An Evening of Conversation with Greg Mortenson, Founder, Central Asia Institute
On January 10th, Primary Source was pleased to welcome humanitarian Greg Mortenson, co-author of Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace...One School at a Time. A former mountain climber-turned-education advocate, Mortenson engaged his audience in a critical discussion about global literacy, girls' education, and the importance of promoting peace through education. Mortenson inspired both teachers and community members alike during an afternoon book discussion group of 25 teachers, followed by an evening talk open to the public. Mountains to Climb Speaking to a room of over 95 guests who attended the evening event, Mortenson recounted how in 1993, in an effort to climb Pakistan's K2, the second highest peak in the world, he discovered a very different life journey. During his descent, he came upon the impoverished village of Korphe. With a population of 400, the village lacked a schoolhouse and the $1-a-day salary needed to pay a full-time teacher. Determined to bring education to this village, Mortenson vowed to return in order to build their first school. Mortenson spoke of the many obstacles he faced in his grass-roots quest to raise money and build a school for Korphe's 84 students. After selling his valuables and moving into his car to save money, Mortenson painstakingly typed fundraising letters to every celebrity he could imagine. He recalled that "only one donation for $100 from Tom Brokaw came through after writing 580 letters." As a result of this disappointing outcome, Mortenson turned to students. The guests in attendance were amazed to hear that a group of elementary school students in Wisconsin raised $623 by collecting pennies to support Mortenson's cause. He explained how this singular act of generosity launched the success of his fundraising campaign.
Change Through Education Not only was Mortenson able to build a multi-room schoolhouse for Korphe, but he continued to develop his relationships with the people of Pakistan. Guided by his mentor, Haji Ali, he learned the importance of including community members and leaders in the process of education from the first brick laid to the last. "In Pakistan, it takes three cups of tea to affect real change," said Mortenson. "The first cup to make an acquaintance, the second to become friends, and the third to be a part of a family." In order to reach that third cup of tea, Mortenson spoke of how he learned several local languages and lived for months at a time in Korphe in order to understand the culture and build on local ideas. In order to promote community-based education, Mortenson founded the Central Asia Institute (CAI), a non-profit dedicated to raising funds and building schools in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Since its beginnings, CAI has established 58 schools, serving 24,000 students. Through collaboration with NGOs and community leaders, Mortenson has inspired children and adults alike to promote education as a tool for resisting negative forces in their daily lives. Motivating the Community Mortenson's visit to Primary Source encouraged audience members to question how they can get involved and educate their students about others. He highlighted that here at home, the first step to peace is geography and language education. Mortenson invited Primary Source executive director, Kathleen Ennis, to share her perspective on this work. "Today's students must increase their understanding of the world if they are to reach their potential," said Ennis. "Global knowledge is not a luxury; it is a core competency." The most important message delivered to visitors was that any individual can have a significant impact on education. Teachers and community members left Mortenson's talk inspired by his story, awed by his modesty, and motivated to teach others about his efforts and the importance of education worldwide.
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Educating for Global Understanding
