The Inspiration, Courage, Caring, and Wisdom of Greg Mortenson

Inspired Greetings!

One week ago tonight on December 14th, 2009 I had an amazing experience. I saw Greg Mortenson. He spoke to a sold out on their feet totally inspired standing ovation crowd. What an honor it was to be among them. As one friend shares, Greg Mortenson should get the Nobel Peace Prize. Please note that Three Cups of Tea has sold over 3 million copies and is required reading for Special Forces deploying to Afghanistan. For anyone who has not heard of Greg Mortenson and the work he does or has not yet read Three Cups of Tea or his latest book, you may want to explore the below resources and others. You may also want to spread the word. Or donate. Or both. On so many levels, this man's work can be an inspiration and pathway for us all.

Namaste ~ Molly

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Greg Mortenson website: http://www.gregmortenson.com/

Central Asia Institute: https://www.ikat.org/

Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time: http://www.threecupsoftea.com/

Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan: http://www.stonesintoschools.com/

Pennies For Peace: http://www.penniesforpeace.org/

America's Best Leaders of 2009
Published in 2006, Three Cups of Tea has sold more than 3 million copies in 39 countries. It is also required reading for Special Forces troops deploying to Afghanistan and has garnered praise from Pentagon heavyweights like Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen and Defense Secretary Robert Gates
. This has made Mortenson a valued unofficial adviser to the U.S. military, a development that surprised him. "I was actually fairly critical of the military at the Pentagon after 9/11," he says. Pennies for Peace, founded by Mortenson in 1994 with schoolchildren who used their spare change to help him raise money for his first school, accepts no federal funds "and never plans to" so that it will not be "perceived as an arm of the U.S. government." Mortenson has, however, hosted commanders at his schools and visited dozens of bases to brief soldiers. "I can say the military in the last two years has gone through a huge learning curve. In many ways, I think the military is far ahead of our State Department and political leaders."
More: http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/best-leaders/2009/10/22/greg-mortenson-promotes-peace-through-girls-schools.html

Fighting Terrorism With Schools Five Questions For Author Greg Mortenson
Now we have crossed the border into ground zero of the war against terrorism. In 2004, CAI opened its first school in Afghanistan; this year, our 39th. Including tent schools in refugee camps, we already educate 39,000 Afghan children, mostly girls. Taking our mission into a war zone has proved enormously challenging and dangerous. Yet my commitment to educating girls has only grown stronger. Indeed, we hope soon to complete a 200-mile line of girls’ schools directly through the heart of Taliban country.
More: http://www.parade.com/news/2009/11/22-fighting-terrorism-with-schools.html

Five Questions For Author Greg Mortenson
Explain the African proverb: "If you teach a boy, you educate an individual; if you teach a girl, you educate a community." Women who are educated are much less likely to condone their sons getting into terrorism.
More: http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2009-12-10-buzzplus10_ST_N.htm

Greg Mortenson Teaches US Military About Waging Peace
Three Cups of Tea has become required reading for US senior military officers, US Special Forces in Afghanistan, and military personnel from several other countries.
More: http://peacepundit.com/2009/08/15/greg-mortenson-teaches-us-military-about-waging-peace/

Build Relationships, Author Tells Cadets
Education, he says, is the best ammunition against misogynistic terrorist regimes like the Taliban. "We can drop bombs or hand out condoms or build roads," he said, "but if we don't educate the girls, nothing is going to change."
More:
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090313/NEWS/903130339/

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"If we try to resolve terrorism with military might and nothing else, then we will be no safer than we were before 9/11. If we truly want a legacy of peace for our children, we need to understand that this is a war that will ultimately be won with books, not with bombs." — Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time)

“Sometimes the acts of one individual can illuminate how to confront a foreign-policy dilemma more clearly than the prattle of politicians. Such is the case with Greg Mortenson, whose work gives insights into an essential element of fighting terrorism.” —Trudy Rubin, The Philadelphia Inquirer

“ What Greg understands better than most—and what he practices more than anyone else I know—is the simple truth that all of us are better off when all of us have the opportunity to learn, especially our children. By helping them learn and grow, he’s shaping the very future of a region and giving hope to an entire generation.” —Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff