Greg Mortenson Redefines “Doing One’s Best”
Posted by Ethan Casey on April 17, 2011 · 41 Comments
SEATTLE, April 17 – We need to believe that the world and/or our situation in it can be improved, or else there really isn’t much point in getting out of bed in the morning. That’s the real issue at the heart of the controversy being raised by the 60 Minutes story on Greg Mortenson. And the real question is: What are you doing to make the world a better place?
I got out of bed early today to write this article. I have other things to do – and, more to the point, so does Greg. But I welcome the opportunity to defend and, inshallah, maybe even help enhance the urgently important good that Greg and others are doing in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The news flash that is occasioning a heap of ill-founded insinuations is that neither Three Cups of Tea nor Greg himself is perfect. I have no affiliation with the Central Asia Institute, except as a supporter and friend, and can’t address questions about its management and finances any better than Greg himself has already done in an article in the Bozeman Chronicle. What I can do is share the comments of his outreach coordinator, Sadia Ashraf, who is a good friend of mine. Sadia and her husband Tauheed are a very ordinary young couple raising two children in a Chicago suburb, who somehow manage to accomplish extraordinary things in support of both CAI and Pakistani pop star Shehzad Roy’s Zindagi Trust.
“Last year we had a disgruntled employee [in Pakistan] who made some fringe attacks on CAI,” Sadia told me. “Those allegations were based on his own frustrations about being released from CAI. Greg has always taken the high road and not wanted to expose that man.” Sadia cites an Urdu proverb: “When someone splashes mud on you, it’s better to stay away. Otherwise, you’ll get splattered.”
Ethan Casey with Greg Mortenson and Fawad Butt, Downers Grove, Illinois, April 5, 2008.
She also addressed the financial allegations, as Greg himself has done in the Bozeman Chronicle. “What we’re doing with that money is we’re keeping it,” Sadia told me, “so that every one of the CAI schools can have an endowment. The fact that I don’t have to worry about fundraising twenty years from now, because Greg is worrying about it now – that is genius. He still lives in that two-bedroom house. He still wears the same suit he wore a decade ago, and a tie that has the fashion sense of 1992. He wears an old pair of loafers that are worn down. Every single dollar that CAI earns is because of the outreach that Greg does. He spends 200 days a year away from his family, because he truly believes in the empowerment of women and girls.”
In a comment on one of the first reports on the controversy, U.S. Army Major Jason B. Nicholson makes a relevant point: “It takes a lot more money spent to raise money in the U.S. than it does to build schools in remote parts of developing countries.” This calls to mind a point we’ve been hearing Greg himself make lately: that it costs $1 million to maintain one American soldier in Afghanistan for one year, thus we could fund Afghanistan’s entire higher education system for a year by sending 240 troops home. The U.S. economy makes very heavy demands on the world’s resources, and the American public is chronically distracted, so to influence this society requires sustained and consistent attention and enormous material resources.
Sadia points out that, while educating girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan is CAI’s primary mission, equally “priceless” (her word, which I endorse) is the education and enhanced empathy of American readers and audiences. “Ignorance is everywhere, unfortunately,” she says. “There are people in America who don’t want Muslims to have a voice, and there are people in Central Asia who don’t want women to be empowered.” Or, as she puts it in a statement she emailed to me on Sunday:
The world is becoming a very small planet indeed. No more can we afford apathy or disinterest in the lives of those thousands of miles away. Like a butterfly effect, what happens in Egypt, Libya, Pakistan and Afghanistan creates ripples in our insular part of the planet. The success of Three Cups of Tea internationally testifies that readers around the world are thirsty for that knowledge.
I want to address two other points. One is that even world-famous humanitarians have a right and a need to draw an income to support their own livelihoods and families. I structure my own work as a for-profit business, but I make a very small fraction of Greg’s $180,000-a-year CAI salary. So what? What entitles anyone to question either Greg’s motivations or, hypothetically, mine or yours? From his salary, Greg covers his own extensive travel expenses. [Correction, April 20: The preceding sentence is apparently inaccurate. See item 8 in CAI's responses to questions from 60 Minutes.] It’s a non-issue. I’d rather talk about the obscene salaries and bonuses “earned” by Wall Street executives – wouldn’t you?
Then there’s the matter of the accuracy of portions of Three Cups of Tea. We could argue about where to draw the line between “a compressed version of events” (Greg’s words in the Bozeman Chronicle) and “a lie” (Jon Krakauer on 60 Minutes), but let’s note the double standard that’s too often applied to books and authors. A few weeks ago, the New York Times published an article about journalist Bill Steigerwald’s exposure of inaccuracies in John Steinbeck’s ostensible nonfiction classic Travels with Charley. It turns out it wasn’t just Steinbeck and his dog driving across America; Mrs. Steinbeck was with them much of the time. And he didn’t sleep in his pickup truck after all, but in hotels, sometimes nice ones. As Steigerwald pithily put it, “If scholars aren’t concerned about this, what are they scholaring about?”
