Keynote by Greg Mortenson
As convention attendees finished their Starbucks coffee and found their way to chairs in the Indiana Convention Center’s capacious Sagamore Ballroom for the much-anticipated keynote address by humanitarian and bestselling author Greg Mortenson, their attention was drawn to the voice of a young girl coming over the loudspeakers. It was Mortenson’s daughter, Amira, and she was singing about three cups of tea.

Greg Mortenson addresses attendees at the Honor Society of Nursing's 40th Biennial Convention.

Inspired by the bestselling book, Three Cups of Tea, the music version was written by Jeni Fleming and originally recorded by Amira in 2006, when she was 9 years old. The song speaks of a world in which education supplants ignorance and trust replaces fear. “I see a hero. A child of the times,” the young voice sings. “A girl who lives with joy. Who’s not afraid to speak her mind and thinks the world is divine. I see a young boy etching letters in the sand. In this land of ancient scars, a promise still remains: When darkness comes, you can see the stars” (view music video).

In his address to members of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International, Mortenson, who describes himself as a Lutheran, lutefisk-eating Norwegian from Minnesota, fleshed out how, as the result of a “wrong turn,” he became involved in a mission to promote peace, one school at a time, and how, as a result of that mission, the world is being changed for thousands of school age children, especially girls, in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

His book, Three Cups of Tea, has also influenced how U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan are seeking to combat terrorism and achieve a lasting peace in that war-torn country. General David Petraeus read the book and found in its pages three salient points—listen more, show respect and build relationships. Today, Three Cups of Tea is mandatory reading for all senior officers in the Pentagon and the military’s counter-insurgency forces. Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also read the book and observed, “We need to go out and serve with humility. … We cannot capture hearts and minds. We must engage them.”

Today, as the result of Mortenson’s work and that of others promoting education in Afghanistan, the hearts and minds of 8.4 million children in that country—2.5 million of them girls--are being nurtured with information that fights ignorance and combats violence. (At the height of Taliban dominance in 2000, only 800,000 children attended school in Afghanistan, very few of whom were girls.)

Mortenson, who is a nurse, told the audience that educating girls to at least the fifth-grade level reduces infant mortality, reduces population explosion and improves basic qualities of health and life itself. When girls learn how to read and write, he said, mothers also learn to read and write. It’s a truth he learned early as a boy growing up in Tanzania: If you educate a boy, you educate an individual. If you educate a girl, you educate a community.”

Following his presentation and, again, later in the afternoon, Mortenson signed copies of Three Cups of Tea for honor society members attending the convention.

Fitness for Research events
The 2009 Fitness for Research events took place Sunday and Monday. Participants collected pledges and participated in aerobics, Pilates and Zumba activities to benefit the Sigma Theta Tau International Foundation for Nursing’s research endowment. The Fitness for Research events were sponsored in part by the Indiana State University College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services.

Founders Awards
More than 20 awards were presented to leaders of the nursing profession during the Tribute Awards program on Monday, 2 November. Award recipients reflect the importance of research, scholarship, technology and art to the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International.

“The Founders Awards has a long tradition and has honored a number of prestigious nurses and other individuals from around the world,” said President-Elect Karen Morin.

Congratulations to the 2009 Founders and Archon Award recipients:

Archon Award
Greg Mortenson, best-selling co-author of Three Cups of Tea.
Free the Children. Dalad Al-Waheidi  accepted the award of behalf of the organization.
Linda Spoonster Schwartz

Marie Hippensteel Lingeman Award for Excellence in Nursing Practice
“Living Excellence in Critical Care Nursing Practice”
Mary Fran Tracy, PhD, RN, FAAN

Dorothy Garrigus Adams Award for Excellence in Fostering Professional Standards
“A Leader in Advancing Professional Standards”
Linda R. Cronenwett, PhD, RN, FAAN

Mary Tolle Wright Award for Excellence in Leadership
Joanne M. Disch, PhD, RN, FAAN

Edith Moore Copeland Award for Excellence in Creativity
Marla E. Salmon, ScD, RN, FAAN

Elizabeth McWilliams Miller Award for Excellence in Research
“Population and Public Health Research Programs: Dr. Nancy Edwards”
Nancy C. Edwards, PhD

Elizabeth Russell Belford Award for Excellence in Education
Fay L. Bower, DNSc, RN, FAAN

Ethel Palmer Clarke Award for Chapter Excellence
Gamma Chapter, University of Iowa, College of Nursing, Iowa City, USA

Robert Wolders, left, longtime companion of Audrey Hepburn, presented the Audrey Hepburn Award to Susan M. Ludington, PhD, CNM, FAAN, Carl W. and Margaret Davis Professor of Pediatric Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

House of Delegates, Session I
Delegates began delving into their duties today. They offered additional nominations for officer positions, had an informal discussion of bylaws changes, acknowledged those currently serving on committees, recognized new and charter-amendment chapters and heard reports from the board.