DID YOU DRINK THE KOOL AID (I mean the tea?)

Image via WikipediaCover via Amazon
Greg Mortensen, author of the famous book, Three Cups of Tea and known for creating the Central Asia Institute and its mission to build schools in Afghanistan recently came under attack by another well known author, Jon Krakauer who once contributed financially to Mr. Mortensen's philantrophy.Unfortunately it seems there is much to substantiate Krakauer's claims that Mortensen has fabricated many of the details of the book as well as mismanaged the philanthropy's funds using it more for personal marketing and travel than for the schools it was suppossed to be building.

This clip from 60 Minutes is quite an eye opener but I must admit that it causes two distinct reactions in my gut. First of all, yes, Mortensen appears to have been less than truthful about his experiences in parts of Afghanistan, perhaps fabricating some details or enlarging them. It is discouraging to learn that a man who appeared to have such good intentions may have misguided his public and misrepresented himself. However, even with all his shortcomings, Greg Mortensen did display some very humanitarian acts. Despite the fact that he may have built far fewer schools than he reported; he did build some schools and although some may never have been used, it does not detract from the fact that he saw a need and made some movement to fill it. Mary DeMuth has an excellent post on how we might react when someone like Mr. Mortensen fails to live up to the leader we thought we had in her blog, Mary DeMuth

I would never advocate the negative behaviors Mr. Mortensen displayed but I would also never hold out mercy, compassion or forgiveness to an individual who was motivated enough to act on a cause with some good intentions that went awry. Humans make mistakes. When that happens we should own up to them, confront those we have caused any harm to and ask for forgiveness and move on with more exemplary behavior and more transparency. I can only hope that Mr. Mortensen will not run from those seeking answers but will own up to his own errors and ask for that forgiveness and I also hope he will continue to make a difference in the world as well. Come out and face this like the man people thought you were, Mr. Mortensen.

Yes, I drank the Kool aid and I liked it (his book) but I know that any human being can be misled, misinformed and often mistaken for someone they are not. Greg Mortensen is diminished by his lack of truthfulness but his work to offer something more to a country with so little and in such need is not. Whether he built 2 or 200 schools is not as important as the fact that he did do something. It is easy to criticize and point a finger but I realize I have not built any schools, traveled to any country where I was in harms way or organized any philantrophy that has done something for the greater good. Does this make me less a humanitarian than Greg or simply a more honest individual for what I have done?  That is not for anyone to judge for the Bible tells us, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."( Luke 6:37)


I can choose not to buy his books,not attend his speaking engagements or contribute to his philantrophy, but I cannot choose to acknowledge he did some good things; some things many only think about doing, some things many only talk about doing. Our actions do speak louder than words. 

So did you drink the Kool-aid and what do you think now?