March 18, 2005: Headlines: COS - Bangladesh: Safety and Security of Volunteers: The Independent: Bangladesh is a safe place for the operation of Peace Corps as it poses no threat to the security of young volunteers from the United States

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Bangladesh: Peace Corps Bangladesh : The Peace Corps in Bangladesh: March 18, 2005: Headlines: COS - Bangladesh: Safety and Security of Volunteers: The Independent: Bangladesh is a safe place for the operation of Peace Corps as it poses no threat to the security of young volunteers from the United States

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Bangladesh is a safe place for the operation of Peace Corps as it poses no threat to the security of young volunteers from the United States

Bangladesh is a safe place for the operation of Peace Corps as it poses no threat to the security of young volunteers from the United States

Bangladesh is a safe place for the operation of Peace Corps as it poses no threat to the security of young volunteers from the United States

Bangladesh is safe for Peace Corps operation

The Independent
Dhaka, Bangladesh
March 18, 2005

Bangladesh is a safe place for the operation of Peace Corps as it poses no threat to the security of young volunteers from the United States.

"They feel safe...The local administration is providing support for ensuring security of the Peace Corps volunteers," the new Country Director of the Peace Corps Bangladesh Silas Kenala said.

Usually, Peace Corps, the official agency of the United States for the promotion of world peace avoids strife-torn zones or countries facing military conflict, Mr Kenala said in an interview.

Citing the case of Nepal crisis, Mr Kenala said that the Peace Corps pulled out its volunteers from the Himalayan Kingdom on the heels of the simmering political situation.

The chief of the Peace Corps Bangladesh categorically said that his organisation never "analysed the political situation of the country" as its mandate was different from that of other international voluntary bodies.

Disclosing the agency's expansion plans, the head of Peace Corps Bangladesh, said that they would launch a "crisis corps volunteer progarmme" for the first time in Bangladesh to help the deltaic nation mitigate and manage its natural disasters.

As the Bush administration continues to pour more funds into the Peace Corps Bangladesh which began its operation here in 1998, plans to expand its operation to cover new areas--from disaster management to community-based development to vocational training programme, while also increasing the number of volunteers.

"I discussed the issue with the officials of the Ministry of Food and Disaster Management recently. Now, we are waiting for formal request from the relevant ministry through the Economic Relations Division in this regard,"

Mr Kenala who took over charges in November last year, said another future intervention of the Peace Corps would be the community-based development, which will be carried out in collaboration with the non-government organisations (NGOs).

"I think, this is the area Bangladesh needs intervention most," he said in an interview with The Independent at his Gulshan office.

The new country head dwelt at length on the activities of the organisation, narrated experiences of some of the volunteers and its next plans.

Mr Kenala said that the organisation would be involved in diverse areas such as water and sanitation, vocational training, seamen's training and counselling on HIV/AIDS.

Currently, around 91 volunteers are operating in Bangladesh's 54 districts, mostly working in secondary schools teaching English as foreign language. Since its inception, the organisation has deputed more than 100 members, with a brief suspension of operation in 2001 following the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks on the US. Conceived by President John F Kennedy, the idea of establishing the Peace Corps came into reality in the early 60s--so far 178, 000 volunteers working in 72 countries in the world.

He hoped that the number of volunteers would reach to 150 within a couple of years.

The expansion plans reflect the Bush administration's intention to contribute to the socio-economic development of Bangladesh, thus bolstering bilateral relations between Dhaka and Washington.

The contribution of young volunteers of the United States, whose age range is 25, to Bangladesh far outweighs their numbers.

"The volunteers are truly benefitting the country. They do not work independently, rather they function under the supervision of the heads of host institutions," he said.

As majority of volunteers is young, they encounter difficulty in adjusting to the local environment and culture.

"Lots of volunteers at first didn't know how to use the local toilet. Surprisingly, those who used to drive cars are now scrambling to catch buses, rickshaws or launches. It's a unique adjustment," Mr Kenala said.

The presence of US citizens helps promote inter-cultural exchange.

"We provide a three-month-long cross-cultural and lingual training for new members of the Peace Corps so they cannot disrupt Bangladeshi culture," Mr Kenala, who has more than 20 years of experience in international development, said.

Currently, at least five former Peace Corps volunteers are working in the USAID, Save the Children and other international development agencies while a few have got married here, he said.

This is exemplified by the fact that the Peace Corps volunteers loved Bangladesh and its culture captivated them, he added.





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Story Source: The Independent

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Bangladesh; Safety and Security of Volunteers

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