Well, it seems Steinbeck scholars are blithely unconcerned. “Any writer has the right to shape materials,” rejoined Susan Shillinglaw of San Jose State University and the National Steinbeck Center, “and undoubtedly Steinbeck left things out. That doesn’t make the book a lie.”
Hmm. Shillinglaw is glib, and I’m pretty sure I disapprove of Steinbeck’s falsifications. But regardless, it’s not okay to give Steinbeck a pass but attack Greg Mortenson for what likely are much lesser literary evasions, inaccuracies, or whatever you want to call them. And on this point I would like to hear from David Oliver Relin, the writer who shares authorship credit and royalties 50/50 with Greg. Relin has rarely been acknowledged as he should be for having actually written Three Cups of Tea. Now would be a good time for him to step forward and shoulder the responsibility that goes along with authorship.
One reason we feel a need to set up heroes to worship is to let ourselves off the hook. If Greg Mortenson, or Dr. Paul Farmer in Haiti, or Martin Luther King, or Aung San Suu Kyi, can do good on what seems a superhuman level, then somehow admiring them, and tossing them a dime now and then, seems enough for the rest of us. If we can show such a figure to be flawed, which is not hard to do, so much the better because we can tell ourselves such feats are impossible anyway. But as Tracy Kidder puts it in Mountains Beyond Mountains, the book on which Relin told me he modeled Three Cups of Tea, Farmer makes us uncomfortable by redefining the phrase “doing one’s best.”
This is what Greg Mortenson also does, and this is what I tried to say in my remarks at a Chicago-area CAI fundraiser three years ago:
One thing we all know darn well is that it’s just plain wrong for children in Baltistan or anywhere else to be without schools. Greg Mortenson allowed his experience of Baltistan, filtered through the personal character his parents had instilled in him in Tanzania and Minnesota, and refracted by human sympathy, gratitude, and friendship, to influence the choices he made about how and where to deploy his talents and effort during his time in this world. The choices he made have directly and demonstrably made the world a better place. What the rest of us are doing here tonight in support of his work is the least we can do.
ETHAN CASEY is the author of Alive and Well in Pakistan: A Human Journey in a Dangerous Time (2004) and Overtaken By Events: A Pakistan Road Trip (2010). His account of his February-March 2011 trip to Pakistan, titled “After the Flood,” will be published as a stand-alone electronic book and as a chapter added to the next printing of Overtaken By Events. He is currently writing Bearing the Bruise: A Lifetime in Haiti, to be published in fall 2011, and collaborating with filmmaker Naeem Randhawa on a collection of stories by and about Muslims living in America. Greg Mortenson honored Ethan with the 2010 Spirit Award at a Central Asia Institute fundraiser in Santa Clara, California, on September 26, 2010. Web: www.ethancasey.com or www.facebook.com/ethancaseyfans
Before we rush to make any judgments we need to look at the facts and weigh the evidence. As I have supported Greg Morteson and as President of COPAA (Consul of Pakistan American Affairs) I ask Greg to defend all charges CBS is making. We, the Pakistani American community, have been on Greg’s side and have supported his cause and mission. The ball is in Greg’s court to defend CAI and himself.
Adnan Khan
Consul of Pakistan American Affairs
http://www.councilofpakistanamericanaffairs.org/
All TV networks need their ratings to increase. Sensationalism is the best way to succeed in this game. TedK (ex-Nightline) was a master at this approach in making a mountain out of a mole hill. Is there one 60 Minutes program that made the world a better place? Any peanut gallery can do a better job than 60 Minutes.
I wish all of the accusations weren’t true. I loved Greg’s message when I heard him speak in Chicago last year. However, doesn’t Greg receive all of the royalties from his books, plus a salary from CAI, and now the press release from his board states that they spend nearly $2 million on “book-related” expenses?
http://www.ikat.org/wp-includes/documents/boardstatement4-16-11.pdf
At the very least, his board has let him down by not overseeing expenses and keeping them in line with what’s appropriate for non-profits.
Guess Mortensen’s personal ATM scheme has been found out. Guess he found a way to bilk people out of their money and used it to his advantage.
To my mind, the most serious allegation is that Greg stated that the group of men in Waziristan were Taliban and held him against his will, and publishing the photo of the men identifying them as Taliban. If Greg did this just to “juice up” his book, he was guilty of libel and could have put the men at great risk. The 60 Minutes broadcast made a strong case that Greg did just that, and if he did, it was a despicable act.
Three Cups of Tea was an inspiration and an eye-opener to me as a Pakistani. It made me think. If a person can come here from across the globe and do so much, should we be sitting here doing nothing when our fellow countrymen are in need?
