Three Cups of Tea

I just finished the inspiring book, Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea is the story of mountaineer Greg Mortenson who found himself in a small impoverished village in Pakistan after an attempt to summit K2. While he never reached the top of the great mountain, his work in building schools in remote areas of Pakistan reached thousands of school children and brings inspiration and hope to all.

This is a wonderful book that will take you to the remote village of Korphe in the Karakoram Mountains and into the lives of the people there and a man's relentless pursuit of "promoting peace one school at a time."
Three Cups of Tea
-find the link in the website to purchase the book through Amazon. A percentage of the proceeds will go directly to the Central Asia Institute, where Greg Mortenson is the Executive Director.

State of the World's Minorities 2007

The Minority Rights Group is an international non-governmental organization (NGO) who works to secure the rights of ethnic, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples worldwide, and to promote cooperation and understanding between communities.

In MRG's released publication, State of the World's Minorities 2007, Somalia is listed a the top of countries where minorities are most under threat.

Download the 152 page publication (PDF) here.

Top 20 Minorities under threat according to the Minority Rights Group International:
(Source: State of the World's Minorities 2007, pg. 11)

1. Somalia: Darood, Hawiye, Issaq and other clans; Bantu and other groups
2. Iraq: Shia, Sunnis, Kurds, Turkomans, Christians; smaller minorities
3. Sudan: Fur, Zaghawa, Massalit and others in Darfur; Dinka, Nuer and others in the South; Nuba, Beja
4. Afghanistan: Hazara, Pashtun, Tajiks, Uzbeks
5. Burma/Myanmar: Kachin, Karenni, Karen, Mons, Rohingyas, Shan, Chin (Zomis), Wa
6. Dem. Rep. of the Congo: Hema and Lendu, Hunde, Hutu, Luba, Lunda, Tutsi/Banyamulenge, Twa/Mbuti
7. Nigeria: Ibo, Ijaw, Ogoni, Yoruba, Hausa (Muslims) and Christians in the North
8. Pakistan: Ahmadiyya, Baluchis, Hindus, Mohhajirs, Pashtun, Sindhis
9. Angola: Bakongo, Cabindans, Ovimbundu
10. Russian Federation: Chechens, Ingush, Lezgins, indigenous northern peoples, Roma
11. Burundi: Hutu, Tutsi, Twa
12. Uganda: Acholi, Karamojong
13. Ethiopia: Anuak, Afars, Oromo, Somalis
14. Sri Lanka: Tamils, Muslims
15. Haiti: Political/social targets
16. Cote d'Ivoire: Northern Mande (Dioula), Senoufo, Bete, newly settled groups
17. Rwanda: Hutu, Tutsi, Twa
18. Nepal: Political/social targets, Dalits
19. Philippines: Indigenous peoples, Moros (Muslims)
20. Iran: Arabs, Azeris, Bahais, Baluchis, Kurds, Turkomans