September 2002

From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe — Serving Those in Need 

As I walked through the market in Mazar-e-Sharif, the peace shattered. People scrambled under stalls and into stores, and an Afghan colleague quickly shuffled me to safety. Another face-off had occurred between Afghan troops and local men carrying rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The skirmish lasted only minutes; then people resumed their bartering. It was just another day in Afghanistan.

A few years ago, I couldn't have imagined that I would be living and working in a war zone where there was a $200,000 bounty on the heads of American aid workers. My "former" life as a partner at Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland in Seattle was safe, secure and predictable. Volunteer work kept me involved in the Seattle community, and, as president of the Washington Chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, my professional activities were rewarding.

Yet something called me to reach for challenges and new experiences outside my comfortable "box." My interest in international affairs and work with immigrants steered me toward our global community and humanitarian issues in developing countries. I wanted to see more, learn more, and do more — firsthand. I decided to take a two-year unpaid sabbatical to work in the developing world.

Since my journey began in 1998, I have been in 28 countries across five continents. I have slept in African townships with families living without heat or refrigeration; a convent with fearless nuns challenging government corruption; mud huts without running water or electricity; tents with lions and hippos eating voraciously nearby; dormitories with students studying communism and atheism; and bed and breakfasts, with authors and diplomats discussing AIDS, peace and reconciliation. I have eaten things I can't describe. I have traveled by canoe, moped, bus and elephant. I have worn clothes of all shapes and fabrics, including a burka. You name it; I have tried it. It has been a memorable, eye-opening four years.

Since experienced lawyers are extremely rare in the developing world, my legal services have been in high demand. Consequently, I have been able to pick and choose both my clients and assignments. Most of my clients have been international or local nonprofit organizations that focus on relief and development. Like large for-profit corporations, these entities are parties to multimillion-dollar contracts. They also oversee substantial assets, hire dozens of workers, and face complex business and political challenges. In addition, I have worked for smaller organizations that focus on legal issues such as human rights, women's rights and democracy, as well as legal clinics that focus on legal literacy.

Although I call myself a legal/business consultant, I am a jack-of-all-trades. From a legal perspective, I have prepared business agreements, incorporation documents, personnel manuals, leases and governance documents. From a business perspective, I have analyzed and restructured nonprofits, participated in dispute resolution, formed partnerships, drafted various business policies and procedures, and prepared strategic business plans. This work has been extremely interesting, challenging and rewarding.

Admittedly, at first I was nervous about working on such diverse projects, especially since my work had become so specialized over the years. But with the help of other lawyers, the Internet, and a few good libraries, I found the resources to complete even the most obscure assignment. I also found much of my basic legal training to be invaluable. Identifying issues, researching and analyzing, thinking creatively, resolving conflicts, and recommending practicable solutions are needed to get projects — of any kind — off the ground.

My average assignment lasted just a few weeks. Other projects required more time, mostly because of lack of infrastructure. (Unlike most of our U.S. clients, foreign nonprofits rarely have electricity, computers and printers, photocopiers or office supplies. Moreover, they work in political climates that are extremely challenging.) In Zimbabwe, for example, I spent almost one year researching foreign banking, commercial and debt-collection laws. Then I prepared and implemented an operations manual for Opportunity International, one of the world's largest microlending institutions, which grants small loans to the poor. This work was extremely gratifying because the money helped men and women develop their own incomes, and I could actually see it transform their lives — economically, socially and politically — over the year.

One does not leave behind security, friends and family, personal freedoms, and the comforts of home without a strong sense of purpose. My calling has been to empower the poor, particularly women, so they can live more secure, productive and healthy lives. I also feel called to build bridges and break down barriers between cultures. Our world is interconnected, and the lives of people on one side of the world can clearly affect those on the other side.

Friends and colleagues have asked me about my most recent trip to Afghanistan. They've asked: "Why did you go?" Last fall there were several news stories showing an angry Pakistani protestor waving a sign that read, "Americans, Think! Why are you hated all over the world!" I was deeply moved. I wanted to know more.

I learned that Afghanistan is at the top of the United Nations' list of poor countries. Statistically, it has one of the world's highest rates of infant and maternal mortality, malnutrition, and landmine victims. Thirty years of civil strife, a three-year drought, and devastating earthquakes have resulted in more internally displaced persons and refugees than any other country in the world. Afghanistan also has been listed as one of the most oppressed countries in the world. During the Taliban rule, women were not allowed to leave their homes without a male relative; attend school; or work, listen to music, or laugh. Even today, Afghanistan still has strict codes regarding dress and conduct. Women continue to wear burkas, a tarp-like garb that covers them from head to foot, because they fear persecution and harassment.

Ironically, Afghan politicians portray America as the oppressors. They see us using military and economic clout to manipulate world policy, and capitalism to destroy the environment and keep the poor disenfranchised. They also are influenced by the media we export. Given that "Bay Watch" and "World Wrestling" are two of the most-watched programs in the developing world, it is not hard for images of American culture to be distorted as overly loose, self-centered, materialistic and corrupt.

In January, I left Washington for Central Asia. I chose to work with Seattle-based World Concern, one of the leading international relief and development organizations in Central Asia. It has been actively working in Afghanistan for 22 years. My primary job was to expand World Concern's current relief efforts into the central region of northern Afghanistan. This included setting up an office in Mazar-e-Sharif, and researching and writing a grant proposal to the U.S. government. The proposal sought assistance for 28,000 people in Balkh Province by addressing their lack of food and job security, health and well-being, and education. This assignment gave me a chance to learn about Muslim views of America, and experience Afghanistan's harsh living conditions. It also gave me a first-hand opportunity to meet local Afghans, UN officials, and hundreds of foreign aid workers.

Whether in Afghanistan or Zimbabwe, I have been inspired and encouraged by the relief and development workers I have met abroad. Representing all sectors of our society, they are helping to alleviate poverty and despair — one small gesture at a time. Their smiles and acts of kindness are putting another face on America, which has clearly been misunderstood in the non-Western world. Their displays of leadership are demonstrating that educated girls and working women can play an important role in mending society. And their hearts and minds, which are interested in learning about other cultures and beliefs, are implicitly teaching the virtues of peace and democracy. These are no small accomplishments. Such efforts are the seeds of change and the building blocks of long-term peace and stability.

My life also has been forever blessed by the poor. The families with whom I have lived and worked have completely changed the way I look at life, as well as the way I think and act. They have taught me invaluable lessons about generosity, compassion, dignity, simplicity, humility, suffering, relationships and spirituality.

In many ways, I am no different than other members of the Washington State Bar Association. I worked hard through school; I worked hard to get good jobs and to make partner at a well-respected law firm. I looked for fulfillment in my work, in titles, and in the salary I earned. But I never gained the same sense of satisfaction and purpose that I did from my direct involvement with the poor. My work in this arena is clearly the highest prize of my professional career.

Lawyers are among America's best and brightest. We are highly capable leaders. We have the education, skills and motivation to serve as effective advocates and counselors. In Washington or overseas, nonprofit organizations serving the poor can definitely use our help.

In the business community, we often talk about return on investment. Without reservation, I guarantee you will be rewarded for your time and energy. Each new project and each new trip returned 150 percent more to me than I ever gave.

In 1998, Julia Bolz left her partnership in Seattle to provide pro bono legal and business services to nonprofit organizations in the developing world. If you are interested in volunteer opportunities or Julia's latest project (building two elementary schools in Afghanistan), e-mail juliabolz@msn.com. For more information about World Concern's work in Afghanistan, see http://www.worldconcern.org/.