Friday, December 26, 2008

Wall Street Journal (12/26/08)


WALL STREET JOURNAL
Friday, December 26th, 2008
By Yochi J. Dreazen


Greg Mortenson, a humanitarian and co-author of the best-selling book "Three Cups of Tea," has a surprising new job: advising the U.S. military on how to fight extremism . . . In recent months, Mr. Mortenson has begun a second career as a guru of sorts for the military. In November, he was invited to the Pentagon for a private meeting with Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In December, he flew to Florida to talk to senior officers from the secretive Special Operations Command . . .

Thursday, November 6, 2008

OUTSIDE MAGAZINE (December, 2008)

OUTSIDE MAGAZINE
DECEMBER 2008
No Bachcheh (child) Left Behind
By KEVIN FEDARKO


Greg Mortenson’s school-building program in Central Asia dates back to 1993, when the banged-up K2 survivor made a pledge to the mountain villagers who took him in. Fifteen years and Three Cups of Tea later, it’s both a powerful example of a great idea...KEVIN FEDARKO hits the rough road with Mortenson in Afghanistan, where they roll with warlords and deliver teacher pay the old-fashioned way


Feature article in print in OUTSIDE Dec. 2008 issue.

Posted online in January 2009.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Forbes.com Adventurer Series (09/23/08)


Forbes.com
Tuesday, September 23, 2008

Forbes.com Adventurer Series host Jim Clash interviews Greg Mortenson on building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and recent K2 fatalities.

Watch Video:
www.forbes.com/video/?video=fvn/adventurer/jc_adv092308

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

"Night Talk" with Mike Schneider (09/17/08)


Bloomberg TV
"Night Talk" with Mike Schneider

Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2008

www.bloomberg.com/tvradio/tv

Click below for
Greg Mortenson interview by Mike Schneider; part two of three part interview www.clipsyndicate.com/publish/video/697103/night_talk_an_interview_with_greg_mortenson_part_2

Sunday, August 24, 2008

NPR National Radio (08/23/08)

NPR National Radio
All Things Considered with Jackie Lyden
August 23, 2008

Events this week in Afghanistan and Pakistan have created a new sense of urgency among international policymakers. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on Monday. That same day in Afghanistan, a pair of insurgent attacks rocked NATO forces — one a coordinated assault on a U.S. military base and the other an ambush that killed 10 French soldiers.


Greg Mortenson, director of Central Asia Institute, recently met with Musharraf over tea ..... more on podcast
www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93902559

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Mortenson builds hope for Pakistan (08/20/08)

Billings Gazette Editorial Opinion (Montana)
Mortenson builds hope for Pakistan
Wednesday, August 20th, 2008

Pakistan may be the most dangerous country in the world. Grinding poverty, chronic political instability, government corruption, civil unrest, terrorists operating within its borders and the nation's possession of nuclear weapons - all these factors contribute to that unfortunate designation.

In that perilous place, one Montanan continues to carry a torch for hope and enlightenment... read more
www.billingsgazette.net/articles/2008/08/20/opinion/gazette/50-gazetteopinion.txt

Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

It Takes a School, Not Missiles (07/12/08)


New York Times - Op-Ed Column
Sunday, Jul 12, 2008
It Takes a School, Not Missiles
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF


Since 9/11, Westerners have tried two approaches to fight terrorism in Pakistan, President Bush’s and Greg Mortenson’s...... Military force is essential in Afghanistan to combat the Taliban. But over time, in Pakistan and Afghanistan alike, the best tonic against militant fundamentalism will be education and economic opportunity. ....

Complete article can be viewed at:
www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/opinion/13kristof.html?ref=opinion

Thursday, May 1, 2008

The Economist print edition (05/01/08)

Worldwide circulation 1,306,939 (UK 182,000)
True stories: Hope and inspiration fuel the most popular biographies and autobiographies

May 1st, 2008

WHEN Greg Mortenson, a six-foot-four night-nurse and mountaineer from Montana, first visited Pakistan in 1993 to climb K2, the world's second-highest peak, he failed in his mountain quest but ended up doing more to win hearts and minds in the region than any amount of official American propaganda.

For complete article, please click here.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammed Yunnus ('Banker for the Poor'), and Greg Mortenson at the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Forum (03/08/08)

Photo courtesy of Gary Smaby/2008

Minnesota Public Radio (NPR)
Friday, March 7, 2008

Mid-Morning with Kerri Miller: Man on a mission for education
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/programs/midmorning/?date=03-07-2008

Greg Mortenson MPR interview at the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Forum at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota.

