Humanitarian speaks out for mutual understanding
The founder and director of the Central Asia Institute, the co-author of “Three Cups of Tea” and humanitarian Greg Mortenson, estimates he’s consumed about 20,000 cups of tea since he began his work in Afghanistan and Pakistan in 1993.
The Central Asia Institute (CAI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving educational opportunities to children, especially girls, in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The CAI has built over 165 schools that have helped educate nearly 70,000 girls.
Mortenson was in Layton, Utah on Friday as the keynote speaker for the Weber State MBA 10th Anniversary Celebration, which also served as a benefit dinner for the CAI.
Sitting down to tea in these regions signifies a Jirga, a Pashto term meaning a decision-making assembly of male elders. Mortenson said a person who is invited for one cup of tea is considered a stranger, two cups – a friend, and after three cups of tea, part of the family.
“In the West we are very linear and logical and we don’t listen with our heart. It is important to have a balance. We obviously have to think with our head a little and be guided by our heart,” Mortenson said.
The significance of meeting with the elders over tea, Mortenson said, is that the elders, called shura, are the real power and integrity of the countries. The shura are not elected, but rather have risen up through the ranks. There are 100-300 shura in each providence.
“In the rebuilding process, the U.S. has focused too much on setting up a centralized government. We have not really appreciated and invited elders into the decision-making of how they rebuild their country,” Mortenson said.
However, he said this is beginning to change.
“I think the military has gone through a huge learning curve the last several years. They get that it is about listening to people and building relationships and putting the people in charge.”
Mortenson said he was somewhat critical of the military after 9/11 because ,after going to the Pentagon to consult with military officials, he said he saw “laptop warriors with no boots on the ground and they did not speak the local languages.”
As an army veteran, Mortenson said he thinks the military is expected to solve all of our problems overseas.
“This is unrealistic, we expect today’s soldiers to be a warrior, a diplomat and a humanitarian. We, the public, and our leaders need to pick up more of the slack,” Mortenson said.
The CAI does not receive any federal aid, Mortenson said, because they don’t want to be perceived in Pakistan and Afghanistan as an instrument of the U.S. federal government. However, they do “bend over backwards to help the government with building relationships.”
Mortenson said the CAI has all local staff overseas.
“We’ve done that deliberately because we want them to run everything. The locals must be in charge to really help people empower themselves,” Mortenson said.
The best way to do this, Mortenson said, is it to put the emphasis on girls’ education. He said there are some people in Afghanistan and Pakistan who oppose educating girls, saying it is based on Islam.
However, he said, “There is nothing in the Quran that mentions not educating girls. Iqura, a word in the Quran, means go out and seek the truth.”
The implication of educating girls, Mortenson said, is that it reduces infant mortality, maternal mortality and it significantly reduces the population explosion. Also, for every year a girl goes to school after fifth grade, her marriage is delayed about one year.
Many of the women in these countries are forced at ages 13, 14 or 15 to get married and have children when they have not physically or psychologically matured.
Also, educated girls tend to teach their communities and their mothers how to read and boys don’t do that as much, Mortenson said.
“About two-thirds of girls who get educated will go back to their communities and serve their people, and only about one-third of boys do that,” Mortenson said. “If you sum this all up, basically girls’ education is the single most important investment you can make in any society.”
Since Mortenson is doing less of the work overseas now, he said his role as director of the CAI has changed.
Mortenson said, “I’m a reserved person, and I keep wondering ‘why me,’ but it is my life’s calling. But my role has changed in many ways, where overseas I am more like a cheerleader and at home I spend a lot of time going to conventions, schools, church groups, everything.”
The humanitarian said he receives over 2,500 speaking requests a year across the country, including from two dozen military bases.
“I hope what is happening is I am letting people know that Americans are very good people, that they are very generous and compassionate and that the people overseas are the same,” Mortenson said.
While Mortenson works often in unstable areas overseas, he said he’s not afraid of being killed by a bullet, but that he’s more likely to die in a car accident.
“What is most appalling are the threats I receive in the U.S. They started after 9/11. Some people don’t like the fact that I’m helping Muslims or voluntarily helping the military,” Mortenson said.
The CAI is putting in a dozen new schools this year. The goal, Mortenson said, is to help girls who can’t get to school because of religious extremism, gender discrimination or geography.
“Girls’ education is one of the most under-served areas and it is one thing that has a profound impact. I see that education can bring people together,” Mortenson said.
To learn more about the CAI and how to donate, visit www.ikat.org
– storee.powell@aggiemail.usu.edu