Stories like Greg’s inspired me and my friends at the Islamabad Jeep Club to start helping villagers deep in the Swat valley to build 4 bridges for themselves, provide electricity to around 700 houses and to start a school that teaches around 120 boys and girls. Currently the expenditure on each child’s education in this facility comes to less than $50 a “year”. So yes, it probably cost CAI more to fly around collecting funds than it takes to educate.
Lastly, Greg may not have stumbled into Korphe like the book states, but his story is a hero’s story to me. It’s a story that every Pakistani should know and be inspired from.
I cannot believe this is happening to Greg Mortensen and CAI. This is one organization that has forward thinking plans to improve the lives of people in need and at the same time improve the perception of the United States in ways we cannot even imagine, yet it becomes the target of questionable reporting techniques.
I am not a reporter, but I wonder why the CAI would not have been contacted sooner than two weeks before the airing of a 60 Minutes show. It prevents the CAI from properly responding and also prevents 60 Minutes from verifying the accuracy of the CAI explanations. So the allegations of 60 Minutes are presented and when the CAI explains that some misinformation may be from a disgruntled former employee there is not enough time to verify this.
Greg Mortensen and the CAI have the foresight to realize that their goals are not self-sustaining and plan for it by creating a fund to endow schools with funding for the future. With all the money we spend on education in the United States, I am surprised we are not asking for input instead of criticizing his positive results.
After I read his two books I was convinced that through Greg Mortensen and the CAI money is well spent. I immediately set up a monthly payment to them for $50 with no end date. None of what has been presented here changes my support for the CAI, and I hope the damage caused by this questionable reporting will not be serious.
This is what I posted on The Tribune Express (Pakistan) 15 hours ago, on April 17: “I am deeply saddened by this news and suggest that we should refrain from sensationalism. Greg is an honorable man who has given a tremendous amount of his energy and resources to help education in Pakistan and the region. The personal sacrifices that he and his family have made cannot be repaid. The Board and management of CAI need to be given a fair chance to respond and clear the air.”
Today, on learning of Greg’s health issues, my colleagues at TCF-USA and I wish Greg and his family the very best and pray for a quick and complete recovery for Greg.
Sincerely,
Amjad (in Karachi)
The Citizens Foundation
http://www.tcfusa.org
Mr. Casey: When you are worthy to disapprove of John Steinbeck in any literary sense, we’ll let you know.
Even one more school makes a world of a difference.
Mortenson’s contribution is creating hope, inspiring Pakistanis like myself to go out on a limb and do something.
We nearly lost our lives making this music video promoting Baltistan to encourage tourism to the area. Hopefully, the positive effect of increased tourism and economic uplift will result in a negative effect on the influx of extremism and act as a deterrent to some extent:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQd9KYDm734
this could all be cleared up IF the schools who are recieving the money–and the kids parents came forward…solved…i have not seen this yet and it worrys me the only people speaking are his friends or other pakastan friends who also benefit from Greg’s fame and fortune….i think travel money from a non profit and book money to the tune of 1.7 million is exessive and says “i do what i want because the money is flowing”..he should spend HIS money on books and travel related to the book (not going to view possible schools to help)…sad this is typical of ALL who makes millions, human greed BUT he did raise awareness and that was the point.. we have american schools right here in “the bad areas” of americans that are recieving no help and because (and no home training) of this kids are becoming gang members etc… why do we travel so far to help others and never want to help in america when blacks are involved?? strange to me and says what we still stand for today…more talk than action and action is only taken with certain groups of people or foreign places to make us feel better or helpful…
There is no defense for lying or cheating. All the good you say he is doing is countered with him increasing his lot on the backs of fakery. Could he not have done good without lying? Could he have achieved prominence had it not been for the lies? Why go over seas to do good, when people are suffering at home? Let the government take care of them.
Wrong is wrong and right is right. The man committed a fraud and he should come out and say so only then can forgiveness begin.
“and we are not saved…”
The 60 minutes story on Greg Mortenson is worthless, stinking garbage. “Gotcha” tabloid journalism at its worst through its attempt to discredit a Man and a mission that has done and continues to do so much good for this world and hasn’t done anything to deserve being defamed. The ambush of Greg at his event was disgusting and shameful- nothing more than a pathetic attempt at ratings-grabbing TV theater. The piece contained nothing more than hearsay, irrelevant info and one-sided exaggerations by questionable people with suspicious allegiances and motives. Certainly all of it would be thrown out of a courtroom, as any impartial judge would toss with lightning speed any unsubstantiated rumors and innuendo brought forth by those who are already known for demonstrating less than noble ambitions and thirst for fame.
