Greg Mortenson's Idea for World Peace

I recently finished reading Greg Mortenson’s second book, Stones into Schools. Maybe you’ve heard about his efforts to build schools and support educational systems in Afghanistan and Pakistan, primarily in support of girls’ education. He’s moving through a period of controversy and criticism right now because of some suspicion that he’s overstated some of his achievements and, perhaps, even misused some of the funds his organization, the Central Asia Institute, has received as donations. Nonetheless, his writing is superb, extremely riveting, full of literary sketches and snapshots of the cultures of the region and generously peppered with tender stories of the relationships he’s developed and the lives he’s touched.

Mortenson is candid about the toll that his work has taken on his life – missing his kids’ first steps and some of their important milestones at school – and writes with passion and insight. I’m terribly sorry to read of his recent troubles, yet I respect his deep understanding of and clear vision for the role that basic education can play in achieving peace on the planet.

We can thank Greg Mortenson for reminding us that education of young women results in smaller, healthier and better educated families; that girls who stay in school marry later and have lower fertility rates; and that educating young girls contributes to a reduction in maternal mortality.

I hope that the criticism of Mortenson doesn’t overshadow the fundamental importance of his work.

Opening the heart to travel.............

I’ve been re-reading Peter Hessler’s book about China, River Town – Two Years on the Yangtze, a memoir/travelogue of his time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Sichuan province in the 1990s. Travellers like Hessler are our most spirited mentors as they intrinsically understand that the enlightening experiences of being on the road come to us only when we “make ourselves available”. He writes of being patient, developing trust, allowing things to happen, accepting invitations without suspicion of intention and, of great importance, not expecting to control every situation.

From my own experience, the interactions we have with others as we travel can be mutually beneficial. It is not simply Rick who benefits. Once we become too self-cherishing, we tend to grasp at our own happiness and gratification. Yet the traveller with an open heart and non-attachment to his own needs creates the marvelous opportunity for the "hosts" we encounter during our travels to likewise benefit from the experience. These shared experiences create a deeper understanding of commonality within diversity.

Kanai Das, the Indian poet-philosopher, writes that the world is his home. “When you walk, you are freed from the worries of ordinary life, from the imprisonment of being rooted in the same place. Wherever I am, that is my home.”

The death of another human being.......

I ask myself, "Is it ever just to celebrate and rejoice over the death of another human being, even when that human being may have supported undeniably evil acts?"

No, it is not.