In a nutshell, Greg was a mountain climber and found himself 2000 metres, as the crow flies, from the summit of K2 when he could go no further. As he made his way down the mountain he was separated from his porter and stumbled into Korphe, a remote Pakistani village that had never seen a white man before. They helped nurse him back to full strength and when Greg was able to retrieve his pack he used what medical supplies he had left to help the local villagers.
He was inspired by this culture that had so little, wasted nothing and lived in such tough conditions that he plegded to return and build a school. With no money, no sponsors, and only a nursing degree he returned to America with a singular focus. the book charts the course of his life, the trials and tribulations of that first school, the rise of the Central Asian Institute and his mission to promote peace in the Middle East through the education of the youth, especially girls.
Far from condescending, the easy to read book explores the beauty of the cultures in the mountainous terrain of Neighboring Pakistan and Afghanistan through the worldly eyes of Greg Mortenson. The schools are NOT aimed at promoting Christian or western or even completely secular ideals but at the moderate education supported by the highest powers of Islam - the same moderate ideals that the vast majority of the Muslim world subscribe to.
I am generally not a supporter of NGOs and the vast majority of the work they do. Simply put, too many of them are singleminded in their aims and are only worried about their mission regardless of the damage they may be doing to the larger picture. the Central Asian Institute is not like this. In order for a school to be built it has to be the desire of the community, those in the village must contribute the land and help build the school and it must be supported by the local mullah. In this way, the community owns, feels proud of, and protects their schools. Though schools are the primary function of the institute, sometimes there are greater needs that must be solved first like a bridge to the outside world as was the case with Korphe or clean running water. CAI has also established women's centres continuing its mandate of empowering women. For an indepth article on Mortenson see what Outside Magazine said: http://outside.away.com/outside/culture/200812/greg-mortenson-afghanistan-1.html
Greg has written a second book Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan
that I have put on my list to read when it comes out in paperback.If you'll allow a moment of academic geekdom, I've spent most of the last 4 years reading war and society literature over the course of an MA and 2 years of a PhD and I have to say Greg Mortenson with the journalistic help of David Oliver has produced a brilliant book that should be mandatory reading. It is already recommended reading for officers in counterterrorism courses in the Army, Navy, and Marines. The fact that a 6ft4 American has been able to walk around Pakistan and Afghanistan in this international climate and has been able to do so much good in cooperation with the locals should be a direct indication that peace and collaboration is not only possible but at our fingertips if we pour the resources into the proper channels.
I have reallocated a bit of my tiny budget to make a monthly donation to the institute and I would encourage you to find a way to do the same here. For teachers and those involved in the education system they have an amazing program called pennies for peace that is a great way to involve students in the process. Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World... One Child at a Time ( The Young Reader's Edition)
is a version aimed at young readers. I hope many of you take a moment to pick up this book. You won't be disappointed.
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