Definitely the truth will come out about everything that has been presented by 60 Minutes in such a reckless and irresponsible way. But Greg will answer the allegations in a proper way, not in some kangaroo forum conjured up by CBS News and 60 minutes. Certainly none of us would cooperate with any investigation where the conclusion is already forgone and the clear motivation is to trash our life’s work and reputation. But the behavior of 60 Minutes producers and reporters should be no surprise to anyone- we all know the travesty our newsmedia has become over the years. There was a time when news was simply news- ratings and profits were not a factor, objectivity and thorough checking of all parties (including accusers) was revered and respected as a cornerstone of journalism, crucial in ensuring integrity and the trust of viewers. But times have changed. Now what we call “news” is mostly a mix of entertainment, biased political propaganda, World Wrestling Federation-style dramatics, inciting, mudslinging and willfully contrived collections of sensationalism and suspicious agendas. The fact that Americans love to watch the fur fly and demand more of it only encourage networks, entertainment companies, “news” executives and anchors to push the boundaries further, and it shows we are indeed a sick and declining society that should think seriously about getting our collective hearts and minds out of the gutter before we lose it all. Do we really believe in American principles of fairness and justice, or do we want to become a like those prematurely judgmental mental midgets whose comments I’ve read reveal that they have already bought this garbage story hook, line and sinker, no questions asked- as if 60 Minutes is somehow even a shadow of what it was 20 years ago.
This writer Jon Krakauer who, conveniently, was the point of contact for 60 Minutes and the source who led them to all the allegations and accusers (at home and in Pakistan) was obviously motivated by jealousy and envy of Greg’s dominant book sales, popularity and success, so he went on a single-minded dirt-searching mission to Pakistan and either paid off, manipulated, or misquoted anyone he could find. He’s now fired his bullets and cashed in his cheap ticket to national TV attention which I predict will fall flat on its face because he’s so transparently and gleefully eager and ambitious to have his 15 minutes of fame no matter who he runs over in order to get it, no matter the potential damage to kids who need all the help they can get. This aspect is particularly disgusting and disturbing.
Unfortunately, 60 minutes and their unethical employees were more than happy to peddle Mr. Krakauer’s contrived dirt instead of engaging in true investigative journalism. If they had, they would have found no story worth telling and they would have sent Mr. Krakauer packing to his next attempt at selling the public lynching of Greg Mortenson to some other unscrupulous television producers. But 60 Minutes staff have no conscience about what’s good or bad for this world, and they don’t care about news anymore. They only care about attracting viewers and making money.
Greg Mortenson is, was and will be a Hero that this World needs. Greg lives simply and he and his family have suffered greatly in the pursuit of his noble mission that has made the world a better place. He’s not living an episode “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” – quite the contrary, his travel arrangements are completely appropriate for someone who maintains a schedule where the public demand for his appearances is more than he can possibly accommodate. His schedule is grueling and has even affected his health. It would not be possible for him to make so many appearances without private air travel being available at times. Also, it isn’t luxury stretch limos that he’s using. It’s a simple car service- cheaper than a metered taxi. 60 Minutes is dishonest and unjust painting innocent endeavors and exercises like this with sinister and prejudicial verbiage. Engaging in activities such as paying for and then giving out free books to schools, libraries and other institutions is right in line with The Central Asia Institute’s mission, which is to help educate Pakistan and Afghanistan AND also educate Americans and all Human Beings about the REAL ways to solve the Earth-killing problems we face on our tiny planet, like war and terrorism and the ignorance, hate, intolerance, hopelessness and poverty that creates it. I encourage all to scrutinize CAI’s financials- when you do you will see exactly where 60 Minutes didn’t care to do their homework and due diligence that they owe the public before they go around desecrating one of the few role models that are children should be looking up to. This is a man who slept in his car to save money so he could build a school for the children that our government abandoned and forgot after the Soviet-Afghan War. And 60 Minutes wants to crucify him? Eliot Spitzer was the most corrupt attorney general and governor our nation has had in modern times- and he’s given a TV show and had a free pass by 60 Minutes throughout his corrupt and tyrannical reign, but they brand Greg Mortenson a fraud? I think I’m going to be sick
I hope and pray the American Public will see through this shameful hit piece on a true American Hero and consider standing up against the war-hungry profiteers and racists in our society (and their mirror images in Pakistan) who sow the seeds of hatred and then send precious and dear young men and women into unnecessary conflicts so they can profit from the destruction and misery. These forces and their misguided followers absolutely don’t want people like Greg to be successful in places like Pakistan and Afghanistan. Hopefully, love, tolerance and education will prevail all over the world because of people like Greg. Greg is a true visionary who understands that hearts and minds don’t just need to be changed “over there,” they also need some changing here.
I stand with Greg Mortenson and I encourage Americans to boycott all CBS television programming to send a message that this sort of destructive journalism is un-American and should no longer be given a place in our society. CBS News is a once great institution which long ago lost its objectivity and journalistic integrity. I hope and believe most Americans aren’t so stupid as to be taken in by it’s attempted character assassination of one of our greatest citizens who has risked his life and health over and over an over again to educate girls and give peace a chance.
