Sophomore Trip

Peace Students Learn from Global Humanitarian

Peace sophomore Rana Abdellatif stands with bestselling author Greg Mortenson. Mortenson gave a lecture on the importance of service in third-world countries and discussed his efforts to promote literacy and education, especially for girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The lecture took place on Feb. 14 in Rosemont, Illinois.

Burbank, IL – February 25, 2008 – Sophomores from Queen of Peace High School along with students from six other Chicago high schools of varying religious backgrounds recently joined together for a unique presentation. On Feb. 14, Al-Aqsa and the Universal School hosted a lecture in Rosemont, Illinois by Montana humanitarian Greg Mortenson, author of the New York Times bestseller Three Cups of Tea.

In his book, Mortenson emphasizes the importance of cherishing education as a gift and also subtlety guides readers as to how they can contribute as global citizens.

In 2007, Three Cups of Tea was TIME magazine's Asia Book of the Year and the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Book of the Year. It has received the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, the 2007 Kiriyama Prize in the nonfiction category and was also the Banff Mountain Festival Book award finalist, 2006.

Since a 1993 climb on Pakistan’s highest peak, K2, Mortenson has dedicated his life to establishing schools and promoting literacy, especially for girls, in the remote communities of the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains of Central Asia. He is co-founder and Executive Director of Central Asia Institute (CAI), a not-for-profit organization that has provided education for over 25,000 children, including 14,000 girls, in remote mountain regions where children, especially females, previously had few educational opportunities.
With the increasing popularity of Three Cups of Tea, Mortenson is a highly sought after speaker. His talk is punctuated by a slideshow of his voyages and has attracted audiences of over 4,000 with thousands sometimes being turned away.

“I'm honored to come to Chicago to speak with students who reside in a dynamic period of global history,” says Mortenson, “especially students that represent the cultural diversity of America.”

"If you promote peace that's based on hope, the real enemy becomes ignorance because it’s based on hatred,” Mortenson said. His book chronicles Mortenson's effort to promote literacy and education, especially for girls, in volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The book's title, Three Cups of Tea, refers to the measured progression of becoming a trusted partner with people in underdeveloped areas. With the first cup of tea, you're a stranger. With the second, you're an honored guest. With the third, you're family.

In a region marked by tribulation, Mortenson's schools and projects have been triumphant by extending self-empowerment to communities, which leads to enduring life development. Before a project starts, he explained, the community matches Central Asia Institute’s project funds with equal amounts of local resources and labor. Such ownership ensures the project's viability and long term success.

Queen of Peace shares goals similar to Mortenson’s own. Peace is a Catholic Sinsinawa Dominican secondary school community educating a diverse adolescent female population. The school is committed to preparing women not only for college, but for lifelong learning by empowering intellectual, spiritual, moral and emotional growth. Much like Mortenson’s personal mission, Peace’s mission calls for young women to search for truth, collaborate, lead, serve, and become advocates for peace and justice throughout the world.

“I believe that this presentation really inspired our young women. They left the lecture feeling like they could really make a difference in the world through their leadership and service efforts. Inspiration and motivation like this are necessary for young people,” noted Peace teacher David Bell who accompanied students on the field trip.
Mortenson's work is conducted through his Montana-based nonprofit, Central Asia Institute www.ikat.org and children's organization, called Pennies for Peace www.penniesforpeace.org.

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