June 30, 2005: Headlines: COS - El Salvador: Blogs - El Salvador: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer Marie in El Salvador: what makes a volunteer
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June 30, 2005: Headlines: COS - El Salvador: Blogs - El Salvador: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer Marie in El Salvador: what makes a volunteer
Peace Corps Volunteer Marie in El Salvador: what makes a volunteer
"Volunteers are not the only people who have these skills, do not get me wrong, but it appears to be consistent that they are able to take risks (emotionally and physically), continue to be resilient after failures, are able to create structure out of very little, and generally remain optimistic in the face of hardship. These are the kinds of abilities that I admire in people, which is probably why most of my closest friends are those I met through PC."
Peace Corps Volunteer Marie in El Salvador: what makes a volunteer
what makes a volunteer
A bit of Mary Sunshine today.
The other day, a few of us were talking about the skills we had to offer as Peace Corps Volunteers. Since I've been in the workforce for a long time (and was a volunteer before), mine seem to be more plentiful. However, when one of the younger people said something like she wouldn't be able to do something, or didn't have the skills, I said very truthfully that Volunteers seem to be able to pull themselves up to any task and I had no doubt that she would be able to do so as well. I really think all of the people in our group are extremely capable people, and I love interacting with them all.
Volunteers are not the only people who have these skills, do not get me wrong, but it appears to be consistent that they are able to take risks (emotionally and physically), continue to be resilient after failures, are able to create structure out of very little, and generally remain optimistic in the face of hardship. These are the kinds of abilities that I admire in people, which is probably why most of my closest friends are those I met through PC.
One last paragraph about this. Going through training a second time has been interesting. The first time, I think I was just so concerned about keeping my wits about myself that I wasn't watching people so much. This time, I've been watching people move through these phases of integration and without fail, they are laughing at their sicknesses, failures, mistakes, cultural run-ins, and seeing them all pull through and grow is part of what makes me love being here.
When this story was posted in June 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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 | American Taboo: A Peace Corps Tragedy Returned Volunteers met with author Philip Weiss in Baltimore on June 18 to discuss the murder of Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner. Weiss was a member of a panel that included three psychiatrists and a criminal attorney. Meanwhile, the Seattle U.S. Attorney's office announced that Dennis Priven cannot be retried for the murder. "We do not believe this case can be prosecuted by anyone, not only us, but in any other jurisdiction in the United States." Read background on the case here. |
 | June 14: Peace Corps suspends Haiti program After Uzbekistan, the Peace Corps has announced the suspension of a second program this month - this time in Haiti. Background: The suspension comes after a US Embassy warning, a request from Tom Lantos' office, and the program suspension last year. For the record: PCOL supports Peace Corps' decision to suspend the two programs and commends the agency for the efficient way PCVs were evacuated safely. Our only concern now is with the placement of evacuated PCVs and the support they receive after interrupted service. |
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Story Source: Personal Web Site
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