Todd Shea
What is so hard about telling the truth? If the 60 Minutes article has falsehoods, then it should be rebutted.
Using loaded language (worthless, stinking) or casting dispersions on individuals (jealous) that seemingly don’t have an axe to grind doesn’t address the issue. If there is nothing to hide, then don’t.
The only way to meet the offense of a lie is to refute with the truth. That’s reality. That’s common sense. If you have the evidence, show it. That’s all anyone is ultimately asking of Mortenson.
I studied journalism for years, and I am aware and leery of the increased sensationalism in American and Western media. But screaming “sensationalism” over and over again at 60 Minutes isn’t going to explain why Greg said that the people who were hosting and protecting him were kidnapping him. Or why CAI built “eleven schools” when three are known.
It’s bad enough to lie about doing something when you’ve done nothing. It’s worse when you lie about doing more than the admittedly good things you have done. It thrashes your character and pulverizes your credibility.
I’m sorry, but I’m not convinced that Greg is a victim here. If these allegations are false, please tell us why.
I think we all know the problems with 60 Minutes. However, all CAI has to do is submit their finances to groups like AIP and Charity Navigator and let them analyze the numbers. It’s precisely what other organizations do, and the really good ones spend between at least 80% on programs that support the mission. There are even organizations that spend 95% (for example, Fisher House –95.1%; NMFA 91.3%; VFW Foundation 92.5%; Semper Fi Fund 96.2%). We would love it if CAI were to prove themselves to be in the ranks of a 3 or 4-Star ranked charity. Seems rather simple, doesn’t it?
I agree with Todd Shea, the actions here by CBS/60 Minutes, and Krakauer, are a bit strange and suspect. Shouldn’t CBS be better off doing real journalism, instead of attacking the little guy over some minor, irrelevant, unproven points, who is actually making the world a better place? I’m sure there were some flaws in A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush, maybe Newby was never threatened or taken prisoner, and everything was very nice in Afghanistan, and there is no trouble there and it is always sunny and mild.
I should think if 60 Minutes informed its viewers on the many strange things going on in this country (voter fraud in Wisconsin), and did a little investigation, and real journalism, maybe the U.S. would be a better place too. But perhaps they would be biting the hands of those that feed them, the owners that think Afghanistan is a place where everyone is a thieving terrorist, intent on the destruction of America, so it is fine to bomb their villages back to the stone ages.
@Rob: Isn’t it more nuanced than that? Is it possible that CAI exaggerated things a bit for the sake of marketing, but that their actions are still basically honest and intended to help people?
Is it possible that CAI put more energy into raising money and building schools than they did into accountability and accounting? Does that make them unworthy of support?
Let’s all take a deep breath here. Step back, and look at the situation from a more reasonable point-of-view.
The “60 Minutes” piece does not attempt to deny that Mortenson has done a great deal of good. They basically dispute some details: how much good has been done, and the factuality of some fairly minor story details.
Should a quibble over details really be whipping up the hurricane of controversy that it has? Lost in the noise is the fact that CAI and Mortenson have done a great deal of good. In my view, Mortenson should not defend himself against any of this. He should aggressively attack those who are attacking him: question their motives, uncover their crimes.
Hey Jim, Rob and Kanani,
I know you must think that there should be some sort of instantaneous response from Greg in the way you want to see it happen, but the guy has to have heart surgery this week. It will be rebutted, it will be challenged. In many, many ways. Perhaps just a little patience is fair? I think Greg deserves at least that much. After all, he risked his own life so many times over 18 years to help kids in a very dangerous part of the world- have you? I didn’t think so. And after all, he’s tried to educate Americans that books not bombs are the real solution to the hopelessness and poverty that leads to children being vulnerable to the extremists and terrorists. So can you hold you fire for a little while? Or do you want him to e sent to prison and branded a fraud right away because of what some cheap dime store ratings hungry news/entertainment show coughs up?
My problem is Mortenson didn’t want to sit down with 60 Minutes to talk about what they found. Why not? If he’s on the side of the angels, he would have set aside whatever time to deal with questions from a reporter, no matter how hostile the questions might be. He did not do this, even after he was confronted. It looks to me as if he’s promoted himself to his current position through publicity, so he’s not press-shy. No comment is not an option if he wants to continue to win public support.
We are inspiration hungry people that inflate and build-up “individuals” in our imaginations and then beat drums or dance on their demise. Irrespective of our “opinions” on his tactics to promote his work, let’s take a step back before celebrating the sensationalist CBS reports on Greg Mortenson and CAI.
Information leads to market correction, so let us now correct ourselves. For one, let’s not rely on CBS’s 60-Minutes too soon! Let’s contextualize the impact and quality of CAI’s work, which is far more limited than its much larger counterparts in education. Having said that, let us not discontinue support to CAI but certainly demand greater transparency and efficiency from GM and CAI’s board and management- so that CAI can do its work better.
