where returned Volunteers share their expertise and experiences
New Yorker Staff Writer and author of Country Driving, Peter Hessler (China 96-98) responds to Nicholas Kristoff’s March 12th New York Times opinion piece, Teach for the World vs. Peace Corps.
Read and comment on Peter’s powerful response which appeared today in the New Yorker:
http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2010/03/peace-corps.html
Nepal RPCV Rajeev Goyal talks about his experiences working with thousands of activists on the PushforPeaceCorps.org Campaign, which is organizing to expand and improve the Corps with major funding boosts from Congress. Rajeev provides latest updates, shares his unique experiences, and tells us what we can do to help from the grassroots.
Comments are closed or deactivated
“Resume-driven, undereducated provincial…”? It just had to be a snotty PhD who just got out of the over-paid government soup-line. While he wassucking up to professors in the 1970’s, I actually served my nation; first as an Army Reservist and next as a Peace Corps Volunteer. He isn’t even tall enough to kiss my ass.
Dear Friends,
I applaud Peter Hessler’s initiative and thank him for his help. I was working in China from 1999-2003 with an NGO in southwest China. Reading his books then and his New Yorker articles from time to time were really insightful for me and helped me understand a lot. Several other persons, including friends who were in PC China at the time he was, attest to his fine character and “China experts” I know also remark how good and insightful his writing is on China.
Thank you Peter!
Keep up the good work. There are many many ways to serve our country all through our lives.
Oh sorry to add I was PCV Thailand, Group 53, 75-77.
Special thanks to Mr. Rajeev Goyal for posting this and other great articles. The doors may be big, but the doorknobs are small. The hinges and latches are even smaller. So before we kick down any more doors, a gentle knock and baby oil might do. By the way, there is a spare key under the mat where shoes are left before entering!
Enough figures of speech, as real figures of writing such as Mr. Hessler et al. provide what is needed for the small % of Americans interested in overseas experiences. Be honest, the vast majority of our countrymen have never read the New Yorker. 16,000 PCV’s sounds great. What are the other 250+million up to? Most of them watching football, nascar or the WWF.
Let us not be so snobbish. The appeal of Peace Corps or anything remotely like it is an exclusive attraction. In everyway possible a breezeway connecting the garage to the house would be great…
John O’Neill
Thailand Group88 (86-87)