The reason we held our event on such short notice (one week) was to take advantage of the fact that our local YWCA was providing opportunities for people in the community to view the Beneath the Veil video. My friend and business partner, Dotti Clune, and I decided to put together a little fund-raiser around some of those showings, since most people seem to be compelled to want to do something after seeing it. And many of us didn't really know how to take positive action. So, it's not that we would recommend giving yourself only a week to plan. That's just the way it turned out here.

We organized the event around three showings of Beneath the Veil at our YWCA. We connected with Steve Penners of the Afghan Women's Mission via email. Steve helped explain the connection between AWM and RAWA and provided current information on the situation in Afghanistan/Pakistan.

In addition to viewing the video, we offered people numerous opportunities to support RAWA and the Afghan people. A local artist volunteered to create a banner that read: "To RAWA, We hear your voices. We stand with you. From your allies in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA" which people could sign. We're sending it to RAWA in Pakistan. We had a computer with an Internet connection available so people could sign RAWA's online petition (see www.RAWA.org and click on Take Action).

A local chef volunteered to put together a wonderful feast of middle eastern fare. Another volunteer provided bottled water and fresh apple cider. We played the Octaves Beyond Silence CD as background music.

We displayed a few RAWA posters which we obtained from the Afghan Women's Mission. And, of course, we collected RAWA donations. A local private foundation that focuses on women's and girls issues provided a matching grant up to $2,000.

To publicize the event, we used what some people call "viral marketing" that is, sent a notice via email to, in this case, 100 people and asked them to forward it to others so word spreads like a (friendly) computer virus. We attached a copy of the flyer so people could print it and distribute copies, as well as an article about Beneath the Veil and RAWA from Salon.com. We also dropped off some copies of the flyer to a couple of local shops, a peace and justice organization, and the YWCA.

We had about 75 people attend and raised about $2,200 (plus the $2,000 matching funds).

A Special Local Event to Support Afghan Women Working for Freedom, Democracy and Social Justice

A number of people who have viewed the Beneath the Veil video or who have heard about it have asked how we in West Michigan can voice our support for the human rights of the Afghan people. As the attached Salon.com article conveys, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) is the courageous group of Afghan women who accompanied filmmaker Saira Shah as she clandestinely documented life under the Taliban. RAWA activists risk their lives every day to advocate for freedom, democracy and social justice and provide education, health care, and other vital services for the oppressed people of Afghanistan. We invite you to join us at a special event in Grand Rapids to:

• View the powerful documentary, Beneath the Veil*
• Sign an on-line petition in support of RAWA
• Add your name to a banner of support to be sent to RAWA in Pakistan
• Drop off your check in support of RAWA
• Learn more about women working for peace and justice in Afghanistan
• Talk with others who share your concerns about the people of Afghanistan

4-7 p.m. Thursday, October 18, 2001
The YWCA/Center for Women

To find out more about how you can take action visit the Action Center for more information.