A dialogue in the non-profit space and “giving” in general, is extremely relevant at this point. I am concerned that in the absence of such a dialogue, this fiasco will only shake donor confidence. Not towards giving, but towards giving to institutions, which would be a huge step back.
Raising awareness, funds and building support is one component of an organized and high impact non-profit’s work. No different than most ventures and companies. In effective and efficient organizations these costs are well-controlled. So when we are giving we should either specify program-related spending and if that option does not exist then investigate what percentage of an institution’s publicly raised funds are going towards program expenses, administration and fund-raising costs.
This is also a time to highlight the importance of giving to organizations that provide due-diligence support and identify projects in Pakistan that are doing wonderful work. Institutionalized giving must be kept up. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
I like Greg. I think what he has done for the people of Pakistan is simply wonderful. Nothing can change that.
Hi! Now listen everyone, i am a Pakistani, not someone like Sadia living in the safety of the civilized world of US supporting CAI and thinking they have done their job of leaving behind a country that could do with their physical presence and contribution.
I am myself a philathrophist, a teacher for 2 decades with degrees from worlds top Universities, and run a non profit that work and reaches out to the very remote areas so I am talking out of qualified observation experience and complete sense. I do appreciate what he did for the girls education in the remote areas, he is not the only one, there are many who have done better work but with less gib, glamour or all this frenzy about fundraising with pennies and stuff emotionally trying out ignorant American kids and people. I am not disrespecting his effort coming and working ion my country, I am only raising my voice about the hideous nature of his operations. Yes “hideous”, being a Pakistani that is what i felt every time my American counterparts talk about him.
Let me tell you he is least known in Pakistan more then author of a book, he rarely given a media interview here, seldom anyone ever wrote about him or his work. The educated community hardly know or talk about him more then a writer and asking each other if he really did what he wrote or how far are his claims authentic. Not because we are all illiterate and does not care about this American bringing a change in lives to poor kids of a remote area. Just because he does not leave much to talk about but confusion in people’s mind.
He claim to keep things low profile, not encourage or even allow many people visiting to that area or his schools, because he says those families and girls will feel intruded and threatened. I am not very sure about this, with experience of working in such areas myself!!! how many of you really visited the villages he worked at?? I know many who did, we worked in the same areas, did any of you commenting on the article above ever met or know many people who were from that region, they are not like what he described them to be, scared closed and threatened.
Once I met him in a Conference in Orlando and there was this young Pakistani born American girl student who happens to be his assistant, she acted as if Mortenson is a little rescued Panda who do not want to talk to anyone, and said he does not in general speak to people. Great philanthropist?? Maybe he does not talk unless paid for?
This is all his attempt at keep people away from reality specially the ones from or living in Pakistan because it is easy for them to unearth reality. I met a couple of staff of his organisation in Pakistan, and they were like refused to even make a comment, feel proud or even acknowledge the good work they are doing. They are instructed to not talk about their work with anyone. Why??? So much so that ven their families does not now what their dads or husbands are working. Maybe this guy released from the employment with CAI decided to speak up and lost his job.
Unlike in Pakistan, he is well known, loved and donated well in United States because an average American family or professional does not know the reality in Pakistan. I visit many times to US and have interacted with thousands of people and most of you still believe I travel on camels and our kids have never heard of Nike and entire Pakistan is like Mortensons school. So, such people get easily carried away by pictures and stories of white scarf clad scared looking girls feeble smiles holding a book at Mortensons’ school up on rocky mountains. I know many of you are going balk at what wrote challenge me, I have experienced this many times in the past from my American friends and colleagues. I will not mind!! So go ahead!!!!
I am glad 60 minutes picked this up though!!!
Thanks for writing this article. I did not watch the 60 Minutes show, but I did look through the transcript with a heavy heart. It seems to package up several types of scandal- first that the books contain fiction presented as facts ala the “million little pieces” scandal from years past. Personally, the most damning accusation seems to be the suggestion that the schools aren’t actually operating as schools or are somehow being misrepresented as successes. I find it hard to question the integrity of Mortenson’s commitment, actions, and message. I also think it’s completely reasonable that not every project undertaken to try to create change will result in complete success, and in fact, many intractable social problems have low success rates.