Mortenson was the plenary speaker with 2006 Nobel Peace Prize laureate keynote Muhammed Yunus and economist Jeffrey Sachs.

2008 Nobel Peace Prize Forum weblink:

www.cord.edu/Academics/Events/Peaceprizeforum

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

American mountaineer fights Taliban with books, not bombs - CNN.com (03/03/08)



Follwowing is an excerpt from CNN.com coverage about Greg Mortenson:

CNN.com
March 3rd, 2008
American mountaineer fights Taliban with books, not bombs
John Blake


Greg Mortenson brushed his tears away. His body sagged when he saw it happen. The prize he had sought for 78 agonizing days was slipping from his view.

He was clinging to an icy patch of K2, the second-highest mountain in the world. He had vowed to place an amber necklace on the top of the Pakistani mountain for his sister Christa. But clouds moved in when he was 600 meters from the top, blocking his path to the summit.

For complete article <Click Here>

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Pakistan Free to Learn - Daily Telegraph UK (02/16/08)

The following excerpt has been taken from Daily Telegraph UK:

Daily Telegraph UK
February 16th, 2008
Pakistan Free to Learn
Jonathan Foreman

After a disastrous attempt to climb K2, former US Army medic Greg Mortenson had to be nursed back to health by the inhabitants of a remote and impoverished Pakistani village. He vowed to repay them by building a local school, and has now built more than 60 in similar areas across south Asia. Jonathan Foreman meets him.

Shi'ite Muslim girls play in the grounds of Jafarabad Community Girls School. Behind are the high peaks surrounding the Shigar Valley

click here for the complete article

Monday, January 21, 2008

BBC 5 Live Radio International with Simon Mayo (01/21/08)


During his visit to UK, Greg Mortenson was on the Simon Mayo program earlier today talking about his work and his book.

To listen to the interview, please click the link below:
Listen to Greg Mortenson talking about Three Cups Of Tea on BBC Radio 5 live

Click here for Greg's picture during the interview.


Thursday, January 17, 2008

1,000 cue at library for Three Cups of Tea tickets in Lake Oswego, OR (01/17/08)


Lake Oswego Review

January 17, 2008

Tickets for ‘Three Cups’ go quickly


They were the hottest ticket in town, pun intended


More than 1,000 people filled the Lake Oswego Public Library on Saturday to stand in line for a pair of free tickets to hear “Three Cups of Tea” authors Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin speak Feb. 6 as a part of this year’s Lake Oswego Reads program.

When the library opened at 10 a.m., there were already people waiting for the 2:30 p.m. distribution of 1,000 tickets.

Three Cups of Tea” supporters followed the taped line on the floor that wrapped around the book stacks on the main floor of the library.

People sat on the floor, read books, discussed “Three Cups of Tea,” knitted, drank tea and had fun. By 1 p.m., organizers estimated that the line had more than 250 people. By 2 p.m., there were more than 450 people waiting with the line leading to the second floor.

“It was so exciting. There was such a buzz throughout the library and you could feel the anticipation,” said Lake Oswego resident Gregory Breuner, one of the lucky library members to receive two free tickets. “The people waiting introduced themselves to each other and discussed the books in front of them. We left the library with tickets and new friends.”

At 2:30 p.m. tickets were distributed, two per person, and they were gone in 20 minutes, just as LO Reads organizer Cyndie Glazer predicted.

More than 500 people were turned away when the tickets ran out.

Lake Oswego Reads organizers were surprised and thrilled with the response to hearing Relin and Mortenson speak. Because of the high demand for tickets, Glazer said library officials plan to check Craigslist and eBay to see if people post them for sale – and if so, how much they sell for.

Although there is not a waiting list, people can show up on Feb. 6 at Lake Oswego High School and if there are seats available at 6:45 p.m., they will be seated in the cafeteria, where guests will be able to see and hear the authors talk on large screens.

The blue tickets are for the auditorium and the red tickets are for the cafeteria, officials said. The tickets note that there is no admission after 6:45 p.m. for the 7 p.m. presentation.

Mortenson will travel to Lake Oswego from his home in Bozeman , Mont. , while Relin lives in Portland . They will both talk at a student-only event at Lakeridge High School earlier in the day.

Library officials plan to solicit donations for Mortenson’s non-profit, the Central Asia Institute, during his evening appearance and through a elementary school program, “Pennies for Peace.”

