LOOKING INSIDE AFGHANISTAN - A DISCUSSION SERIES with Marnie Gustavson

Marnie Gustavson is a tireless activist for women and children. This talk will be held at SJIMA on August 17 starting at 7 pm. She is Executive Director of PARSA, an NGO building Healthy Afghan Communities. This event is sponsored by RaVae Luckhart and Jack Rice, Rob Ray and the Town of Friday Harbor.

No reservations are required.  This is a Pay As You Can event.

Speaker Bio

Marnie Gustavson is the Executive Director of PARSA, an international non-profit based in Kabul, Afghanistan, where she resided for five years of her childhood. In her work as executive director and as a consultant, Marnie creates new approaches to social problems using humanity’s creativity, resilience, and ability. Her international work focuses on developing leaders who have an appreciation for human interconnectedness, and an interest in developing sustainable systems that promote all people having access to equality and economic opportunities.

Understanding the importance of community partnership, three ground-breaking programs highlight the mission of PARSA. With the Ministry of Education, PARSA has helped rebirth the 80-year-old Afghan Scouts program. With the Ministry of Social Affairs, PARSA has the Healthy Afghan Child Program and is working to initiate change in the Afghan National orphanage system so as to ensure the most vulnerable children in Afghanistan can have care in the post-conflict country. 

In 2013, PARSA launched a marketing network for women entrepreneurs called Trade Afghan, to provide access to markets for small farmers and producers. She has worked as a consultant and trainer for women leaders, Afghan women parliamentarians, and NGO directors providing comprehensive organizational development, and a unique program of personal and professional support in this post-conflict country. 

Working with her husband, Dr. Norman Gustavson, psychologist and medical anthropologist, she has adapted psychosocial services to the Afghan culture. In 2012-2014, she and Dr. Gustavson conducted staff training for shelter workers in the five NGOs that oversee battered women's shelters. In 2017, PARSA launched a national psychosocial program in eight provinces called Healthy Afghan Professional Women support groups, which is facilitated by trained local volunteers using peer counseling methodology. Her consulting work in organizational development, leadership, and management have included Roshan Telecom, UN Women, UNOPS, DANNER, American University of Afghanistan, and Equal Access Radio. She was a consultant for two years with the American University of Afghanistan to develop the curriculum and train teachers for the Goldman Sachs "10,000 Women Program" for Afghan women entrepreneurs.

Ms. Gustavson was featured in Christiane Amanpour’s 2009 documentary, Generation Islam.

PARSA’s website is located at: www.afghanistan-parsa.org.

PARSA = Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation Support for Afghanistan