Katherine:

The guy isn't rich.  Where did that come from?

Andrea

On Apr 29, 2008, at 11:05 AM, Katherine wrote:


> " Real education, not just information

> and skills development, now that is what I call

> radical, and there are precious few who actually have

> the courage to do it."

>

> AMEN.

>

> However, in defense of Mortenson, it could be his best seller is what  

> keeps

> funding these schools.  If I had a best seller and were rich, I'd keep

> earning money so I could give more away : )

>

> Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt

> www.luxuriouschoices.net

> ----- Original Message -----

> From: "Ujwala Samant" <lalumineuse at yahoo.com>

> To: "The Poverty, Race,Women and Literacy Discussion List"

> <povertyracewomen at nifl.gov>

> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:53 AM

> Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 2128] Re: Mastery

>

>

>> I work for an NGO where that is what we do. We have 75

>> schools in the NWFP region of Pakistan, all owned and

>> run by villagers. And aside from us, there are plenty

>> of local people who have done this, in the face of

>> serious opposition. But they have not had millionaire

>> godparents, nor bestsellers written about their work.

>> They just get on with what they see as necessary and

>> crucial for development. I am not undermining what

>> Mortenson did. But there are others, local unsung

>> people such as the founder of KHOJ, Ms Nasira Habib

>> who have done this  despite regular threats from local

>> landlords, thugs in highly traditional Pakistani

>> society. Now that, is radical! And the education her

>> communities receive, I wish my own son had. Her first

>> two graduates (women) stood for local elections amidst

>> much opposition. Real education, not just information

>> and skills development, now that is what I call

>> radical, and there are precious few who actually have

>> the courage to do it.

>>

>> Cheers,

>> Ujwala

>>

>>

>> --- Katherine <kgotthardt at comcast.net> wrote:

>>

>>> So you ladies don't think there is ANYTHING

>>> revolutionary about going back

>>> and opening a school?  That's pretty radical in my

>>> mind.  It's out of the

>>> ordinary.  It's EXTRAORDINARY in fact.

>>>

>>> Katherine Mercurio Gotthardt

>>> www.luxuriouschoices.net

>>> ----- Original Message -----

>>> From: "Andrea Wilder" <andreawilder at comcast.net>

>>> To: "The Poverty, Race,Women and Literacy Discussion

>>> List"

>>> <povertyracewomen at nifl.gov>

>>> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 8:51 AM

>>> Subject: [PovertyRaceWomen 2124] Re: Mastery

>>>

>>>

>>>> Ujwala--

>>>>

>>>> Yes, he was extremely lucky.  As I recall, the

>>> porter who rescued him

>>>> had knowledge of western ways, so Mortenson was

>>> somewhat understood, as

>>>> a person and as an acceptable member of his

>>> western group--he was not

>>>> an oddball.  There were  other factors specific to

>>> Mortenson that

>>>> enabled him to do what he did--beyond luck, and

>>> having to do with his

>>>> background.

>>>>

>>>>  He was also captured and (briefly) imprisoned

>>> when he did NOT follow

>>>> the rules.  He got out of imprisonment when he DID

>>> follow the rules.

>>>>

>>>> Read the book.

>>>>

>>>> Andrea

>>>>

>>>> On Apr 29, 2008, at 2:29 AM, Ujwala Samant wrote:

>>>>

>>>>> Andrea,

>>>>>

>>>>> That's the book I am struggling to read, to get

>>> into.

>>>>> I give him full marks for adapting, that must

>>> have

>>>>> been extremely hard; given the mountains, the

>>> culture

>>>>> and the language. I also think he was extremely

>>> lucky

>>>>> to have found the welcome he received, given

>>> those

>>>>> areas.

>>>>>

>>>>> Cheers

>>>>> Ujwala

>>>>>

>>>>>

>>>>> --- Andrea Wilder <andreawilder at comcast.net>

>>> wrote:

>>>>>

>>>>>> Ujwala--

>>>>>>

>>>>>> Greg Mortenson of "Three Cups of Tea" succeeded

>>>>>> because he was able to

>>>>>> learn the rules, I think his story is pretty

>>>>>> dramatic;  shows what can

>>>>>> be accomplished when some one has the diligence

>>> and

>>>>>> desire to learn how

>>>>>> to behave properly in order to get a job done.

