Greg Mortenson Professions : Humanitarian Born : December 27, 1957 Browse All Authors Top 60 quotes by Greg Mortenson We all sat there laughing and sipping tea peacefully, an infidel and representatives from three warring sects of Islam. And I thought if we can get along this well, we can accomplish anything. The British policy was ‘divide and conquer.’ But I say ‘unite and conquer. Greg Mortenson islam tea laughing If you look at the 9/11 highjackers, certainly they were educated, some even had university degrees, but nobody really checked their mothers, who were nearly all illiterate. Greg Mortenson university-degrees mother looks Once I started the first school, I realized this is what my life is meant to be, is to promote education and help kids go to school and that's very clear. Greg Mortenson kids school firsts In "Three Cups of Tea" I was fairly critical of the military. And I mentioned that they're laptop warriors and there's no boots on the ground. But I can say now that they've gone through a tremendous learning curve. Greg Mortenson warrior curves military Slow down and make building relationships as important as building projects. Greg Mortenson down-and important business It is my vision that we all will dedicate the next decade to achieve universal literacy and education for all children, especially for girls. More than 145 million of the world's children are deprived of education due to poverty, exploitation, slavery, gender discrimination, religious extremism, and corrupt governments. May Three Cups of Tea be a catalyst to bring the gift of literacy to each of those children who deserves a chance to go to school. Greg Mortenson girl religious education Just as the Torah and Bible teach concern for those in distress, the Koran instructs all Muslims to make caring for widows, orphans, and refugees a priority. Greg Mortenson widows priorities caring The older I get, the more I appreciate my childhood. It was paradise. Greg Mortenson paradise childhood appreciate Some of the most memorable moments I've had is to have my family along - who are our greatest ambassadors for peace. Politics will never bring peace, but people will. Greg Mortenson moments memorable people When ordinary human beings perform extraordinary acts of generosity, endurance or compassion, we are all made richer by their example. Like the rivers that flow out of the Karakoram and the Hindu Kush, the inspiration they generate washes down to the rest of us. It waters everyone's fields. Greg Mortenson compassion inspiration rivers Trust in Allah, but tie up your camel.' Sign in Skardu Greg Mortenson camels trust-in-allah ties And they did it with something that is basicly worthless in our society - pennies. But overseas, pennies can move mountains Greg Mortenson mountain our-society moving The people of Pakistan are some of the most hospitable, kinds and generous people I have met anywhere, in the over 70 countries I have visited in my lifetime. Greg Mortenson kind country people You have to attack the source of your enemy’s strength. In America’s case, that’s not Osama or Saddam or anyone else. The enemy is ignorance. The only way to defeat it is to build relationships with those people, to draw them into the modern world with education and business. Otherwise the fight will go on forever. Greg Mortenson fighting ignorance america . . . hope resides in the future, while perspective and wisdom are almost always found by looking to the past. Greg Mortenson perspective found past the people who live in the last places - the people who are most neglected and least valued by the larger world - often represent the best of who we are and the finest standard of what we are meant to become. This is the power that last places hold over me, and why I have found it impossible to resist their pull. Greg Mortenson who-we-are people world By the way, although the subtitle of the book "Three Cups of Tea" is "fighting terror, one school at a time", that was not my choice, as fighting terror is not why I do this, I do it to promote peace, and give hope and opportunity to children deprived of education. Greg Mortenson book children school In Muslim societies, a person who has been manipulated unto believing in extremist violence or terrorism often seeks the permission of his mother before he may join a militant jihad and educated women as a rule, tend to withhold their blessings from such things. Greg Mortenson blessing mother believe He was a man who understood the virtue of small things. Greg Mortenson understood virtue men A wise man from my home once told me that these mountains have seen far too much suffering and killing, and that each rock and every boulder you see represents a mujahadeen who died fighting either the Russians or the Taliban. Then the man went on to say that now that the fighting is finished, it is time to build a new era of peace-and the first step in that process is to take up the stones and start turning them into schools. Greg Mortenson wise home school Similar Authors Amanda Lindhout humanitarian Hugh Evans humanitarian All Authors