Swaziland RPCV Anna Grady helped coordinate exchange program between Burlington, Vermont and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic



"In April, a group of 16 10- to 15-year-old players and 10 adults from Burlington traveled to Puerto Plata to play Little League baseball. During that first leg of the exchange, I watched our players rise above all expectations. They not only played baseball well, but they embraced the Dominican culture and actively participated in new customs and lifestyles. Our kids stayed with host families to experience full immersion in the culture. Most of these families spoke only Spanish and lived in humble homes, many with no electricity or hot water. The city officials welcomed us as honored guests. Puerto Plata is a close community much like our own -- families work hard, children play in the streets, and the local citizens are striving to bolster their communities. "

Swaziland RPCV Anna Grady helped coordinate exchange program between Burlington, Vermont and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic

MY TURN: Bridging communities reduces fear

Published: Saturday, July 21, 2007

By Anna Grady I am beginning to seriously worry about our children's future. A culture of fear seems to lurk in the shadows of all that we do these day

As a returned Peace Corps volunteer, I once traveled without hesitation to foreign lands to experience other cultures. While these opportunities still exist, many seem reluctant to try them out, thinking the risks are too high. "The world is not as safe as it used to be," they might say. But what I learned just recently is that we must persevere because the world is a fascinating and diverse place, rich with culture and customs. Bridging our international communities creates a positive force against a culture of fear.

Luckily, an opportunity like this recently occurred here in Burlington. I had the pleasure of helping to coordinate an extraordinary exchange program between Burlington and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic that was centered on baseball but really held greater significance. The program was really about building a positive exchange between two communities, sharing ideas and ways of doing things, and teaching our children to enjoy, not be fearful of, other cultures.

In April, a group of 16 10- to 15-year-old players and 10 adults from Burlington traveled to Puerto Plata to play Little League baseball. During that first leg of the exchange, I watched our players rise above all expectations. They not only played baseball well, but they embraced the Dominican culture and actively participated in new customs and lifestyles. Our kids stayed with host families to experience full immersion in the culture. Most of these families spoke only Spanish and lived in humble homes, many with no electricity or hot water. The city officials welcomed us as honored guests. Puerto Plata is a close community much like our own -- families work hard, children play in the streets, and the local citizens are striving to bolster their communities.

After a week of playing baseball, touring the city, shopping at the local outdoor markets and swimming at the beaches, the differences we initially noticed did not seem as monumental. Our young kids easily adapted and returned to Burlington with a noticeable sense of new confidence and excitement about the world.

The second leg of the exchange occurred just recently when 18 Dominican Little League players and seven adults traveled to Burlington for a similar experience. All but two had never been outside of the Dominican Republic. Their players faced teams from six different leagues in and around Burlington. The adults were overwhelmed by how warmly they were greeted by the various communities. Once again, both adults and players blended together without any effort at all. The Dominican visitors also had developed a new confidence in the world and a greater understanding of a different culture.

In the end, I came away from this experience realizing that Burlington and Puerto Plata had received a special gift -- a gift of peace, collaboration and community spirit. When we make these kinds of connections and bridge communities across international borders, no matter what country we come from, we become better and stronger people with healthier perspectives.

In these complicated times, let's not let fear get in the way of remembering that there is a great deal of good in this world and when we welcome opportunities like this one, important and wonderful things can happen.
Anna Grady lives in Burlington

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: July, 2007; Peace Corps Dominican Republic; Directory of Dominican Republic RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Dominican Republic RPCVs; Peace Corps Swaziland; Directory of Swaziland RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Swaziland RPCVs; Vermont

When this story was posted in November 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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

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