Awakening is about the social and economic empowerment of severely marginalized women in Afghanistan and India. As these women courageously band together to transcend their historically restricted roles, a new ethos is spreading. An emerging economic system with values like sharing, mutuality, collaboration and closeness to nature emerges as a counter-text to Globalism and points to a way that could eradicate severe poverty in our lifetime. Written by Joel Weber 1d6 In Bihar, India's poorest state, Sister Mary Lobo organizes women's groups who learn to save small sums and invest as a group. A new ideology is spreading that far transcends rural women's traditional roles. In Afghanistan, Awakening reveals the lives of Afghan women few Westerners have seen. They talk openly about life under the Taliban and their current initiatives for economic development and rights specifically geared to the country's women. fe9 Written by Aaron Kipnis A man walking to school one evening is inexplicably drawn to an outdoor café. When he strikes up a conversation with a woman sitting alone, he begins to realize that there is more to this encounter than just a chance conversation with a stranger. Written by Chris King