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Lawsuit Dismissed, Mission Continues
Central Asia Institute is extremely pleased with the U.S. District Court ruling Monday dismissing the lawsuit against it, cofounder Greg Mortenson, writer David Oliver Relin and Penguin Group publishing.
In dismissing the suit U.S. District Court Judge Sam E. Haddon concluded:
"The case has been pending for almost a year. The Complaint before the Court is the fifth pleading filed. Plaintiffs have been accorded every opportunity to adequately plead a case, if one exists. Moreover, the imprecise, in part flimsy, and speculative nature of the claims and theories advanced underscore the necessary conclusion that further amendment would be futile. This case will be dismissed with prejudice."
CAI is invigorated by the news. Greg is on his way overseas. Our dual mission continues unabated.
Yet, today's good news should not take away from the tremendous amount of work still to be done. Millions of children in the world remain out of school due to war, religious extremism, discrimination, and poverty.
CAI has worked with communities in remote, mountainous, and often war-wracked regions for more than 15 years to build, supply, staff, and maintain over 180 schools and 30 vocational centers, and support an additional 56 schools, 20 literacy centers, eight scholarship programs, and 22 public health (potable water, midwifery, and disaster-relief) projects. No other NGO does what we do in these locales with such a small team of dedicated individuals.
Greg stands by the stories in his books. Please read his response to media allegations last spring.
As always, CAI staff is available to answer any questions or concerns. info@ikat.org
LA Times: Court dismisses suit against "Three Cups of Tea" author
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Gov. Shah Waliyullah of northeast Afghanistan's Badakhshan province this week honored Central Asia Institute for its educational and humanitarian work in the region.
"He handed (the certificate) to me in Faizabad and said he very much appreciated the work CAI is doing," said Janagha Jaheed, CAI's northeast Afghanistan field director.
The laudatory words were in Farsi (Persian). Jaheed provided this translation:
"To Central Asia Institute,
Regarding the donations and implementation of the useful and valuable projects of CAI in different fields of life - especially education and social services in Badakhshan province, which surely have very good effects on the future of Badakhshan education and social development - the Badakhshan provincial government appreciates your activities and is proud to present this certificate of appreciation. And we hope more success to CAI and its hard-working staff in the future.
Best Regards
Dr. Shah Waliyullah Adeeb
Governor of Badakhshan province"
The certificate was signed and stamped, Jaheed added.
Central and western Badakhshan have been hard hit in recent months by vicious fighting initiated by the Taliban, the Islamic Movement Uzbekistan (IMU) and militants fom North Waziristan, Pakistan. Some of the fighting is related to ideology; and some of it is tied to outside "mafias" trying to gain a foothold on opium-trafficking routes to Central Asia and Europe.
 | Gov. Shah Waliyullah discusses Central Asia Institute's work in northeast Afghanistan's Badakhshan province with CAI field director Janagha Jaheed.
Photo Janagha Jaheed/CAI |
The Warduj and Kishim districts, where CAI has schools, have been frequent militant targets. Although no CAI schools have been harmed, no students or teachers attacked, the fighting and killing disrupts the learning process and frightens the children. The communities' courage and determined support of education amid the fighting engenders our utmost respect and our thoughts and prayers are with them.
CAI has worked with local communities throughout the mountainous, impoverished province to build dozens of schools, women's vocational centers and public-health projects. Badakhshan includes the Wakhan Corridor and Afghan Pamir.
In addition, CAI this year provided humanitarian support - food and blankets - to families suffering the effects of extreme winter weather.
QUOTE: "The race of mankind would perish did they cease to aid each other. We cannot exist without mutual help." - Sir Walter Scott (1771-1855)
- Karin Ronnow
  
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Follow CAI on Twitter and Facebook | |
Central Asia Institute has launched two new online ways for supporters to stay informed about our work promoting education and literacy, especially for girls, in some of the most remote, impoverished places on the planet.
Our new Twitter account and Facebook page, both launched this month, are full of news you can use.
Help us spread the word!
Our Tweets are posted under the user name Peacethroughed. Here we will alert followers to pertinent news about CAI and the regions we serve, upcoming CAI events, and ways to get involved. CAI co-founder Greg Mortenson also has a Twitter site, GregMortenson with current news and information posts.
CAI's Facebook Page is Central Asia Institute (Non-profit organization). Here you'll find links to the stories about people and projects on our blog, CAI Communiqué, photo essays, video, and educational tools.
We're excited about having new ways to communicate the crucial work we're doing to promote education in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan. We continue to update our "live" CAI master list of projects, which is a compilation of all CAI projects since the organization's inception.
Check in often for fresh updates from overseas, photos and comments about projects from CAI's overseas program managers, and much, much more.
All of these "social media" venues are also intended to help us stay connected with you, our supporters, so please send us your comments and suggestions.
As always, you can email us at info@ikat.org.
- Karin Ronnow
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Visit our blog: CAI Communiqué
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 | | An Afghan family listens as their mother and grandmother talk about the harsh reality of daily life in Koran-wa-Monjan, Afghanistan. |
The latest news from CAI is always available on our blog, CAI Communiqué. Topics covered so far this year include: CAI helps hundreds of families stranded by winter storms in NE Afghanistan; Avalanche kills extended family; female opium addicts in Afghanistan; profile of a new CAI girls' school; and the benefits of CAI's expanding work in Pakistan's troubled Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
Also, you can sign up to receive an e-mail notice whenever the blog is updated at www.ikat.org/cai-communique.
Please feel free to forward this electronic newsletter to any and all people you think might be interested. Thanks for helping us spread the word.
As we head into the spring building season of 2012, we at CAI - inspired by the communities we serve and our supporters' commitment to peace through education -remain focused on helping children in the last best places achieve their dreams of a bright future.
Peace,
Central Asia Institute staff
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It's easy to share...
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CAI health worker Lal Bono (left) checks on a
neighbor's sick baby boy in the Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan in September 2011.
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Help us promote girls' education, literacy and peace: one penny, one pencil, one child, one book, and three cups of tea at a time! Make a tax deductible donation to Central Asia Institute to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.
www.ikat.org/make-a-donation
CAI is U.S. registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, IRS EIN #51-0376237. Contributions are tax-deductible in the U.S.
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