--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I decided in '96 to dedicate my life to…" description: "\"I decided in '96 to dedicate my life to mostly promoting literacy and education for girls in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.\" — Greg Mortenson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-m_568993.jpg" --- # I decided in '96 to dedicate my life to mostly promoting… ![“I decided in '96 to dedicate my life to mostly promoting literacy and education for girls in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.” quote by Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-m_568993.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-m_568993.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-m_568993.jpg) > “I decided in '96 to dedicate my life to mostly promoting literacy and education for girls in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.” [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Commitment to girls' education in remote regions can transform societies. **In simple terms:** Education empowers women and communities. Key Takeaway Support education initiatives. Themes education gender equality development Mood hopeful determined Type inspirational activist When to use this quote - school building - community outreach - policy advocacy Key Concepts rural empowerment nonprofit leadership Questions to Reflect On - How can you contribute to girls' education? - What obstacles might arise? A Different Perspective Challenges include cultural resistance and funding scarcity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Afghanistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Literacy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/literacy/) [Pakistan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pakistan/) ## Related quotes > [There is still a desperate need for investment and promotion of education in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan. Official figures put Pakistan literacy rate over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/there-is-still-a-desperate-need-for-investment-and-promotion-of/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [I'm feeling optimistic about rural Pakistan. Farmers are making good money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacqueline-novogratz/i-m-feeling-optimistic-about-rural-pakistan-farmers-are-making-good/) [Jacqueline Novogratz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacqueline-novogratz/) > [One of the biggest development issues in the world is the education of girls. In the United States and Europe, it has been accepted,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harri-holkeri/one-of-the-biggest-development-issues-in-the-world-is-the-education/) [Harri Holkeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harri-holkeri/) > [Learning, while at school, that the charge for the education of girls was the same as that for boys, and that, when they became…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucretia-mott/learning-while-at-school-that-the-charge-for-the-education-of-girls/) [Lucretia Mott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucretia-mott/) > [I would like to see many times more dollars going into the education for girls. The World Bank has some wonderful statistics in terms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swanee-hunt/i-would-like-to-see-many-times-more-dollars-going-into-the-education/) [Swanee Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swanee-hunt/) > [I see encouraging signs of democracy developing in other places in the Middle East. In Tunisia, in Iraq, and now in Egypt. Tunisia is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-lewis/i-see-encouraging-signs-of-democracy-developing-in-other-places-in/) [Bernard Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-lewis/) > [One of the most compelling arguments for encouraging the education of girls, particularly in developing countries, is this: Education enables jobs, jobs are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/one-of-the-most-compelling-arguments-for-encouraging-the-education-of/) [Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/) > [One of the greatest faults of the women of the present time is a silly fear of things, and one object of the education…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-swallow-richards/one-of-the-greatest-faults-of-the-women-of-the-present-time-is-a/) [Ellen Swallow Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-swallow-richards/) > [“Adolescence is a period of life when the brain is malleable, and it represents a good opportunity for learning and social development. However, according…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-brockman/adolescence-is-a-period-of-life-when-the-brain-is-malleable-and-it/) [John Brockman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-brockman/) > [A large part of the present anxiety to improve the education of girls and women is also due to the conviction that the political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/millicent-fawcett/a-large-part-of-the-present-anxiety-to-improve-the-education-of-girls/) [Millicent Fawcett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/millicent-fawcett/) > [My work to promote education and literacy in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan has become my life's mission. This takes a full-time commitment 365 24/7.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/my-work-to-promote-education-and-literacy-in-remote-regions-of/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“They are a testament not only to the Afghans' hunger for literacy, but also to their willingness to pour scarce resources into this effort,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/they-are-a-testament-not-only-to-the-afghans-hunger-for-literacy-but/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [According to UNESCO: there are over 154 million children in the world deprived of education due to poverty, slavery, racism, religious extremism, gender discrimination,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/according-to-unesco-there-are-over-154-million-children-in-the-world/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [It is my vision that we all will dedicate the next decade to achieve universal literacy and education for all children, especially for girls.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/it-is-my-vision-that-we-all-will-dedicate-the-next-decade-to-achieve/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [Love of books is the best of all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-kennedy/love-of-books-is-the-best-of-all/) [Jackie Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-kennedy/) ## More by Greg Mortenson > [Our greatest ally in the Pakistan region of turmoil is the moderate Muslim majority, who we must reach out to and embrace if we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/our-greatest-ally-in-the-pakistan-region-of-turmoil-is-the-moderate/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“People who live in the last places-the people who are most neglected and least valued by the larger world- often represent the best of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/people-who-live-in-the-last-places-the-people-who-are-most-neglected/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [If you teach a boy, you educate an individual; but if you teach a girl, you educate a community.