2008.10.20: October 20, 2008: Headlines: COS - Bolivia: Safety: Billings Gazette: RPCV Mike Paquette writes: The situation in Bolivia is very troubling
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2008.10.20: October 20, 2008: Headlines: COS - Bolivia: Safety: Billings Gazette: RPCV Mike Paquette writes: The situation in Bolivia is very troubling
RPCV Mike Paquette writes: The situation in Bolivia is very troubling
"My year in Bolivia changed the way I see our world. Before we left, I have to admit, I needed to look on a map to see where it is located. Now I am aware of disparity and interconnectedness that exist between our two worlds, the developed and the undeveloped. After being raised in one and having lived in the other, I have to learn to reconcile these two world views. The situation in Bolivia is very troubling. The socialist president, Evo Morales, is trying to implement policies that opposition groups have reacted to with violence. The clashes between them resulted in nationwide protests that brought the economy to a halt, and in deaths. But you won't see more than a line about it on the U.S. cable news ticker. When we spoke with friends and family after we arrived home, many had no idea that anything was happening in Bolivia. This doesn't mean that it doesn't affect our world. On the contrary, It showed me just how interconnected we are. Before our evacuation, the Bolivian government expelled our ambassador and accused the U.S. Agency for International Development of conspiring against them. Even though the reasons for these actions were unfounded, it has caused a ripple effect across South America. Because of the tense relationship between the Bolivian government and our government, my wife and I are no longer helping our Bolivian community. Because of these disagreements, our government last week suspended a trade deal with Bolivia that some experts say could cost Bolivia 20,000 jobs and $150 million dollars a year. The $120 million aid package from the United States may also be in jeopardy. From afar, this decision seems logical. The Bolivian government has acted with hostility towards the U.S. government and it would be easy to say, "If they don't want our help, we won't give it to them." It is not that simple. For Bolivia, a country of only 9 million people with a gross domestic product of $13 billion per year, that will have a large impact. The U.S. image will continue to decline in Latin America and the good work and help that Americans are offering will be turned over to Bolivian allies such as Venezuela and Iran. After my Peace Corps experience, I worry how these conflicts between our governments will impact the people who welcomed us into their homes and treated us as family."
RPCV Mike Paquette writes: The situation in Bolivia is very troubling
Guest Opinion: Bolivian year changes volunteer's world view
By MIKE PAQUETTE
Two weeks ago, I found myself unexpectedly sitting on my parents' couch in Billings after more than a year serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Bolivia. My wife and I had been evacuated from Bolivia on Sept. 15, along with 113 fellow volunteers, due to political turmoil and violence.
Luckily for me, sitting next to me on the couch was someone who could relate. My father - who served as a Peace Corps volunteer with my mother in Colombia in the 1970s - offered a great insight. He said, "No matter how long you are home, you never lose that awareness and appreciation you feel right now."
After leaving our Bolivian community and friends without a chance to say goodbye and our work incomplete, my father's words helped me gain perspective. Initially, I focused on my disappointment and regret of not finishing my service. My father helped me understand what I had gained.
My year in Bolivia changed the way I see our world. Before we left, I have to admit, I needed to look on a map to see where it is located. Now I am aware of disparity and interconnectedness that exist between our two worlds, the developed and the undeveloped. After being raised in one and having lived in the other, I have to learn to reconcile these two world views.
The situation in Bolivia is very troubling. The socialist president, Evo Morales, is trying to implement policies that opposition groups have reacted to with violence. The clashes between them resulted in nationwide protests that brought the economy to a halt, and in deaths. But you won't see more than a line about it on the U.S. cable news ticker. When we spoke with friends and family after we arrived home, many had no idea that anything was happening in Bolivia.
This doesn't mean that it doesn't affect our world. On the contrary, It showed me just how interconnected we are. Before our evacuation, the Bolivian government expelled our ambassador and accused the U.S. Agency for International Development of conspiring against them. Even though the reasons for these actions were unfounded, it has caused a ripple effect across South America.
Because of the tense relationship between the Bolivian government and our government, my wife and I are no longer helping our Bolivian community. Because of these disagreements, our government last week suspended a trade deal with Bolivia that some experts say could cost Bolivia 20,000 jobs and $150 million dollars a year. The $120 million aid package from the United States may also be in jeopardy. From afar, this decision seems logical. The Bolivian government has acted with hostility towards the U.S. government and it would be easy to say, "If they don't want our help, we won't give it to them."
It is not that simple. For Bolivia, a country of only 9 million people with a gross domestic product of $13 billion per year, that will have a large impact. The U.S. image will continue to decline in Latin America and the good work and help that Americans are offering will be turned over to Bolivian allies such as Venezuela and Iran.
After my Peace Corps experience, I worry how these conflicts between our governments will impact the people who welcomed us into their homes and treated us as family.
Now that I am coming to grips with the fact that my Peace Corps service is over and that our work in Bolivia will forever feel incomplete, I feel a sense of responsibility to share this experience and to advocate for programs such as Peace Corps that allow our citizens to experience something outside of our country.
Whenever I read a news story or watch TV, I will always have Bolivia in my mind. We carry with us the blessing and burdens of our Peace Corps experience. It is not easy to see the world as it is, sometimes ugly and scary. Yet after more than 30 years, my parents' Peace Corps experience continues to influence the way they live. I hope to always remember how Bolivia has touched me.
Mike Paquette and his wife, Brittanie Paquette, are graduates of Billings Central Catholic High School. For the next couple of months, they will be traveling in South America, but not in Bolivia.
Copyright © The Billings Gazette, a division of Lee Enterprises.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: October, 2008; Peace Corps Bolivia; Directory of Bolivia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Bolivia RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers
When this story was posted in October 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Peace Corps Suspends Program in Bolivia Turmoil began in Bolivia three weeks ago sparked by President Evo Morales' pledge to redistribute wealth from the east to the country's poorer highlands. Peace Corps has withdrawn all volunteers from the country because of "growing instability." Morales has thrown out US Ambassador Philip Goldberg accusing the American government of inciting the violence. This is not the first controversy surrounding Goldberg's tenure as US ambassador to Bolivia. |
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Story Source: Billings Gazette
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Bolivia; Safety
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