Second that the royalties from the book(s) actually go to the author(s) who wrote them (gasp), not the institution they are about. I can see how the first creates some controversy. I’m not sure I understand this one. Why is it controversial that an author gets and keeps as income the royalties from their book? Somehow anyone doing principled community building work is supposed to be poor if not because they are economically marginalized by choosing to pursue work that isn’t given (economic) value in our society, but in the rare case that they are successful, they should be poor by choice, as an expression of some kind of purist asceticism. We think (or at least I do) it is great that someone like Bill Gates decides to take on philanthropic projects. We don’t expect him to hand over all of his wealth. I bought and greatly enjoyed both of the books Mortenson wrote. I never thought that as an author he should get less benefit from my purchase than books from any other author on my shelf. I was inspired by the books to make a donation to CAI. I was inspired to think about my own contribution to solutions in the world, and it marked a turning point for me when I become more actively involved in my own small ways. What a great benefit! As long as we say that people who work to benefit others in the world cannot experience any benefit for themselves, we continue to confirm the idea that contributing to change in the world is an all-or-nothing venture, and unfortunately most of this time, this kind of thinking justifies most people to do nothing.
Mortenson’s books start off with a story of this type. A guy with almost nothing but an unusual determination. Mortenson’s message is so powerful because it shows that a single person can make a difference. Here is someone who has clearly poured tons of personal resources including money, time, energy, passion into helping others, into creating solutions in a world full of problems. Regardless of how literal his story is, I think this basis is irrefutable. What I don’t understand about this is–Why wouldn’t we want resources in the hands of someone with a work ethic and mission like that? The article mentions those who have gotten rich while creating the current financial crisis, but it is not only that they acquire wealth in a way that contributes to problems in society… it is that once many people have wealth, the cultural ideal we encourage and romanticize, everywhere we look, is to hoard that wealth, using it for excessive personal consumption. This is what we associate with coverage. I wish more people thought of their resources the way Mortenson exemplifies in his books and in the work of CAI. I hope the way this shakes out ends up benefitting CAI and Mortenson, but regardless-I still wish there were more people like Greg Mortenson with resources at their disposal.
Todd, dangerous part of the world, hah!!! what a crap, who are you to decide, is it more dangerous then Central park of NYC after midnight??? What comparison you have?? Do you really know the population of those region where there was so called making a difference happening by Greg?? You guys take a trip to one part of Pakistan, hook up with some innocent eagerly hospitable Pakistani, get your biased observations go back and used your creative writing skills to construct these articles, research and journals to qualify you are professors, writers, journalists, bloggers and so called concerned citizens of the globe and developing world friends. It is actually this which stinks!! and appear garbage!!!
I am so sure the CBS and this article from Krakauer is not 100% lie. One audit cannot be a lie, nothing going to charity from his 30K speaker fee is not a lie, private jet is not a lie!!!
http://static.byliner.com/original/Three_Cups_of_Deceit_Jon_Krakauer_Byliner_Originals.pdf
Reminds me of British Mathematician-Philosopher-Double Nobel Prize Winner, Lord Bertrand Russell, an avowed agnostic’s statement when asked:
“What do you think about God?”
His response:
“If there is no God, we should create one!”
In that case alluding to the benefits of belief in an All-Knowing, All-Seeing, All-Powerful, the thought of whose pleasure or displeasure inspires ethics in many of us flawed human beings … whose behavior would be less civilized but for their fear, or love, of God.
Whether true, or out of whole cloth, Greg Mortensen’s story has served as an inspiration to many … and even if it is a “myth”, the demolition of that myth, because of its consequential demolition of the enthused, leaves the world quite a bit poorer.
The value of what he has done in raising consciousness of the condition of the people of Pakistan, far exceeds any pecuniary gain he might have arrived at now, or will, in the future.
Ethan’s appraisal of the situation seemed balanced until he writes: “From his salary, Greg covers his own extensive travel expenses.”
Even the numerous rebuttals found on CAI’s web site admit that CAI was covering Greg’s expenses, and at issue was whether or not that was excessive compensation. Ethan loses his credibility with me as “reporting with respect” and is plainly not balanced in his reportage. Shame.
I lost faith in 60 Minutes when their show on a tobacco company adding a carcenogenic addictive substance to their cigarettes which resulted in the cancer rate of their smokers doubling and their sales doubling, was canceled by the network. Since then they have pretty much been nothing more than any other news show. My opinion of the media and new shows has never been lower. News is no longer about putting out information, it’s all and only about ratings now.
To be honest I have not seen the segment or read the book, but I would like to make a few observations.
I did see Charlie Wilson’s War, and the end of that movie stuck with me. The US spent over a billion dollars supplying Afghans with weapons to use against the Russians in their bid for freedom, but would not give 10 million dollars to help rebuild schools afterwards.
The only possibility for peace in the Middle East is to educate the occupants, specifically on civil rights, and also to allow them to gain a higher standard of living. Janis Joplin’s philosophy applies strongly here. If you have nothing, you have nothing to lose. This is where the supply of suicide bombers come from. People who have nothing to lose, and have not been educated on the fact that others have civil rights also.
So called “religious leaders” like Osama Bin Laden take advantage of the fact that there are many people in the Middle East who have no education and experience other than being victims of aggression, oppression and poverty.
