November 18, 2009

“Harvest of Hope” in Afghanistan for Farmers and Families

November 18, 2009—Kabul, Afghanistan—Roots of Peace, a U.S. based NGO, is preparing to celebrate a “Harvest of Hope” in Mir Bacha Kot—former frontline of the Taliban.

November 17, 2009

“Big Buzz” with Afghan Farmers

November 17, 2009—Kabul, Afghanistan—Afghan farmers are “buzzing” with the news of that a dramatic 40% improvement in their yields can result from the use of bees to aid pollination of the almond flowers.

October 26, 2009

USDA Announcement

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26, 2009—Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the U.S. members of three working groups under the U.S.-Afghanistan-Pakistan trilateral consultations launched in May as part of President Obama's comprehensive, new strategy to enhance global food security. Roots of Peace Executive Director Gary A. Kühn is selected as a member of the Agricultural Trade Corridors group.

October 26, 2009

"Mines to Vines" is on the Climb

October 26, 2009—San Rafael, California— With $11.8 million budget, nonprofit redevelops farms in Afghanistan.
Jim Welte, Marin Independent Journal, San Rafael, California

October 18, 2009

Roots of Peace honors 2009 United Nations International Year of Reconciliation.

October 18, 2009—Greenwich, Connecticut—In recognition of the 2009 United Nations International Year of Reconciliation, Roots of Peace, an accredited NGO with the United Nations Department of Public Information, will be honored at ‘The Harvest of Hope’ event in acknowledgment of their historical accomplishments. At this event, a message from His Excellency Mr. BAN Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, will be delivered by Mr.Vijay Nambiar, Chef de Cabinet of UN Secretary-General.

September 11, 2009

Afghan/American Tribute to 9/11

September 11, 2009—SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA—President Obama has proclaimed September 11, 2009, to be the Inaugural “National Day of Community Service and Remembrance” marking this year’s anniversary of the terror attacks in both Washington, D.C. and New York City. American students will gather at Roots of Peace World Headquarters located at 1299 Fourth Street, Suite 200, San Rafael, California on September 10, 2009 at 8:00 PM to “SKYPE” the Afghan students on their morning of September 11, 2009.  MEDIA IS INVITED TO ATTEND. Candid questions will be discussed, as the Afghan students wake in early hours of Ramadan 9/11.

August 12, 2009

Pennies from Little Kabul...

AUGUST 12, 2009—FREMONT, CALIFORNIA—The U.S./Afghan business community is gathering in Fremont, California, to join forces with San Francisco Bay Area children who have raised over 30 million American “pennies” to remove landmines and build/restore schools and playgrounds.

June 10, 2009

Poppies to Produce

June 10, 2009—Washington, D.C.—June 10, 2009—Washington, D.C.—Roots of Peace, a U.S. based non-profit organization, has completed the planting of 1.2 million fruit and nut trees and grape vines on Afghan soils. This planting is part of a strategic effort to increase rural farm income in the wake of years of conflict and competing illicit crops. The almond, cherry, pomegranate, citrus, apple, apricot and grape plantings will increase rural farm income 2–3 times their current income—higher than income from poppy crops. This announcement was made at the Afghan/American Chamber of Commerce meeting hosted at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C.

May 22, 2009

...Turning Mines to Vines

May 22, 2009—Rutherford, California—Croatian-born Miljenko "Mike" Grgich joined with Heidi Kühn, Founder and CEO, Roots of Peace, to toss coins into the Roots of Peace Fountain on the 33rd anniversary of the Paris Tasting to mark the more than $250,000 raised for replacing the scourge of landmines with bountiful grape vines in Croatia.

April 7, 2009

USDA Awards Roots of Peace Wheat Flour Program

April 7, 2009—Kansas City, Missouri—As the USDA and USAID International Food Aid Conference convenes in the "breadbasket" of America today, Roots of Peace, a California based humanitarian NGO, announced the award of a major grant for 12,500 metric tons of wheat flour estimated at $4 million. The bounty they shared between Afghan farmers through this USDA/ROP program given in the form of wheat flour will be directly donated and sold to fund local development projects —a resource providing food security and horticultural programs to fund the creation of 5,000 new orchards and grape vineyards in the challenging war-torn South Central Afghan provinces of Ghazni, Wardak and Logar.

March 2, 2009

On the Frontline for 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.”

February 3, 2009

Mangia for Peace!

February 3, 2009—San Francisco, California—Pasta Pomodoro, a prominent Italian restaurant chain, has selected ROOT OF PEACE as the recipient charity for a state-wide celebration “Mangia for Peace!” All Pasta Pomodoro restaurants will donate 20% of food sales on February 24 and February 25 to help the people of Afghanistan when patrons mention ROOTS OF PEACE. The proceeds of this special effort will benefit the Roots of Peace programs that remove dangerous landmines and help Afghanistan’s farmers replant agricultural fields. The California community is invited to eat at Pasta Pomodoro restaurants during these two special days, dedicated to bringing forth hope and change in Afghanistan, while enjoying fine culinary delicacies inspired by Owner/Chef Adriano Pananini.

January 22, 2009

Roots of Peace helps cure Afghanistan’s woes

As the war-torn countryside leaves Afghani refugees struggling for survival, a local agency is helping to re-establish farms — as well as curtail the nation’s heroin trade.
Roots of Peace, a Marin nonprofit organization, has successfully implemented countrywide agricultural programs in which more than 100,000 farmers are growing food crops instead of poppy crops (used to produce heroin) to feed their families and for export.

January 16, 2009

Roots of Peace Restores Agriculture in Afghanistan

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN—Roots of Peace (RoP), a California-based non-profit organization, has successfully implemented agricultural programs helping more than 100,000 farmers to rebuild their farm enterprises, growing food crops to feed their families and for export. “RoP is the premier international horticultural specialist working with us in Afghanistan” says Adela Bakhtiari, Director of Horticulture for the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock. “We would like to see their effective programs replicated throughout our 32 provinces across Afghanistan.”

January 1, 2009

Practical aid to Afghans

Roots of Peace replaces mine fields with new orchards and vineyards.

The year was 2002. The setting: the province of Kabul in war-stricken Afghanistan. Gary Kuhn was starting his first day of work in the rugged ­area best known to many for harboring the world's most famous terrorist.
As executive director for Roots of Peace, a humanitarian organization dedicated to eradicating landmines worldwide and restoring the land through ­sustainable agricultural use, his charge was no simple one.