Moving Beyond Grief to Global Understanding
Primary Source Commemorates 9/11 With Film Screening and Discussion
Last week on Wednesday, September 21 and in partnership with the Boston College Center for Human Rights and International Justice, Primary Source hosted a screening and panel discussion of the documentary film Beyond Belief, the story of Susan Retik and Patti Quigley. Widowed on 9/11, these two extraordinary women demonstrated the power of global understanding as they traveled to Afghanistan and discovered an unlikely kinship with widows halfway around the world.
Over 150 attendees came together at Boston College to learn more about Afghanistan and initiatives that are improving the lives of its people. A panel discussion followed the film screening, including Beth Murphy, the filmmaker; Ali Banuazizi, Boston College professor and scholar of Afghan history; and Patti Quigley, the Wellesley resident featured in the film and currently the executive director of Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls in Afghanistan.
During the panel discussion, Patti Quigley expressed cautious optimism for Afghanistan. She shared that her work with nonprofits serving women in Afghanistan taught her that giving women the opportunity to support themselves can have a positive impact, allowing them to afford to send their children to school. But, she noted, it will be many years before the generation now being educated is old enough to make the decisions necessary to positively affect Afghanistan.
Professor Ali Banuazizi of Boston College helped audience members understand historical context for the present-day situation in Afghanistan, stressing that true peace and prosperity would take many years to achieve. Beth Murphy, producer/director and founder of Principle Pictures, shared why she became interested in documenting this story. "The work that Patti and Susan do and who they are as people represents this incredible humanity that we all share," she said. "They viewed Afghan women as individuals from the beginning. I was struck by their ability to view Afghanistan in all its complexity." According to Beth, Patti and Susan "illustrate what we can do as world citizens" because they moved beyond grief to take action toward making the world a better place.
A 42 minute classroom version of the film was screened at the event. Educators who would like to teach about 9/11 and share the Beyond Belief story in their classrooms can find study guides and teaching modules at the Beyond Belief website. Teaching resources and a curriculum guide on Afghanistan and 9/11 from Primary Source are also available online.
