Admittedly, I am only halfway through the book Stones into Schools, but the message contained in these pages is begging for an article. I am happy to oblige.
Building upon the 2006 bestseller Three Cups of Tea, Stones follows philanthropist Greg Mortenson as he proves a universally beautiful point: The best way to promote peace is not with guns, bombs, and military force, but rather with books, teachers, and schools. Greg and his rag tag band known as the “dirty dozen” venture to civilization’s most remote areas to carry out their mission.
Empowering People
Much of the ignorance and intolerance in the world is derived from a lack of education. Here in the United States, we take this liberty for granted. Schools serve to empower individuals, and in such high profile battlegrounds as Afghanistan, groups like The Taliban are well aware of the threat. They, like many other militant organizations, thrive on creating fear – a fear that can be quelled through learning.
Greg Mortenson co-founded the Central Asia Institute (CAI) in 1996 to carry out his mission in the remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. As of 2009, CAI has built more than 130 schools, focusing primarily on those for girls: who have been intentionally left out of what schooling has historically been offered. Because of these efforts, young women are earning high-school equivalent degrees (or better) and going on to pursue careers previously thought to be unobtainable by societal standards. As household pillars, these mothers will eventually pass along such high expectations to their offspring…and it spreads.
If you want to help fight the war on terror, consider what Mortenson has done. While our country is spending millions of dollars every day to send troops into battle, the CAI is bettering the next generation of Afghanis (and conveying Western compassion) for a fractional amount. Please consider donating to their cause.
At Home
Similarly, many of our battles here in America can be fought with a larger focus on education – not only in schools but also in society as a whole. Whether the problem is obesity, crime, debt, or racial/ethnic intolerance, progression begins with the instatement of a solid knowledge base for our children. A greater emphasis has to be placed on early development, and families need to reinforce the idea that learning does not stop once they get home.
Get Involved
There are plenty of ways to help improve the education of children in your own community. Regardless of how busy you may be, there is an opportunity out there that will fit your schedule. Find time to read in local classrooms, help with an after school program or simply donate books to the Literacy Council or Better Basics.
For those of you in the Birmingham area, I encourage you to participate in Birmingham Reads on April 14th. This annual event strives to have volunteers reading in every elementary school classroom in the city. For more information, check out our Events page.
DoGood!
Matt
Feel free to email me: matt@DoGoodedness.com with questions, suggestions, or guest posts!