Moms are Key to Peace in Pakistan

The Mom’s Choice Awards® will feature humanitarian Greg Mortenson, coauthor of Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace… One School at a Time. Mr. Mortenson will deliver a speech and multi-media presentation, Peace Through Education, on Thursday evening, May 28, 2009, at the Kaufmann Concert Hall, 92nd Street Y, New York.

Mr. Mortenson, whose book has been a New York Times bestseller for more than 119 weeks and is currently ranked #1, is known internationally for building schools in some of the most remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Today, through the Central Asia Institute (CAI) that he co-founded, Mortenson has built nearly 90 schools — all without government assistance.

His groundbreaking work in Central Asia has shown not only that relationship-building is critical to a safer world, but that educating girls is critical for ensuring greater peace for this generation and the next. “Until girls are educated, society won’t change,” says Mortenson. “When we educate girls to the fifth-grade level, we see reduced infant mortality and improved quality of life and health.”

There are other benefits — a kind of ripple effect — such as reducing the number of Muslims who might become terrorists. “Often, educated women refuse to allow their sons to join the Taliban,” Mortenson comments, and points out that although the 9/11 hijackers were educated men, few of their mothers were literate.

“The real enemy is ignorance. Ignorance breeds hatred, and hatred breeds violence,” he says.

Mortenson has survived an armed kidnapping by the Taliban, fatwas issued by enraged mullahs, a firefight with feuding Afghan warlords and repeated threats — some from fellow Americans for educating Muslim children.

His work has gained the notice of the U.S. military. In order to build better relationships in Central Asian nations, Defense Secretary Robert Gates has made Three Cups of Tea mandatory reading for all senior military commanders and all officers going into counterinsurgency training. Mortenson has met with several of the nation’s top military commanders many times and voluntarily visits dozens of military bases every year, without any compensation, to help brief troops.

Mortenson received Pakistan’s highest civil award, Sitara-e-Pakistan (“Star of Pakistan”) for his efforts to promote education and literacy. The recipient of numerous other awards and 11 honorary doctorates, Mortenson has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, which will be announced in October 2009.

Mr. Mortenson also received two Mom’s Choice Awards this year, for Author of the Year and for Volunteer Organization of the Year (Pennies For Peace). The Mom’s Choice Awards, an annual competition that recognizes authors, inventors, companies, parents and others for their efforts in creating quality family-friendly media, products and services, is known for establishing the benchmark of excellence in this area.

The evening will include a 90-minute multimedia presentation given by Mr. Mortenson, followed by a Q&A session and booksigning. The event will be held at 7 p.m. at the Kaufmann Concert Hall, located in the 92nd Street Y at Lexington Avenue and 92nd Street.

More information about Mr. Mortenson, the event, and ticket purchases is available at www.momschoiceawards.com

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