Mortenson is KSC's 'Cup of Tea'

For a little over an hour on Friday, March 5, a small portion of the world stopped, sat down and listened in earnest to hear the true story of one man who made a difference.

Greg Mortenson, author of the # 1 New York Times bestseller “Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time,” came to speak in the Mabel Brown Room at Keene State College in front of a large crowd of students, administrators and community members about his experiences building schools throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan. He reaffirmed that now, more than ever, education is the key to solving worldwide problems.

Mortenson was KSC’s choice for this year’s Ewing World Affairs lecture series, started by James Ewing, a former owner of the Keene Sentinel who had a “service of the global community and commitment to dialogue” according to President Helen Giles-Gee.

Many groups contributed to the event, including the Office of the Provost, Diversity and Multiculturalism Office, Commission on the Status of Women, Common Ground, a Pepsi Grant, the Wheelock School and Women’s Studies Council.

Backed by projected images of World War II, the Civil Rights movement and the Great Depression, Mortenson asked the audience whether they talked to their elders about history. Few raised their hands.

“In Pakistan and Afghanistan about 90 percent raise their hands,” Mortenson said. “It’s all about our folklore, our heritage.”

Mortenson was raised under the principles of global citizenship. After being born in Minnesota, he moved to Tanzania with his parents at the age of three. He lived there for 15 years while his father worked to establish a hospital. Mortenson followed the work of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, a philosopher and physician who lived in the Congo for many years and promoted cultural equality. Mortenson said he highly admires Schweitzer and his legacy.

“True happiness can be found in a life of service,” Mortenson said.

Upon returning to the US, Mortenson said he first learned racism. He came under criticism from his peers when he claimed himself to be of African descent. He said he later found solace in joining the military because of its diverse culture and ample opportunity for advancement.

All the while, Mortenson’s younger sister, Christa, suffered from severe epilepsy. One night, she died from a particularly severe seizure in her sleep. In memoriam, Mortenson decided to take his sister’s amber necklace and place it on top of the world’s second largest mountain, K2 in Pakistan. However, after scaling the mountain and failing to reach the top, Mortenson, dejected, turned to go back home.

In return from his trek, he came upon a small village and was welcomed by the local leader (only under the conditions he bathed and had a cup of tea). While there, he noticed the lack of education and support for youth, particularly for young girls. He said there were no teachers and no facilities for schooling.

“When I saw those kids, writing with sticks in the sand, it really touched me,” Mortenson said. “We have to touch poverty, smell poverty, taste poverty and be with poverty. We can’t solve poverty from a think tank in Washington.”

Since that initial experience, Mortenson has helped to establish over 130 schools throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan. He began small, collecting minimal donations from celebrities such as Tom Brokaw, but gained momentum in elementary school systems. Eventually, he began the Pennies for Peace foundation, which is now present in 4,900 schools across the US.

When the sufficient funds are collected, Mortenson said he travels to the areas in need in the two countries and negotiates with the local shuras on construction of the schools. Mortenson’s funds pay for skill, labor and materials for teachers as well as educational training and support and, in return, the shuras provide the land and labor for the construction of the buildings.

The results of educating girls in the Middle East, according to Mortenson, are invaluable for three reasons.

The first is a reduction in the infant mortality rate. The second is a reduction in overpopulated areas. The third is an improvement of the basic qualities of health and lifestyle.

“Education has to be our top national and international goal,” he said, citing Bangladesh as a shining example.

Mortenson said in Bangladesh over 60 percent of the population is literate, compared to less than 30 percent in the recent past. In addition, birth rate is now down to just over two children per family, compared to over eight. The trouble in the Middle East, however, comes from interference from the Taliban.

According to UNICEF, the Taliban have destroyed two to three schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan every day since 2007. The reason, according to Mortenson, is because the Taliban promotes a “disintegrated civil society” where the relationship between elders and youth is obstructed, thereby allowing their influence to become stronger. Efforts to stop the schools, however, pale in comparison to the education movement. Mortenson said in 2000, 800,000 children were enrolled in schools in Afghanistan. At the dawn of 2010, 8.4 million children were enrolled, over 2 million of them female.

Mortenson’s book also affected the way the US military handled conflict in the countries. “Three Cups of Tea” became required reading for all senior officers and was used with the intent to teach military officials to respect and learn from other cultures. During the presentation, Mortenson showed a quote by Admiral Mike Mullen, which read, “Historically, we have been far too arrogant in the world. We need to go out and serve with humility.”

Mortenson said he would like the US government to consult with Afghani elders more often and to include the American public in the debate over war decisions more often. Overall, he said he would like political leaders as well as military leaders to spend time overseas getting to know the countries they are involved with.

“I think half of diplomacy is just to show up,” he said.

With projects underway throughout the upcoming summer and beyond, Mortenson concluded his speech by reaffirming that the education of children worldwide is the most efficient way of ensuring a stable future. He was met with a standing ovation, everyone applauding his final message displayed on the screen.

“Even if the world ends tomorrow, I will plant my seeds today.”

Corey Smith can be contacted at csmith@keeneequinox.com.