>>>>>>

>>>>>> Andrea

>>>>>>

>>>>>>

>>>>>> On Apr 28, 2008, at 6:18 PM, Ujwala Samant

>>> wrote:

>>>>>>

>>>>>>> Just noted a typo my post. It should read, "We

>>>>>> call

>>>>>>> people by their first names." Or, "It's normal

>>> to

>>>>>> call

>>>>>>> people by their first names."

>>>>>>> Ujwala

>>>>>>> --- Daniel Rizik-Baer <drizikbaer at gmail.com>

>>>>>> wrote:

>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> Ujwala-

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> "> I think everyone knows the hidden rules,

>>> they

>>>>>> are

>>>>>>>>> just not in plain site.

>>>>>>>>> Knowing that they are there is a big step

>>>>>> towards

>>>>>>>>> understanding.<<

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> I think there is a huge leap of faith in the

>>>>>> first

>>>>>>>> statement. Rules are learned, through

>>>>>> observation,

>>>>>>>> education and interaction. How many of our

>>>>>> learners

>>>>>>>> have positive, direct, educational interaction

>>>>>> upon

>>>>>>>> arrival? "We don't ask someone their age or

>>>>>> income."

>>>>>>>> comes to mind. "We don't call everyone by

>>> their

>>>>>>>> first

>>>>>>>> name." When asked "How're you doing?" it is

>>> not

>>>>>> an

>>>>>>>> invitation to discuss your state of mind or

>>>>>> being. I

>>>>>>>> could go on..... I think there are things to

>>> be

>>>>>>>> learned through interaction, and some through

>>>>>>>> teaching."

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> What I meant is much closer to what you

>>>>>> described.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> What I mean is that people know the hidden

>>> rules,

>>>>>>>> and yet do not know that

>>>>>>>> they know them, Things as simple as which hand

>>> to

>>>>>>>> shake hands with, or many

>>>>>>>> other things that are cultural that may seem

>>>>>>>> "natural," but in fact are

>>>>>>>> socially constructed.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> So just as you said, rules are learned- but

>>>>>> people

>>>>>>>> learn them without really

>>>>>>>> realizing they are being socialized into a

>>>>>>>> particular culture.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> This is why I think it is so important for our

>>>>>> youth

>>>>>>>> to have the opportunity

>>>>>>>> for world travel- to see how other cultures

>>>>>> express

>>>>>>>> their humaness, to see

>>>>>>>> the simliarties and differences in how people

>>>>>> live

>>>>>>>> their lives may help our

>>>>>>>> youth to open their minds to see how their

>>> lives

>>>>>> are

>>>>>>>> socially constucted at

>>>>>>>> home.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> Like Katherine said:

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> "We don't ask someone their age or income."

>>>>>>>> comes to mind. "We don't call everyone by

>>> their

>>>>>>>> first

>>>>>>>> name." When asked "How're you doing?" it is

>>> not

>>>>>> an

>>>>>>>> invitation to discuss your state of mind or

>>>>>> being.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> *I mean, if someone asks how you are, why

>>> should

>>>>>> you

>>>>>>>> hide how you are

>>>>>>>> feeling?

>>>>>>>> If I ask, don't I really want to know?  If I

>>>>>> don't,

>>>>>>>> then I shouldn't bother

>>>>>>>> asking!*

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> Well yes, if we took the statement at face

>>> value.

>>>>>>>> But imagine if for

>>>>>>>> everyone you said "how are you doing?" to,

>>> they

>>>>>>>> actually told you about

>>>>>>>> their life, allo the trials and tribulations

>>> etc.

>>>>>> We

>>>>>>>> would never get through

>>>>>>>> our day!  It has become a greeting that means

>>>>>>>> "hello" while appearing to

>>>>>>>> show caring, which I do not think is

>>> necessarily

>>>>>> a

>>>>>>>> bad thing. Certain people

>>>>>>>> really do want to know- close friends and

>>> family.

>>>>>>>>

>>>>>>>> *True we don't call everyone by their first

>>> name,

>>>

>> === message truncated ===

>>

>>

>>

>>

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