Says Alvarado misunderstands role of Peace Corps in Honduras
Says Alvarado misunderstands role of Peace Corps
To the Editor:
I feel compelled to respond to some of the issues raised in your article about Elvia Alvarado (Nov. 12). During her presentation on Nov. 10 she expressed criticism of Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) in her country, saying that "not one Peace Corps worker" had ever offered assistance to her and that organizations like the Peace Corps do not help the Honduran people. I believe these statements unfairly insinuate that PCVs are not doing valuable work, in Honduras and elsewhere, and I would like to clarify for your readers the role of PCVs in developing countries around the world.
PCVs are invited by host government ministries to provide technical assistance that contributes to development at the national level. In this regard, Alvarado is correct in saying that Peace Corps' work is coordinated by the Honduran government. Typical collaboration between host- governments and the Peace Corps involves the identification of the host country's needs, the elaboration of job descriptions and choosing sites for the volunteers. PCVs commit two years of their life to work in a variety of technical sectors (health, education, environmental management, small?business development, etc.) during which time they also become integrated members of their host communities.
I believe Alvarado is incorrect in saying that PCVs "?work only for the bourgeoisie." While I am not personally familiar with Peace Corps activities in Honduras, my seven?year affiliation with the organization (mostly in Africa, as a volunteer and then as a technical trainer) and now as a recruiter here at UMass, has shown me otherwise. Most volunteers I met worked at the "grassroots" level and were committed to the ideals of personal empowerment among the host?country nationals with whom they lived and worked for the purpose of improving people's lives in the long?run and breaking a cycle of dependency that often serves to maintain poverty.
I should add that PCVs, as invitees into their host countries, are prohibited from becoming politically active concerning affairs internal to those countries. While both PCVs and Alvarado are striving to make positive changes in Honduras, their approaches appear to differ. While I personally admire the civil rights work that Alvarado is doing, her approach concerning the highly charged political issue of land reform is one that would preclude PCV involvement.
Michael J. Simsik
Peace Corps Representative
for the Five College Region