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/if-you-teach-a-boy-you-educate-an-individual-but-if-you-teach-a-girl/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [You can hand out condoms, drop bombs, build roads, or put in electricity, but until the girls are educated a society won’t change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/you-can-hand-out-condoms-drop-bombs-build-roads-or-put-in-electricity/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“I don't want to teach Pakistani's children to think like Americans...I just want them to have a balanced, non-extremist education”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/i-don-t-want-to-teach-pakistani-s-children-to-think-like-americans-i/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [I've learned that terror doesn't happen because some group of people somewhere like Pakistan or Afghanistan simply decide to hate us. It happens because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/i-ve-learned-that-terror-doesn-t-happen-because-some-group-of-people/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“Abdul brushed the dirt from the American's forehead, where it had been pressed to the cool ground. "Not Pakistan man," he said. "But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/abdul-brushed-the-dirt-from-the-american-s-forehead-where-it-had-been/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [When your kids accomplish something it means much more than anything you've done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/when-your-kids-accomplish-something-it-means-much-more-than-anything/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [If you look at the 9/11 highjackers, certainly they were educated, some even had university degrees, but nobody really checked their mothers, who were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/if-you-look-at-the-9-11-highjackers-certainly-they-were-educated-some/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [One thing that I noticed is having met some former Taliban is even they, as children, grew up being indoctrinated. They grew up in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/one-thing-that-i-noticed-is-having-met-some-former-taliban-is-even/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“Osama, baah!" Bashir roared. "Osama is not a product of Pakistan or Afghanistan. He is a creation of America. Thanks to America, Osama is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/osama-baah-bashir-roared-osama-is-not-a-product-of-pakistan-or/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [ “We shall pursue our dreams “until \[we\] reach\[…\] it. Or fail\[…\] trying. ” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/we-shall-pursue-our-dreams-until-we-reach-it-or-fail-trying/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [“What we are trying to do may be just a drop in the ocean, but the ocean would be less because of that missing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/what-we-are-trying-to-do-may-be-just-a-drop-in-the-ocean-but-the/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [. . . hope resides in the future, while perspective and wisdom are almost always found by looking to the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/hope-resides-in-the-future-while-perspective-and-wisdom-are-almost/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) > [It is my vision that we all will dedicate the next decade to achieve universal literacy and education for all children, especially for girls.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/it-is-my-vision-that-we-all-will-dedicate-the-next-decade-to-achieve/) [Greg Mortenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) [Explore all 89 Greg Mortenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/) ## More Afghanistan quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [From the bitter cold winter at Valley Forge, to the mountains of Afghanistan and the deserts of Iraq, our soldiers have courageously answered when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/solomon-ortiz/from-the-bitter-cold-winter-at-valley-forge-to-the-mountains-of/) [Solomon Ortiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/solomon-ortiz/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [They're criminals, they brutalized Afghanistan, they killed our people, they destroyed our land.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hamid-karzai/they-re-criminals-they-brutalized-afghanistan-they-killed-our-people/) [Hamid Karzai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hamid-karzai/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The terrorist attacks of September 11th and the courageous actions of our armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq remind us that friends of tyranny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-levin/the-terrorist-attacks-of-september-11th-and-the-courageous-actions-of/) [Carl Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-levin/) > [According to a recent Harvard study, $6 trillion, when you include the ongoing healthcare expenses for our wounded soldiers, which is the least they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-stein/according-to-a-recent-harvard-study-6-trillion-when-you-include-the/) [Jill Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-stein/) > [You don't bargain with terrorists. You don't appease terrorists. And anybody who believes that this is about something we've done has to ask themselves…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-chertoff/you-don-t-bargain-with-terrorists-you-don-t-appease-terrorists-and/) [Michael Chertoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-chertoff/) > [“I stood with my mom in the cemetery. She felt terrible pain. My grandmother is with God. My mom has to continue living. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tucker-elliot/i-stood-with-my-mom-in-the-cemetery-she-felt-terrible-pain-my/) [Tucker Elliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tucker-elliot/) > [The most successful cultural diplomacy strategy integrates people-to-people or arts/culture/media-to-people interactions into the basic business of diplomacy. The programs in Afghanistan, Egypt, and Iran…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cynthia-p-schneider/the-most-successful-cultural-diplomacy-strategy-integrates-people-to/) [Cynthia P. Schneider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cynthia-p-schneider/) > [Because Iran understands Afghanistan far better than Americans do, making Iran a partner in a long-term effort to transform Afghan agriculture makes sense.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-kinzer/because-iran-understands-afghanistan-far-better-than-americans-do/) [Stephen Kinzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-kinzer/) > [Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/thousands-of-americans-have-given-their-lives-in-afghanistan-and-iraq/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [I have been to Afghanistan many times, even before the Taliban collapsed. I was fascinated by the country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kabir-khan/i-have-been-to-afghanistan-many-times-even-before-the-taliban/) [Kabir Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kabir-khan/) > [There has been sort of, if you will, a moral interventionism on the part of the United States trying to reshape countries in our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-buchanan/there-has-been-sort-of-if-you-will-a-moral-interventionism-on-the/) [Pat Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-buchanan/) > [The legal system in Afghanistan is very immature and porous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-graham/the-legal-system-in-afghanistan-is-very-immature-and-porous/) [Lindsey Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-graham/) [Browse all 1,159 Afghanistan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/afghanistan/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I decided in '96 to dedicate my life to mostly promoting literacy and education for girls in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Greg Mortenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-mostly-promoting-literacy-and/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Afghanistan" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-mostly-promoting-literacy-and/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-m_568993.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-m_568993.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/32e/greg-mortenson-7579_afghanistan_i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-m_568993.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I decided in '96 to dedicate my life to mostly promoting literacy and education for girls in rural Pakistan…” — Greg Mortenson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Greg Mortenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-mortenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I decided in '96 to dedicate...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-mostly-promoting-literacy-and/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-mortenson/i-decided-in-96-to-dedicate-my-life-to-mostly-promoting-literacy-and/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```