Shahin Mafi and Christine Warnke hosted a dinner for 17 of Afghanistan’s future women leaders Jan. 10 . The women are enrolled at eight U.S. colleges and universities through the Initiative To Educate Afghan Women, a grass roots education and leadership program. Guests included Harriet Fulbright and other luminaries of the international education and advocacy communities. Also in attendance were senior level members of the Department of Defense who have served the cause of women’s education in Afghanistan. Since 2002, the Initiative To Educate Afghan Women has provided U.S. undergraduate education and leadership training to 97 Afghan women in support of a growing network of women helping girls and women in Afghanistan. Graduates of the program serve as leaders in the development of their homeland.