Arthur Chrenkoff has his regular good news article up. Lots of good stuff on the hard work of democracy and education. The first bit on the Afghan Women's Soccer team is interesting and quoted in its entirity here.

OpinionJournal - Extra: "Sometimes, a simple story can better encapsulate the essence of a situation than dozens of learned articles and reports. This is one such story:

They practice on concrete rather than on grass, and their kit is far from uniform, but Afghanistan's premier women's [soccer] team is looking forward to making history this summer when it plays its first international match.

Even before they step onto the pitch at the Banuwan women's competition in Iran in August, the women of Kabul Selected will have overcome more obstacles than most athletes.

The team has been playing in organised leagues for a little more than a year. When they began, most training took place behind closed doors. While they still lack the amenities available to male players, the best players from the capital's 12 girls' teams have moved into the open.

The team is now practicing next to the grass pitch of Kabul Athletic Stadium, where the Taliban used to conduct their public executions--making one wonder whether, perhaps, God is a woman, after all.

Just as it reveals Afghanistan's triumphs, the story also illustrates the challenges facing the Afghan people: lingering discrimination and the need to maintain the struggle against ingrained backward attitudes, lack of resources and an all-too-slow flow of foreign assistance. But positive developments should not be overshadowed by negativity; Afghanistan has had enough of it for the past quarter of a century. The difference now is the unparalleled range of opportunities opening to Afghans, and the fact that with some much needed and generous help they are starting to make a better tomorrow. Here are some of their stories from the past month."