Be careful with these Blogs. I am a PCV myself and I find the information in them to be very slanted and many lack perspective.



Be careful with these Blogs. I am a PCV myself and I find the information in them to be very slanted and many lack perspective.

Be careful with these Blogs. I am a PCV myself and I find the information in them to be very slanted and many lack perspective. I recommend that you examine the Jason Pearce website carefully as he was in the wrong. He screwed up and many of us are able to have wonderful online sites and never have his troubles.

Your site is good but be sure to add a grain of salt to what you listed.

Good luck with the process. I would do it all again in a moment!

Jason

By Anonymous, at 2:37 PM
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Thanks, both of you, for your comments and support.

I'm starting to become aware of how much the PC frowns on these kinds of blogs in general, and if they know you are doing one they make sure to monitor it. I see how Jason Pearce posted some stuff he probably shouldn't have, but at the same time I hesitate. I like lots of nitty-gritty details, as long as identities are kept private, and when I read online journals or blogs I look for visceral details. It makes for good reading. And good information, as well. Most people have only the vaguest notion of what daily life in any country outside the US is actually like. Heck, some people think people in Hawai`i, a US *state*, live in grass huts and surf to school. Letting them know details can enrich otherwise sheltered American's view of the rest of the world.

Then again... I understand the Peace Corps is nothing if not a service organization whose number one "product" is perceptions -- those of host country nationals toward Americans and Americans toward host country nationals. Anyone involved with Public Relations will tell you how important it is to focus on positive facts and downplay the negative.

It puts us bloggers in a delicate position: we want to be able to tell the world about our day-to-day experiences, both good and bad, but we don't want to undermine the work the PC is doing around the world to bridge misconceptions. Jason's entries about -- what was it? naked children or something? -- did cross the line because they made the host country nationals look bad. If they look bad, the Peace Corps' mission is in jeopardy.

When this story was posted in November 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

Vote "Yes" on NPCA's bylaw changes Take our new poll. NPCA members begin voting this week on bylaw changes to streamline NPCA's Board of Directors. NPCA Chair Ken Hill, the President's Forum and other RPCVs endorse the changes. Mail in your ballot or vote online (after Dec 1), then see on how RPCVs are voting.

Charges possible in 1976 PCV slaying Congressman Norm Dicks has asked the U.S. attorney in Seattle to consider pursuing charges against Dennis Priven, the man accused of killing Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner on the South Pacific island of Tonga 28 years ago. Background on this story here and here.

Your vote makes a difference Make a difference on November 2 - Vote. Then take our RPCV exit poll. See how RPCV's are voting and take a look at the RPCV voter demographic. Finally leave a message on why you voted for John Kerry or for George Bush. Previous poll results here.

Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers The Kerry campaign wants the RPCV vote. Read our interview with Dave Magnani, Massachusetts State Senator and Founder of "RPCVs for Kerry," and his answers to our questions about Kerry's plan to triple the size of the Peace Corps, should the next PC Director be an RPCV, and Safety and Security issues. Then read the "RPCVs for Kerry" statement of support and statements by Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz made at the "RPCVs for Kerry" Press Conference. RPCV Carl Pope says the key to winning this election is not swaying undecided voters, but persuading those already willing to vote for your candidate to actually go to the polls. Take our poll and tell us what you are doing to support your candidate. Finally read our wrap-up of the eight RPCVs in Senate and House races around the country and where the candidates are in their races.

Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before. Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security.

Read the stories and leave your comments.