I am reading Greg Mortenson's book Stones Into Schools. He is known for his book Three Cups of Tea. Mortenson was a mountain climber whose life was saved by the mountain people in Pakistan. The experience led to his establishing schools for girls in this country in which education has often been denied.

In Stones into Schools, Mortenson cites the startling statistic from the World Bank that just one year of elementary school can increase a woman's earnings 10-20%. Yale economist Paul Schultz reports that an extra year of secondary school results in an additional increase of 15- 25%. He also reports that in villages in which the majority of girls complete the fifth grade, infant mortality drops significantly after a single generation. In villages where girls have received more education, they marry later and have fewer children, thus contributing to more sustainable population growth.

The education of young women is one of the greatest potential agency of change in the developing world. There is a saying in Africa, "Educate a man and you educate a single person. Educate a woman and you educate a community.

There is an interesting correlation in terms of radical Islamic fundamentalism. The Taliban in recent years has targeted their recruitment efforts where female literacy is particularly low. It appears that women who are educated tend to challenge intolerance and dogma. In Muslim societies, those recruited to violent jihad often seek the permission of their mothers and educated women (as a general rule) tend to withhold their blessing on violent missions.

Although ALARM (African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries) is not generally in the school business, the organization has many projects under the broad umbrella of women's empowerment. There is the equipping of women in basic business practices and the provision of resources for women to work together, even with former enemies, to cooperatively provide for their families.