ON THE FRONTLINE FOR PEACE: SPEAKER NANCY PELOSI MEETS WITH HEIDI KUHN IN KABUL

U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan Hosts Congressional Delegation to Discuss Impact of Roots of Peace

March 2, 2009—Kabul, Afghanistan—Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a Congressional Delegation to Afghanistan where they met with Roots of Peace, a California based humanitarian organization serving as a catalyst to bring together the forces of agriculture in tandem with the goal of increased U.S. Military presence—bringing stability through “shovels not shrapnel.”

Heidi Kuhn, Founder/CEO, Roots of Peace, personally expressed her gratitude to Speaker Pelosi for attending the “launch” of the MINES TO VINES initiative in San Francisco in April 1998— transforming the scourge of landmines into bountiful vineyards worldwide. Afghanistan is 80% dependent on agriculture, and Roots of peace aims to restore the image of this country as “The Garden of Central Asia.” In Afghanistan, Roots of Peace removed over 100,000 landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) and professionally trained over 100,000 farmers to grow sustainable agricultural crops as a viable alternative to poppies for export—doubling and tripling the income for Afghan farmers.

Roots of Peace was among six organizations represented at the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan, and expressed the following accomplishments to the Speaker and Congressional Delegation:

• ROOTS OF PEACE (ROP) MODEL ESTABLISHED IN 17 of 34 AFGHAN PROVINCES: Badhakshan, Balkh, Bamyan, Ghanzi, Jalalabad, Kabul, Kandahar, Kapisa, Kunar, Kunduz, Laghman, Logar, Nangahar, Parwan, Panshir, Samegan, Zabul
• NEW AGRICULUTRE: apricots, cherries, grapes, apples, pomegranates, citrus, almonds, walnuts
• PLANTING NEW TREES: Over 1.5 million trees planted in Afghanistan
• FINANCIAL IMPACT: doubled/tripled the income for Afghan farmers to poppy sales
• MAJOR FUNDING: USAID, USDA, DOD, ADB, EU, World Bank, Soros, Skoll, Rockefeller
• MARKET EXPORT & PACKAGING TO: India, Dubai, Ukraine, Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia
• REPLICATION OF ROP MODEL: USAID, World Bank, European Community, Asian Development
• 25 MILLION PENNIES RAISED FOR PEACE: building/rebuilding schools and soccer

In addition to the Speaker, the members of the delegation were: John Larson, Democratic Caucus Chair; George Miller, Chair of the Education and Labor Committee; Rosa DeLauro, Chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture; Ed Markey, Chair of Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming; Anna Eshoo, Chair of the House Select Intelligence Subcommittee on Intelligence Management; Michael Capuano, member of the House Financial Services Committee; and Bill Pascrell, Jr., Member of the House and Homeland Security Committee.

Heidi Kuhn at speaker Pelosi’s Inaugural, Washington, D.C. – January 4, 2007

Afghan Farmer and Heidi Kuhn – June 20, 2008

Roots of Peace is a San Rafael, CA based nonprofit organization whose mission is to rid the world of landmines and other remnants of war by transforming toxic minefields into thriving farmland and communities.

1299 Fourth Street, Suite 200 San Rafael, CA 94901 • Tel: 415.455.8008 • www.rootsofpeace.org