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"The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dreams shall never die." - Edward Kennedy
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Dushtak Secondary School,
Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan
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Asalaam Aleikum (Peace be with you). After a bit of a hiatus, Alima is back! And we at Central Asia Institute have lots of good news.
The Journey of Hope Vol. VII is at the printer and should be in the mail on its way to you soon. Karin Ronnow, CAI's communications director, and photographer Erik Petersen traveled to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan this year to collect stories, document projects, and drink lots of tea. Erik's beautiful work is also featured in the 2014 Journey of Hope Calendar, a limited edition wall calendar. You can read more about the JOH and the calendar below.
We are also pleased to report that the appeal of the purported class-action lawsuit has been dismissed; all requirements of the Montana Attorney General's office, outlined in 2012, have been fulfilled; and the details of the latest audit and tax filings, along with other information, are available in our latest annual report. We've been busy! Keep reading for more details.
This fall, we celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child, participated in Giving Tuesday, and expressed gratitude for the people and places that make our work so rewarding. Our overseas team provided emergency disaster relief to a village in northeast Afghanistan, accompanied Executive Director David Starnes and Co-Founder Greg Mortenson on their project visits in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, and celebrated the Islamic New Year.
As always, we draw our strength and motivation from the people we serve. But our work would not be possible without you. Thank you for your continued interest, encouragement, and contributions to our mission.
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CAI wraps up another Journey of Hope
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Communications Director Karin Ronnow "introduces" the 2013 edition:
WAKHAN CORRIDOR, Afghanistan - Central Asia Institute often talks about the "remote" places where we work.
We work in rural areas. We work in the mountains. We travel vertigo-inducing roads along mountain ridges and cliffs, through glacial streams, and over loose talus slopes to reach villages well off the beaten place, places where there is no electricity, cellphone service, potable water, paying jobs, or even a cash economy.
Over many years, I've learned that remoteness is a hard thing to convey to people who have never seen CAI's work on the ground. As CAI's communications director and the author of the annual Journey of Hope publication, I am constantly reaching for anecdotes to explain the isolation of these regions, and why working there is so rewarding.
Read more from Karin's introduction HERE.
Read the Fall 2013 Journey of Hope online HERE.
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How much of CAI's funding comes from Individual Donors?
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Find the answer in the 2011-2012 annual report... | |
CAI Annual Report
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This fall CAI also posted its 2011-2012 annual report, a document chock full of useful information. To save money on printing and mailing, we again opted to post it online. But don't pass up the chance to see the numbers for yourself, along with more stunning photos by Erik Petersen, and a letter from Executive Director David Starnes. David writes about his recent travels and the other important developments at CAI. Here's a taste: "I am just settling back into my office in Bozeman, Montana, after a four-week tour of Afghanistan, where I made extensive visits to schools, women's centers, and community-based projects. This trip came on the heels of my June trip with Greg Mortenson to Central Asia Institute (CAI)- supported schools and projects in Pakistan. The scope and scale of CAI's work in some of the most remote and dangerous areas of the world is inspiring. Schools that were originally started years ago with 20 or 30 students now have hundreds of students. Young girls, who 10 years ago were prevented from attending schools, now make up the majority of students in many schools. We are honored and proud that, with your support, CAI delivers hope to children, women, and their families in underserved areas of Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Afghanistan. The past two years has been a time of controversy, change, and transition for CAI. While continuing to support hundreds of schools and projects overseas, CAI staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly to sustain and improve CAI's operations and procedures to ensure that the wishes, intents, and trust of our donors and the best interests of our beneficiaries are our highest priority." Read the rest of David's letter and see the entire CAI annual report HERE. NOTE: The report can be printed on any home computer, just click on the PDF and hit "print".   
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Federal appeals court affirms dismissal of case against CAI & Mortenson
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 Central Asia Institute was pleased to learn in early October that the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco had upheld a lower-court's decision to dismiss the purported class-action lawsuit against CAI and Mortenson. The federal appeals court ruling affirmed U.S. District Court Judge Sam E. Haddon's dismissal of the case with prejudice in Great Falls, Mont., in May 2012. A three-judge appeals panel ruled that the plaintiffs' "conclusory statements and minimal factual allegations" on the allegations of fraud, deceit, racketeering, or breach of contract were vague and insufficient, according to court documents. Also, "the [lower] court acted within its discretion in dismissing the complaint and denying leave to amend. Plaintiffs have already had multiple opportunities to amend, even after the defects in the pleadings were identified in extensive briefing[s]." U.S. Appeals Court Judges Barry G. Silverman, William A. Fletcher, and Consuelo Maria Callahan unanimously agreed the case was "suitable for decision without oral argument" and concluded: "The district court properly dismissed the complaint." Read more about the appeals court decision HERE.
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| Spend 2014 with CAI | |
 | | 2014 Journey of Hope Calendar |
The 2014 limited-edition Journey of Hope calendar has arrived in Bozeman and we are rapidly filling orders. The calendar includes stunning photography of CAI projects, plus explanations of CAI's programs and a map of the areas we serve. Each calendar is $10 and proceeds help us carry our mission to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan.
Order yours now. CAI calendars make great gifts, and help us spread the message of peace through education.
To order online, or get a sneak peek, click HERE.
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| Visit the CAI Communiqué | |
 | | Dushtok Secondary School, Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan |
"I must be willing to give whatever it takes to do good to others. This requires that I be willing to give until it hurts. Otherwise, there is no true love in me, and I bring injustice, not peace, to those around me."
- Mother Teresa
The latest news from CAI is always available on our blog, CAI Communiqué, at www.ikat.org/cai-communique/. The blog includes stories about projects, communities and our overseas project managers, field reports from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, and breaking news from the areas we serve. To stay up to date, sign up to receive an e-mail notice whenever the blog is updated.
In addition, we'd be happy to provide additional copies of Journey of Hope vol. VII free of charge for use in classrooms, by book clubs, or to share with friends, family, and colleagues. To request additional copies, contact us HERE.
Please forward this electronic newsletter to any and all people you think share our hopes for peace through education. Thanks for helping us spread the word.
Peace,
Central Asia Institute staff
Central Asia Institute empowers communities of Central Asia through literacy and education, especially for girls, promotes peace through education, and conveys the importance of these activities globally.
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Please consider CAI in your year-end donations
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 | Payan Shahr School,
Badakhshan Province, Afghanistan |
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.
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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