This author event is made possible in part by a grant from the gOregon Council for the Humanities, a statewide nonprofit organization and an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds OCH’s grant program. The Oregon Cultural Trust, which invests in Oregon arts, humanities and heritage, also helped fund OCH’s grant program.

This is the second annual Lake Oswego Reads and the goal of the program is to strengthen civic pride, foster discussion among residents and bring the community together through the common bond of reading. It gives a forum in which to talk about different themes, concepts and issues in the book and a means to access related experiences.

To find out about all the events planned around “Three Cups of Tea” during February, go to www.lakeoswegolibrary.org and click on the Lake Oswego Reads box.

http://www.lakeoswegoreview.com

© 2008 Lake Oswego Review. All Rights Reserved. Used With Permission.

Monday, January 14, 2008

Making friends, not enemies (01/14/08)

The following excerpt has been taken from Colorado Springs Independent Newspaper.

JANUARY 10, 2008
Making friends, not enemies
In Pakistan and Afghanistan, Greg Mortenson's building schools — and goodwill

Save the date: 7 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 15. A phenomenon is coming to town.
Everywhere Greg Mortenson travels, people flock to hear his story and his simple message about how to change the world. He has spoken to 1,400 in Cambridge, Mass., 2,000 in San Francisco and 2,500 on Bainbridge Island in Washington state.
People also are buying Mortenson's book, which has spent 47 weeks on the New York Times best-sellers list. And the readers aren't just peaceniks — the Army is requiring 5,000 officers attending the U.S. War College to read Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Fight Terrorism and Build Nations ... One School at a Time..................

<click here
> for complete article.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

In remote Pakistan , Greg Mortenson is besting extremists by building schools (01/13/08)


The following is an excerpt from Philadelphia Inquirer syndicated columnist, Trudy Rubin, on her recent December 2007 visit with Greg Mortenson and Central Asia Institute in Pakistan.

Sunday, January 13, 2008
Worldview: The Lesson Jihadis Fear
In remote Pakistan , Greg Mortenson is besting extremists by building schools.
By Trudy Rubin

Pakistan has made news lately as the world's most dangerous country: a nuclear-armed state that has become a base for al-Qaeda, the Taliban and other fanatic Islamists.

But on my trip there last month, I saw an antidote to this nightmare, a route out of this trap - if Pakistan 's government and the West would only seize it. I traveled to mountain villages with Greg Mortenson, a former mountain climber who has built fifty five schools in Pakistan , and eight in Afghanistan .

Mortenson got lost 15 years ago descending from K2 , and promised to build a school for the villagers who rescued and nursed him. His formula for countering extremism is summed up in the title of his best-selling book: Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time.


<click here> for complete article.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Reuters: National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy announced (01/07/08)

National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy announced Award Ceremony to be held February 12, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
Monday, January 7th, 2008
Reuters


The U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy has announced six recipients of the first-ever National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy.

The honorees will be recognized at an Awards Ceremony at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. on February 12, 2008.

The honorees are recognized for inspiring others through their exemplary work as citizen diplomats and for promoting cultural understanding around the world. It is not only the right, but the responsibility of every American to be a citizen diplomat, of the highest quality, for our communities and our country,' said Harriet Mayor Fulbright, board member for the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy and the President of the J. William and Harriet Fulbright Center. We are particularly proud to recognize these six recipients of the first-ever National Awards for Citizen Diplomacy.

The honorees, through their various causes and programs, understand the need for citizen involvement in international relations. We established this award to shine a spotlight on citizen diplomats and to recognize their efforts and highlight their national and international contributions.

National Award Honorees

Greg Mortenson of Bozeman, Montana, is the co-founder of the Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace. Mortenson has raised funds to build 64 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan and has helped over 25,000 children. He is co-author of The New York Times best seller, Three Cups of Tea.

More on: www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS165945+07-Jan-2008

3CT #3 on NY TIMES BESTSELLER (01-07-08)


Three Cups of Tea is # 3 this week on NY Times bestseller list (paperback nonfiction) for week # 48

PAPERBACK NONFICTION

Top 5 at a Glance
1. EAT, PRAY, LOVE, by Elizabeth Gilbert
2. THE INNOCENT MAN, by John Grisham
3. THREE CUPS OF TEA, by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
4. INTO THE WILD, by Jon Krakauer
5. CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR, by George Crile

Complete Paperback Nonfiction List »