McNulty works to establish relationship between Marblehead, Afghanistan

MARBLEHEAD – Marblehead has a connection with Afghanistan, thanks to a local educator who takes an optimistic view of that country?s future.Leaked diplomatic documents last week alleged that high-ranking Afghan officials are corrupt, and President Obama made a surprise visit to American troops to remind them that their mission makes it possible to partner “with those Afghans who want to build a stronger and more stable and more prosperous Afghanistan.”Robert McNulty, PhD, a longtime Marblehead resident and director of programs at the Center for Business Ethics (CBE) at Bentley University, is working to establish a civilian partnership between Marblehead, the North Shore and the Afghani towns of Istalif and Qara Bagh.In September, 2009 McNulty traveled to Afghanistan and met with district governors and leaders in those towns and formed his own opinion of them as leaders.The district governors are appointed by the national government. McNulty said, and when he proposed a regional partnership, bringing a delegation of Istalif and Qara Bagh civic, educational, and business leaders to the North Shore and Boston, “They loved the idea. I felt they were good people.”?They were so pleased,” he said. “They were downright hopeful and enthusiastic that their towns might be able to engage us in this way.”Thursday afternoon McNulty described his work as the founder of Applied Ethics, Inc. (AE), a nonprofit. It is Applied Ethics? program Pax Populi (?peace of the people”) promotes helpful collaboration between people in the United States and Afghanistan.So far McNulty has begun a student exchange program: he returned to Afghanistan three months ago and in cooperation with AE?s Afghan partner, SOLA (School of Leadership Afghanistan) he brought back a female Afghan student, Shogofa Amini, 23, of Mazar-e-Sharif, to study at Salem State University.Shogofa is currently residing with her American host family, Marblehead Rotary member Paul Crosby and his wife Claire. Wendy Ellen Bates, also of Marblehead and an Applied Ethics volunteer, became Shogofa?s mentor and has already taken her to boating and self-defense classes.McNulty admits he is starting out small but hopes that if this spirit continues to grow, “It can change the tenor of the encounter between the U.S. and Afghanistan.” Noting that Afghanistan has become known as “the graveyard of empires” for its resistance to invasions, McNulty said programs like his can prove that “We (America) don?t need or want an empire. We want to help the Afghanis create a stable country.”Other Pax Populi initiatives are a Skype program teaching English as a second language to Afghanis in Kabul, including teachers from Bentley University, and “Pax Pals”, a peace-oriented pen pal program that uses email. Coordinated by Katelyn O?Brien, a Bentley University sophomore, the pen pal program already has six American and six Afghan participants.Despite his organization?s accomplishments, he told the Rotarians that progress has been limited due to a lack of funds. Further information about Pax Populi is available atwww.AppliedEthics.org or contact McNulty?s via email at [email protected].