The Peace Corps is going to Mexico in a carefully calibrated way, one that reflects the complex relations between the two countries
Border thaw
A Peace Corps presence in Mexico is good for both nations
Feb. 12, 2004 12:00 AM
Assignment: Mexico. This year, for the first time, Peace Corps volunteers are going to our neighbor south of the border.
This is a very big deal. And a good deal for both countries.
It represents a maturing of the relationship between Mexico and the United States, which has often been long on rhetoric about partnership but short on practical steps. We must move to higher levels of cooperation to deal with critical mutual challenges, such as immigration and border security.
For the Peace Corps initiative to succeed, both sides need the right attitude.
Mexicans should try to be less sensitive about receiving assistance from the United States.
Americans must show respect for Mexican culture and talent and treat the country as an equal, not a subordinate.
We're off on the right foot. The Peace Corps is going to Mexico in a carefully calibrated way, one that reflects the complex relations between the two countries.
Most Americans don't understand the significance of the step. After all, the Peace Corps is in 71 countries already. We need a bit of history:
The Peace Corps goes only to countries where it's invited. Under the PRI, the party that ruled Mexico for seven decades, the invitation never came. Mexican leaders were intent on protecting their sovereignty and charting their own course, including maintaining relations with Cuba. A helping hand from America seemed too likely to turn into meddling fingers.
So while the United States spends billions on military help, economic development and various aid programs in other Latin American countries, it provides little to Mexico except some training for police officers and soldiers.
After Vicente Fox was elected president, ousting the PRI, Mexico and the United States began moving toward warmer relations. Then came Sept. 11, 2001, putting American priorities elsewhere. Then relations chilled over Fox's lack of support for the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
Now, we're in a much-needed thaw. Immigration reform, a key issue for Fox, is back on the front burner. And the Peace Corps is coming.
For that to happen, the Fox administration had to set aside pride. Because if you ask for Peace Corps volunteers, you have to accept that your country is underdeveloped. That's touchy for a nation acutely conscious of its rich history and art, and trying to resist the influence of the colossus to the north.
Here's where strategy is key.
The Peace Corps is starting off very small, with 15 volunteers, and they won't be very visible. Instead of heading off to villages to do rural assistance or teaching, they'll work in research centers.
They're providing assistance in technology, an area where Mexicans are more comfortable seeking assistance. A year of preparation is paving the way for the role they'll play, focusing on information technology, science and business development.
The Peace Corps mission isn't just the hands-on work that volunteers do. The goal is also friendship and understanding. Close as we are, the United States and Mexico still need to make progress on both points.
The arrival of the Peace Corps is an encouraging step toward cooperation, not confrontation.
