Good Magazine Features Arzu’s Connie Duckworth
February 6, 2012 by Sally Farhat Kassab
It’s been 10 years since wear began in Afghanistan, and Good magazine interviewed Skoll Awardee Connie Duckworth of Arzu about her work with women. An excerpt:
“Duckworth ticks off ARZU’s other accomplishments like items on a grocery list. The group has created 1,000 jobs and avoided the security risks of putting foreign nationals on the ground by training an all-Afghan staff to carry out local operations. ARZU has figured out how to heat its workshops by burning briquettes made from shredded paper discarded by the U.S. Embassy instead of contributing to Afghanistan’s deforestation problem—they even sell leftover briquettes to local government offices. Digital collaborations between American and Afghan designers have produced carpet patterns that appeal to a wide variety of tastes while preserving traditional techniques.
This success hasn’t gone unnoticed. ARZU’s model won the 2008 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, and was recognized by the Edison Awards last year for best new product in the lifestyle and social impact category. Now Duckworth is hoping to turn ARZU’s $10 to $15 “peace cord”—a wristband woven from military parachute fabric—into the next Livestrong bracelet.”
See more photos and read more: http://www.good.is/post/rebuilding-afghanistan-s-villages-rug-by-rug/