Our guest today on Travel with Rick Steeves are proof that caring travelers can make a big difference.

Greg Mortenson, who founded the Central Asia Institute, is making a lasting difference by addressing

the root causes of poverty in Afghanistan.

The best-selling author of Three Cups of Tea

has even become a model for the U.S. military

as its leaders attempt to understand how Afghan society works.

I've seen that happen in a thousand of cases with mothers

basically refused to allow their sons to join the Taliban and the Taliban are

pretty much targeting illiterate impoverished society.

And Art Simon also understands that charity alone is not enough.

Art founded Bread for the World to advocate for changes in policies that are supposed to alleviate poverty,

but just end up keeping people poor.

In one lifetime... poverty, but just end up keeping people poor.

In one lifetime, we have seen a dramatic exodus out of hunger on the part of most of the world's

population.

I'm Rick Steves. Stay with us as we turn our love for

travel into a heart for the world. Today on Travel with Rick Steves.

Today's guests on Travel with Rick Steves just might change the way you see the world.

Hi, I'm Rick Steeves.

Greg Mortenson turned a disastrous mountain trek into a chance to be embraced by village

elders in the most remote corners of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

With Greg's support, they're now building schools to educate both boys and girls, even where

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