‘Three Cups of Tea’ author to speak

“A Conversation with Greg Mortenson,” co-sponsored by the Office of the Chaplain, is a benefit for the BOOKMARKS Festival.

Mortenson has established more than 131 schools, which provide education to more than 58,000 children in rural and often volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. This group includes 48,000 girls in an area where few educational opportunities existed before his intervention. His humanitarian efforts over the past 15 years have earned him Pakistan’s highest civil award, Sitara-e-Pakistan (“Star of Pakistan”), and two nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Co-founder of the nonprofit Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace, Mortenson grew up on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. In 1993, he climbed Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, located in the Karakoram range. While in the village of Korphe, Mortenson met a group of children and made a promise to help them build a school. Since then, he has dedicated his life to promoting community-based education and literacy campaigns in remote mountain regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Mortenson has gained the trust of Islamic leaders, military commanders, government officials and tribal chiefs for his effort to champion education – especially for girls.

Admission is $18; $10 for students. If available, tickets will be sold at the door for $25. For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit www.bookmarksbookfestival.org.