![\"\"](\"http:\/\/verista.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/07\/LisaTom-Bamyan.jpg\" "\\"LisaTom-Bamyan\\"")
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Lisa Schnellinger and her husband Tom Willard are committed to sharing their experience, in\u00a0dialog\u00a0with those who want a deeper\u00a0understanding of Afghanistan.Their talks are colored with life stories of Afghan colleagues and friends, whose lives have been directly affected by the U.S. in both military action and development work.<\/span><\/p>\n With the media\u2019s tendency to focus on violence, corruption, and extremism, \u201cAmericans are understandably afraid and confused by what little they glean from the news,\u201d Lisa says.<\/span><\/p>\n The scenes and portraits of ordinary life on a large scale, and the accompanying slideshow, in Beyond the Mountains <\/a>counter that distortion: \u201cWe want to offer instead the chance to walk through markets, stand in mosques, work in offices and share meals in homes, as we have done.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n It has not been a straightforward path. In working through their own dilemmas about Afghanistan, the couple\u2019s personal dialogues have reflected larger debates. Their talks describe the flow of reality, not forced conclusions.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe feel our work is essential to democracy \u2013 for Americans and Afghans \u2013 so that citizens can make informed decisions,\u201d Lisa says.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSpeaking from personal experience and professional study, we try to give a broader and deeper sense of the consequences of US actions in Afghanistan. We want to offer perspective rather than punditry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Read more about Lisa here.<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n Contact us<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for an appointment to give talks to your group.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" An Insider Perspective Lisa Schnellinger and her husband Tom Willard are committed to sharing their experience, in\u00a0dialog\u00a0with those who want a deeper\u00a0understanding of Afghanistan.Their talks are colored with life stories of Afghan colleagues and friends, whose lives have been directly affected by the U.S. in both military action and development work. With the media\u2019s tendency … Continue reading The Talks<\/span>