Three Cups of Tea

"Three Cups of Tea" is the title of a book by Greg Mortenson in which the author relates his long-term efforts to create peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan. As an individual, he has been remarkably successful by focusing his efforts on developing schools, particularly schools for girls.
A couple of weeks ago, Mortenson was interviewed by Bill Moyers. On Sunday, the Adult Forum, will watch the 30-minute interview and share our responses. The text below is copied from the PBS website, and it serves as a good introduction.

Please join us. We'll be happy to see you. Free, excellent and loving childcare is provided.

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From PBS:

Greg Mortenson is the co-founder of the nonprofit Central Asia Institute. His charity arm, Pennies For Peace, helps raise money for his school-building efforts in Central Asia. THREE CUPS OF TEA has been on the NEW YORK TIMES bestseller list for over three years, and was named a TIME Magazine "Asia Book of The Year."

Mortenson's new book is called STONES INTO SCHOOLS: PROMOTING PEACE WITH BOOKS NOT BOMBS, IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN.

As of 2009, Mortenson has established over 131 schools in rural and often violent regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where few educational opportunities existed before. These schools have provided education to over 58,000 children, including 44,000 girls.

In Pakistan, most of Mortenson's schools are in that country's two volatile border regions – one being its border with India, and the other its border with Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, Mortenson's schools are located in seven different provinces, including some that are Taliban strongholds.

In 2009, Mortenson received Pakistan's highest civil award, Sitara-e-Pakistan ("Star of Pakistan") for his humanitarian effort to promote girls education in rural areas for 15 years.

Several bi-partisan U.S. Congressional representatives have nominated Mortenson for the Nobel Peace Prize, in 2009 and 2010.

Mortenson was born in 1957, and grew up on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. His father Dempsey, founded Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC), his mother, Jerene, founded the International School Moshi.

In the late 70s, he served in the U.S. Army in Germany, where he received the Army Commendation Medal, and he later graduated from the University of South Dakota in 1983.