriculture.
She emphasized that through her belief in ‘Peace through Agriculture’, she would like to work with Pakistan to impact farmers and families through her MINES TO VINES initiative. She said that sharing her ‘call to action’ to plant the Roots of Peace in Pakistan on the eve of the 19th anniversary of 9/11 is a step forward to promote people-to-people contact and support farmers and families in Pakistan. Shahid Ahmed Khan said Heidi Kühn had helped bring real change to Afghanistan. Breaking Ground shares the inspiring journey she began and he is very happy to facilitate Ms. Heidi Kühn and Roots of Peace to work in Pakistan.
