Senegal Peace Corps Volunteer Evan says here is an article which recently appeared in USA Today about the Peace Corps



I also don't understand why the author seems to think that Peace Corps is somehow resistant to the use of technology. Virtually all volunteers have cell phones to communicate with each other and to communicate with work counterparts if necessary. Everyone also uses cyber cafes all the time in order to do research on the internet for whatever they need.

Senegal Peace Corps Volunteer Evan says here is an article which recently appeared in USA Today about the Peace Corps

Monday, October 31, 2005

To start off, here is an article which recently appeared in USA Today about the Peace Corps: http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-10-24-peace-corps-edit_x.htm.

While I still haven't really started as a volunteer, I feel obligated to respond because I don't agree with much of what is suggested in the article. I understand the fundamental basis of the criticism, but I think it is naive to put so much faith in technology alone and in the hand-out approach to development. It is certainly a good thing to build a well with a robinet for a village, but to simply come into a village, build a well and promptly depart and allow the well to fall into disrepair within a year or two is worse than no well at all because of the sense of hopelessness it instills.

Whatever problems there may be with the Peace Corps, I think the fact that its approach is one based on an exchange of knowledge and culture as opposed to one relying solely on the wonders of technology is a good thing. This sort of approach provides the follow through which is necessary to allow technology to really help the lives of people in a village setting.

I also don't understand why the author seems to think that Peace Corps is somehow resistant to the use of technology. Virtually all volunteers have cell phones to communicate with each other and to communicate with work counterparts if necessary. Everyone also uses cyber cafes all the time in order to do research on the internet for whatever they need.

The other day, a former agfo volunteer in Senegal who now works for an NGO stopped by and gave all of the new agfo trainees a cd-rom which he helped to create which is in Wolof and which discusses a variety of live fencing techniques. He has already travelled around the Kaffrin area showing this cd to Eaux et Forets employees in order to foster discussion of fencing techniques, and I'm sure I will use the video as well once I leave for site.

One source of criticism which I can appreciate is the issue of how young Americans with little experience in something like agriculture can help African subsistence farmers. I was actually more worried about this issue before coming to Senegal, but now that I have seen a number of villages all over the country, I realize that there are actually very simple strategies which could be implemented in order to improve farming techniques. There is very little understanding of soil fertility and of the reasons for soil depletion, and composting is a completely foreign concept. Teaching villagers about these issues is something which can be accomplished by someone who is not necessarily an expert in agriculture, and while it can be difficult or impossible to convince farmers to change their practices, these are simple steps which can be attempted to help improve farming practices in the village setting.

When this story was posted in November 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Peace Corps at highest Census in 30 years Congratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest number of volunteers in 30 years with 7,810 volunteers serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course, the President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal spending stretching far off into the future, any substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new administration. Choose your candidate and start working for him or her now.

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Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. Read the results of our poll among RPCVs. Latest: Congressman John Kline introduces legislation to alter the program to remove the Peace Corps as an option for completing an individual’s military enlistment requirement.

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Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject.

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'Celebration of Service' a major success The Peace Corps Fund's 'Celebration of Service' on September 29 in New York City was a major success raising approximately $100,000 for third goal activities. In the photo are Maureen Orth (Colombia); John Coyne (Ethiopia) Co-founder of the Peace Corps Fund; Caroline Kennedy; Barbara Anne Ferris (Morocco) Co-founder; Former Senator Harris Wofford, member of the Advisory Board. Read the story here.

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PC apologizes for the "Kasama incident" The District Commissioner for the Kasama District in Zambia issued a statement banning Peace Corps activities for ‘grave’ social misconduct and unruly behavior for an incident that occurred on September 24 involving 13 PCVs. Peace Corps said that some of the information put out about the incident was "inflammatory and false." On October 12, Country Director Davy Morris met with community leaders and apologized for the incident. All PCVs involved have been reprimanded, three are returning home, and a ban in the district has since been lifted.

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Top Stories: October 10, 2005 Carl Pope says the looting of America has only begun 2 Oct Report of PCV Misconduct in Zambia 7 Oct Chic Dambach speaks in Oklahoma 6 Oct Murphy to give papers to Heinz museum 6 Oct Mike Honda speaks out on Katrina 5 Oct Kinky Friedman could be the next governor of Texas 5 Oct Peter McPherson urges new nuclear weapon designs 5 Oct Doyle and Green in dead heat for Wisconsin Governor 5 Oct NPCA Membership Directory ready in late November 5 Oct GOP hopefuls avoiding Taft 4 Oct Ask not 4 Oct Russell Carollo wins journalism prize for "The Toll of War" 4 Oct Mark Gearan says provision was a mistake 4 Oct Mike Tidwell says Bayou has been sinking for years 3 Oct Carl Pope writes: Preparing for Global Warming 3 Oct Director Vasquez Meets with Volunteers in Gulf Coast 3 Oct John McCain's call to service 3 Oct Joshua Berman wins Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award 2 Oct Operation Offset proposes freeze in Peace Corps Funding 1 Oct

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Returned Volunteers respond to Hurricane Katrina First and foremost, Give. Then volunteer with the Crisis Corps. Carol Bellamy says "In situations such as this one, money is needed the most" and added that Hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans is comparable to last year's tsunami. Thailand RPCV Thomas Tighe's Direct Relief International has committed an initial $250,000 in cash to assist hurricane victims. Mayor Tom Murphy (RPCV Paraguay) says Pittsburgh is ready to embrace refugees from devastated areas. Brazil RPCV Robert Backus is among the first Vermont doctors to volunteer to travel to Louisiana to treat victims. Latest: FEMA requests RPCVs to assist in recovery efforts through the Crisis Corps and the Peace Corps hopes to send 400 RPCVs to the Gulf Coast for short term assignments to assist victims with their applications for federal aid.

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The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

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