The point I am trying to make is that there is a vital need for people to do what the author of the book alleges he did. If he only spent 25% of the proceeds from donations to the charity on the actual work of building schools, this is still 2.5 times what the federal government requires, and also 2.5 times what the Red Cross in San Diego spent on providing services to the public of San Diego.
The question in my mind is “Why?” Why would 60 Minutes air a show that they had to know would devastate the effort of building schools. My understanding of the claims they made were that they were not absolute, but rather that there was exaggeration going on. I would see justification of their segment only if the abuses of the donated money exceeded the federal government’s standard that no more than 90 percent of the donations could be spent on unrelated expenses.
This also brings up my regular rant that the federal standards are criminally loose on non-profit corporations.
In summary, I can only make the following conclusion. Since 60 Minutes had to be aware of the impact of their segment, and that there does not appear to be a justification for that impact, I seriously question their motive. The only conclusion I can draw is one of these two possibilities. Either they were so concerned with gaining ratings that they did not care about the impact, or the impact their story had was the purpose for the story. Again, I wonder why?
The various alligations in the 60 Minutes story are troubling but do not result in a total negation of the work that CAI and Greg have done. I don’t believe anything was done delibrately to decieve or cheat the public or the students that CAI serves. But as a donor, my confidence is shaken.
It would seem that the CAI, as with many relatively young, start-up nonprofits and business, has fallen victim of its own success – growing so fast that proper financial, management and governance controls were not put into place. Many nonprofits grow to a piont that the original founder, who tends to have heart, energy, and drive, is not capable of insuring proper management of the growing organization. If the board of directors is not populated with a deep bench of experts in business management, fund raising, law, public relations and other important elements, the founder does not recieve the critical guidance that he/she needs to manage that organization’s growth. In the business world, innovators and rainmakers are great at getting something going, but not so good at keeping it going– dealing with details, governace, etc. I think this is where CAI is today. Both CAI and its Board need to to recruite more senior and experienced persons who can help this organization grow effectively and within the guidelines that society typically expects of nonprofits.
I look forward to CAI growing into the challenges ahead, and to Greg continuing his good work.
I suggest you reading what Jon Krakauer has said. Pretty hard-hitting facts, and I am heartbroken with everything Greg Mortenson has done:
http://www.byliner.com/
Syed, I read the 80+ pages published at byliner.com.
Although I am not sure how trustworthy Jon Krakauer is as a writer (see criticisms of him concerning his other books), he has packed enough detail into the article to truly make even a strong supporter of Greg take a step back.
I had hope that the trouble was only growing pains. Founders of organization often cannot lead a growing staff effectively, and need managers, and boards that can confront them when things are not right.
I hope that CAI can recover and move past this event. It deserves to survive as a viable source of good works, even if its founder needs to exit the organization.
If not all of what Krakauer says is true, then I hope that Greg will come forward, quickly and openly respond to these allegations.
My husband and I are two of millions of Greg Mortenson’s admirers. We were heartbroken after listening to 60 Minutes. I understand that journalism can color and skew even the best people and the best efforts. Still, the program raised two issues that I have not heard anyone clarify. First: how many schools have been built and how many are still being used as schools? We understand that if some schools are defunct that may be out of CAI’s control, but there should be a record and an accurate one – this is, after all, what is most important.
Second, did people clearly understand that the money they paid for the books Three Cups of Tea and Stones into Schools did NOT go to the CAI but to the authors? As one such purchaser, I don’t think so. I don’t begrudge Mr. Mortenson earning a good living but I do think it was not made clear to would-be book buyers that the money was earned by Mr. Mortenson. I think this was disingenuous at the least. I am not a contributor to CAI, but if I were I would be a bit uneasy about CAI funding Mr. Mortenson’s travel costs. If Mr. Mortenson is making a lot of money from his books and speaking engagements, it seems it would be fair for him to at least share the cost of travel. It may seem a small matter, but people are making donations and they deserve to be treated respectfully. A bit more clarification from Mr. Mortenson and CAI would be very helpful. We were glad the Montana attorney general is looking into the matter – this should be an unbiased review of the situation that will help clear up some of the actual facts of the matter. We would hope that when the attorney general completes his report, it would be helpful it that were given the same level of exposure as the original questions were (maybe the Newshour instead of 60 Minutes, this time? It would be a shame if all of Mortenson’s great work was undermined and compromised.
Thanks Casey for this wonderful peace. Greg is my hero and a hero to millions of people across the globe. We still believe in him and his mission to educate every child.
Let’s not derail the good work over some tabloid journalism from CBS. Let’s focus back on the good work going on out there and continue with the education goals for the poor of the forgotten part of the world.
Greg can still be a hero. Simply sit down on camera and answer some simple questions. If not a con man, he should be quite anxious to have his day in court. This is not a “forgotten place in the world”; big money is spent on bankrupting the American people, spent on military spending and Greg is part of it. Yea he is a goof, but a dangerous goof!