The Central Asia Institute advocates for the inclusion of education in the international “anti-terrorism” arsenal. December 11, 2001 – Greg Mortenson, founder of the Central Asia Institute (CAI), believes that educating girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan could be the ideal, long-term solution to terrorism. “If we could have the $1 million for the purchase of one Tomahawk cruise missile dropped on the Taliban converted to education assistance, we could strike a serious blow on terrorism,” Mortenson advises. Mortenson’s Central Asia Institute sponsors community-based education programs in northern Pakistan and Afghanistan — some of the most inhospitable, remote regions in the world. According to the Institute, the literacy rate in these regions is often less than 5%. CAI’s education programs have thrived in the region, because Mortenson and the Institute have allowed time to build effective relationships. “The American 30-minute power lunch is not cool here,” says Mortenson. “It takes several years, over hundreds of cups of tea to be trusted.” Years, indeed. After nine years of service in the region, Mortenson finally gained the confidence and respect of army commanders, Islamic clerics, Pakistani authorities, village chiefs and even the Taliban in the more conservative Islamic regions. Building on this network of support, CAI schools flourished. Fighting terrorism with pencils could be a viable solution to an on going problem, Mortenson contends. “If the children in Pakistan and Afghanistan are left stranded without quality leadership and the knowledge to build a better future, terrorism will rise again and again.” The CAI currently operates 22 schools and serves more than 3,000 Central Asian children. The Institute has received 64 proposals for girls’ schools since the U.S. began its campaign to displace the ruling Taliban government in Afghanistan. “Girls education is a mighty sword in the war on terrorism,” says Mortenson. To find out how you can help the CAI open a girls’ school, visit www.ikat.org Copyright (c) 2002 Poverty Law Center
