2006.08.31: August 31, 2006: Headlines: COS - Ecuador: Diversity: The Third Goal: Portland Press Herald: Ecuador RPCV Nancylou Stiles helps organize an event that lets the region get to know other cultures
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2006.08.31: August 31, 2006: Headlines: COS - Ecuador: Diversity: The Third Goal: Portland Press Herald: Ecuador RPCV Nancylou Stiles helps organize an event that lets the region get to know other cultures
Ecuador RPCV Nancylou Stiles helps organize an event that lets the region get to know other cultures
Noticing Maine's lack of diversity, she decided that if she couldn't live in another culture, she could at least try to bring a taste of cultural diversity to the Lakes Region. Next month, she and a group of volunteers are holding a nine-day Community Cultural Celebration. "I realized that a lot of people here don't understand about people from away. I thought this was a good opportunity to learn about other cultures," said Stiles. She has, with the help of community members, organized a series of presentations from people who are either from or have special knowledge of another culture.
Ecuador RPCV Nancylou Stiles helps organize an event that lets the region get to know other cultures
Nine-day event celebrates diversity
YOUR NEIGHBORS ; Nancylou Stiles helps organize an event that lets the region get to know other cultures.
Aug 31, 2006
Portland Press Herald
Nancylou Stiles didn't know just how much she didn't know about the world's many cultures until she immersed herself in one.
At age 57, she decided she needed a big change in her life and joined the Peace Corps. For about a year she lived and worked in a remote village in Ecuador, learning Spanish and all about a new culture.
"It was an awesome experience," said Stiles, and it expanded her horizons. But the journey was cut short - she suffered a concussion and for medical reasons had to return to the United States and leave the Peace Corps. That was in 2001, and in search of a new start, she moved to Naples.
Noticing Maine's lack of diversity, she decided that if she couldn't live in another culture, she could at least try to bring a taste of cultural diversity to the Lakes Region. Next month, she and a group of volunteers are holding a nine-day Community Cultural Celebration.
"I realized that a lot of people here don't understand about people from away. I thought this was a good opportunity to learn about other cultures," said Stiles. She has, with the help of community members, organized a series of presentations from people who are either from or have special knowledge of another culture.
From Sept. 16 through 24, a different culture will be celebrated each evening at the Bridgton United Methodist Church, where Stiles is a member. Though the church is the site of the event, the committee led by Stiles has no sponsor and is independent of the church.
She said she mentioned the idea to the church's minister earlier this year, and nothing but positive responses have greeted her since. For the better part of the summer she has been in contact with cultural groups throughout Maine asking for participation. She has gotten commitments from organizations such as the Irish- American Heritage Center and a German culture group from Bridgton. The Irish night will feature step-dancing and the German evening will highlight the country's culinary tradition, "but without the beer," said Stiles.
Presentations on unexpected cultures will also take place - Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Marshall Islands, and the Gwitch'in culture of northern Canada and Alaska will all have an evening of celebration. Some will be led by natives of the country, others by people with firsthand knowledge of the culture. Brian Cushing, for example, is a social studies teacher at Lake Region High School who will talk about his travels in China.
"This community so needs this. There's been nothing like it in this area. Portland speaks 129 languages a day. But in Bridgton we're not that diversified," said Stiles, who was inspired by the United Methodist Women's Group, an organization that she encountered in Ecuador that is a "major force" in cultural outreach around the world. "I told myself I want to be a part of that," she said.
She's also been successful in getting others on board. About 17 volunteers are now coordinating the event, including Alan Crabtree of Sebago and Janet Jones of Naples, and vendors will be at each evening's events to provide food.
The community's support has been a source of inspiration for Stiles, who is both excited and nervous about the scope of what the event has become. There's a feeling, she said, that people are eager to learn more about other cultures.
"What's interesting is that we have a new Korean minister at our church, who has been here just 45 days. He is so excited and full of energy," she said. When he heard about the project, he volunteered to lead the celebration of Korea on Sept. 17.
News Assistant Paul Livingstone can be contacted at 791-6308 or at:
plivingstone@pressherald.com
When this story was posted in September 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
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Story Source: Portland Press Herald
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Ecuador; Diversity; The Third Goal
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