Greg Mortenson, Academy fellow, is the founder and director of Montana based nonprofit, Central Asia Institute.
He has dedicated the last twelve years of his life- since a 1993 climb of Pakistan's K2 - to set up community-based education and schools, especially for girls, in remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mortenson grew up for 15 years on the slopes Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (1958 - 1973) where his father, Irvin, established Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center, KCMC, a 640 bed hospital. His mother Jerene Mortenson is the founder of International School Moshi, ISM.
Mortenson served in the US Army in Germany from 1975 - 1997, and received the Army commendation medal. He graduated from the U. of South Dakota, Vermillion, S.D. in 1983.
Later, he continued graduate studies in neurophysiology; inspired by the plight of his young sister, Christa - who suffered from severe epilepsy.
In 1992, Mortenson's sister Christa died from a severe seizure, the same morning she had planned to visit Dyserville, Iowa where the baseball movie "Field of Dreams" was filmed. In honor of Christa, Mortenson decided to climb Pakistan's K2, the world's 2nd highest mountain and considered one of the most dangerous and difficult climbs.
The 78 day climb on K2 in 1993 changed Mortenson's life. After K2, he recovered in a local village Korphe, where he was astonished to learn about the soaring infant mortality (one out of three babies born dies before age one), and a staggering literacy rate of only 3%.
The children of the area inspired Mortenson to dedicate his life to start schools, especially for girls, in the remote, volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
His first efforts to begin a school in Pakistan took three years until 1996. By 2005, Mortenson's Central Asia Institute has built, established or supports over four dozen schools, with an enrollment of over 20,000 students, including 9,400 girls.
Mortenson survived an eight day 1996 armed kidnapping in the tribal areas of Waziristan, Pakistan, where Osama bin Laden is currently believed to be hiding, and escaped a warlord's firefight near Taleqon, Afghanistan in October 2003, by hiding in the back of a truck under putrid animal hides going to a leather-tanning factory.
Mortenson is a living hero to rural communities of Afghanistan and Pakistan, where he has gained the trust of Islamic leaders, military commanders and tribal chiefs from his tireless effort to champion education, especially for girls. Mortenson is one of few Americans who has worked and lived extensively in the region now considered the front lines of the war on terror.
His expertise and cross-cultural experience has brought him to speak on Capital Hill, D.C. think tanks, the Pentagon, Department of Defense, outdoor groups, universities, churches, mosques, synagogues, business and civic groups, women's organizations and schools all across America.
Mortenson has bipartisan Congressional support, including Representatives Mary Bono (Rep. Cali.) and Mark Udall (Dem. Colo.). Rep. Bono calls Mortenson, "a true American hero, whose creativity, courage and compassion exemplifies the true ideals of the American spirit".
Al Neuharth, founder of USA Today and D.C.-based Freedom Forum, says "Mortenson doesn't just climb mountains. He moves them, and through his dedication and determination, he's given hope and changed the lives of thousands of children in a region of war and turmoil."
Mortenson's efforts were profiled in Parade (Sunday) magazine on April 6, 2003, which was circulated in 34 million American homes, with a readership of 78 million. In response to Parade, Americans from all 50 states, political affiliations and religious denominations sent over 14,000 letters and contributions to Central Asia Institute in support of Mortenson's vision to educate children. Parade did a follow-up feature on February 29th, 2004.
Mortenson, 47, is married to Tara Bishop PhD, a clinical psychologist who has a private practice, is a clinician supervisor at Montana State University, and volunteers as a Battered Women's Center advisor. He is separated from his family about half the year, and has two young children.
Awards
1975 US Army Commendation medal
1998 American Alpine Club David Brower Conservation Award
2002 Pakistan's highest humanitarian award received by only three foreigners ever
2002 Peacemaker Award from Bozeman, Montana Community Mediation Center
2003 Climbing Magazine "Golden Piton Award" for humanitarian effort
2003 Vincent Lombardi Champion Award for humanitarian service
2003 Peacemaker of the Year" Benedictine Monks, Santa Fe, NM
2003 Outdoor Person of the Year OPY - Outdoor Magazine (ruhooked.com)
2003 Salzburg Seminar fellow, sponsored by Microsoft "Closing Gender Gap with Education"
2004 Freedom Forum "Free Spirit Award" (National Press Club, D.C.)
2004 Jeanette Rankin Peace Award - Institute for Peace (11/2004)
2004 e-Town Achievement Award - NPR radio (Boulder 12/2004)
2005 Men's Journal 'Anti-Terror' Award
Publications
Mortenson and award winning writer David Relin are authoring a biography about Mortenson's decade-long effort in Pakistan and Afghanistan entitled, "Three Cups of Tea"; New York: Viking Press / Penguin Publishing, published fall 2005.
Mortenson has a chapter in upcoming book, "Chicken Soup for the Peacemaker's Soul", Jack Canfield, et al., Deerfield Beach: HCI Books, 2005.
Contributing author for "The Difference a Day Makes"; Karen Jones, Novato: New World Library, 2005 (ISBN: 1577314751).
Mortenson has written summaries and a chapter in "Sustainable Development in Central Asia"; Shirin Akiner, Sander Tideman (editors), Surrey: Curzon Press, 1998.