Beyond 9/11

Beyond the 11th is a charitable organization devoted to supporting widows who have been affected by the horrors of war and terrorism, and whose situation and poverty is often compounded by a lack of any support system in their countries to help them survive as widows. Beyond the 11th has focused its initial energy and efforts on Afghanistan, the country from which the terrorists who killed our founders' husbands trained.

FOUNDERS


Susan Retik

Susan Retik was born in Philadelphia and received a Bachelor of Arts from Colgate University, where she met David Retik. Upon graduating, Susan worked in the field of marketing at Scholastic in New York City until moving to Needham, Massachusetts where she still resides with her three children. Susan is active in various humanitarian and women�s organizations around the globe. She is currently on the boards of Our Voices Together and the David E. Retik Christopher D. Mello Foundation. In 2005, Susan contributed her story of Beyond the 11th�s origins to the Peace Times, a monthly publication distributed by the international Peace X Peace organization. Since founding Beyond the 11th, Susan has spoken to numerous community organizations and was a featured panelist at the 2006 International Women�s Day Conference hosted by the International Institute of Boston.

Patti Quigley

Patti Quigley was born in Lowell, Massachusetts. She went to college in Lowell and stayed close to her family until she moved to Atlanta, Georgia at 26. Patti was following her career in the banking industry. When she met Patrick, he had just moved to Georgia from New Jersey. Patti and Patrick were together for three years before they married in 1993. The couple moved seven times in their eleven years together. They moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts in May of 2001 to be closer to their families. Just four months later, one week after their daughter Rachel started kindergarten, Patrick was killed. Patti was eight months pregnant with their second daughter, Leah.

HONORARY BOARD MEMBER

Fatima Gailani. We are lucky to have Fatima�s support. She lives in Kabul and provides frequent updates on the status of widows. Fatima was a member of the drafting committee for the Afghan constitution and a member of the Afghan Loya Jirga. She is an advocate for women�s rights in Afghanistan and is frequently featured on CNN and the BBC.

The Situation in Afghanistan

As news reports continue to show, the reconstruction process in Afghanistan remains incomplete. Although the government of president Karzai has been functioning for some years, there are still enormous challenges facing Afghan society. Poverty and desperation remain the currency for most Afghan people - particularly for women.

Despite some significant changes, women still face tremendous obstacles to achieving basic rights. They continue to face discrimination and disadvantage in all aspects of life. Although the unemployment statistics for all Afghans remain dismal, the statistics for women are particularly damaging. In addition, Afghan widows, who continually have to depend on the charity of family members, remain trapped in dependence and poverty.