Peace Corps Worldwide – promoting Peace Corps writers since 1989

DEADLANDS by Victoria Miluch (Mexico)

Apr 27 2024

Deadlands: A Novel by Victoria Miluch (Mexico 2019-20) Lake Union Publishing October 2023 254 pages $16.99 (Paperback); $4.99 (Kindle); 1 credit (Audio Book) • • • From debut author Victoria Miluch comes the riveting story of a girl on the cusp of womanhood living in an arid wasteland and the encounter with two outsiders that upends her understanding of the world beyond it. Only the most hardened survivalists can endure living in the scorched deadlands of the former state of Arizona. Among them is nineteen-year-old Georgia Reno, who lives in an isolated desert settlement with her father and younger brother. Roads don’t exist here; visitors are more dark fairy tale than reality. But when two mysterious strangers arrive on their land, Georgia begins to question her sheltered existence. Soon, her tentative curiosity blooms into a fledgling desire to leave the settlement, even if it means venturing into a world her father . . .

Review — YOU TRY PAA by Cynthia Ann Caul (Ghana)

Apr 26 2024

You Try Paa: A Love Song in Translation Cynthia Ann Caul (Ghana 2008–10) Independently published 88 pages $9.99 (paperback), $6.99 (Kindle) Reviewed by Dan Campbell ( El Salvador 1974 –77 • • • Cynthia Ann Caul’s You Try Paa offers readers a poetic journey through her experiences as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana. The book weaves a tapestry of encounters and insights, embodying the spirit of adventure and human connection. Through her poetic narratives, Caul captures the essence of Ghanaian culture with an authenticity and affection that can only stem from genuine engagement and respectful curiosity. The title “You Try Paa” reflects a common phrase in Ghana that expresses encouragement and acknowledgment of one’s efforts. This encapsulates Caul’s experiences in Ghana — constantly learning, adapting, and trying, even amidst challenges. The poems are structured around various themes such as community, resilience, cultural exchanges, and personal growth, each telling a story . . .

News on Peace Corps Park in DC from Glenn A. Blumhorst (Guatemala)

Apr 26 2024

–Glenn Blumhorst Writes This month, we are excited to share a few updates that capture our tireless work to level up everything we are doing and make this project a reality. First, we have released our most comprehensive annual report to date, noting the Peace Corps Foundation’s main accomplishments in 2023 and our progress toward the major milestone of approval on the final designs that will clear the way to break ground. We’ve also published the final inscriptions that will be included in the design proposal to be inscribed on the Park’s benches. And, we are seeking your input as we get the ball rolling on the digital companion that will enhance both the in-person and virtual experience of visiting Peace Corps Park. As for the fundraising campaign, we are nearing the halfway point of our goal thanks to the recent challenge grant from philanthropist Jacqueline Mars and the matching gifts from . . .

Michael Carson (Kenya) is new head of International Storytelling Center

Apr 25 2024

RPCVs in the news — WJHL Tri-Cities Michael Carson (Kenya 1989-91) is a non-profit executive who has devoted his career to social and economic development. His technical assistance and strategic advice has helped transform small businesses, community-led health clinics and schools, and agriculture enterprises in conflict settings and emerging economies. Michael has provided capacity building and organization development advice to organizations as diverse as the government of Guinea’s Ministry of Health, East African youth and women’s cooperative enterprises, the Arusha Municipal Council, the Zanzibar Handicraft Producers Association and Bosnian natural producers associations. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Michael started his international experience when he joined the Peace Corps. “I joined the Peace Corps in 1989 and went to Kenya and really gained a perspective for African culture, for international cultures,” said Carson. “And I have worked in International Affairs for almost 30 years.” Carson’s father grew up . . .

“We need you” — Solomon Islands’ support for US agency’s return revealed

Apr 25 2024

Peace Corps has found “overwhelming support and enthusiasm” for return to Pacific island nation, report shows. By Erin Hale and John Power Aljazeera, 24 Apr 2024 A United States development aid agency whose return to the Solomon Islands has been delayed for years without explanation found “overwhelming support and enthusiasm” for its work, with the Pacific island nation’s leader telling officials “We need you”, a previously unreleased report shows. The Peace Corps’ findings bring into focus the agency’s unexplained failure to resume operations in the archipelago nearly five years after it announced its return amid jockeying for influence between the US and China. The “Solomon Islands Re-entry Assessment Report,” obtained by Al Jazeera via a freedom of information request, paints a picture of emphatic support for the agency resuming operations in the country after a two-decade absence, both among the local population and within the government. Solomon Islands Prime . . .

THE TALES OF BISMUTH by Jamie Kirkpatrick (Tunisia)

Apr 24 2024

The Tales of Bismuth: Dispatches from Palestine, 1945-1948 By Jamie Kirkpatrick (Tunisia 1970-72) Independently Published March 2024 250 pages $4.99 (Kindle); $21.00 (Paperback); $33.98 (Hardcover) • • • The Tales of Bismuth is the sequel to Jamie Kirkpatrick’s debut novel, This Salted Soil: The Battle for Tunisia, 1942-1943. In that novel, Kirkpatrick (Tunisia, 1970-72) introduced his readers to Declan Shaw, a young Irish journalist who is based in Tunisia and assigned to cover the Allied North African campaign against Nazi Germany. Upon completion of that journalistic assignment, Shaw goes to Palestine to cover events unfolding there. He arrives in the waning days of the British Mandate and begins to understand the complexities of of life in Palestine, the complexities of relations between Palestinians and Jews, as well as the complexities of the heart. Shaw strives to report on events as a neutral observer, an almost impossible perspective to maintain given the . . .

THE SWANS AT TUALOA by Julian Quarles (Caribbean)

Apr 23 2024

The Swans at Tualoa by Julian Quarles (Peace Corps Caribbean trainer) Dorrance Publishing March 2024 540 pages $32.00 (Paperback); $34.44 (Hardback) • • • And so he had come to the land Tualoa, its tapering mountains a brilliant green. Spoonbill and osprey, sandpiper, heron, the yellow-bellied sunbirds fringing the shore. What except this, this faraway land with the charm of a tale? They spent afternoons at Little Marquis away from the eyes of the elder Su’uni. The nectarine lands dropped into the sea, her blue-run chambers swollen with worm. A series of clouds bunched over the west. He may have remembered a scene from Simoon, the world immense with its moments of gladness. The purposes of heaven lay before them that day. It came on a wind, to the island places, Alisi, Croyenne and Île des pengouins . . . Recovered papers at an eastern university lead to a narrative spanning . . .

Why Peace Corps Volunteers?

Apr 22 2024

John writes — Peace Corps Volunteers are the ones who tell the real story of the Peace Corps. They tell of their experiences in essays, articles, short stories and memoirs. Stories that are the historical documents of the agency. These remembrances are valuable to the host country as future generations will know how American Peace Corps Volunteers came to teach their children, care for their parents and grandparents, and help develop their country. By reading what PCVs have to say, host country nationals will know what once their homes were like, and these PCVs cared enough to write down the memories of living and working with their ancestors. For us, they are a treasure of literature and life.

RPCV Charity Operating in Guyana

Apr 22 2024

Guyana has made positive impacts in reducing poverty within the country; however, it was once one of the poorest in South America. Due to the discovery of oil production in 2019, Guyana’s GDP per capita is quickly increasing and the country could continue as one of the countries with the fastest economic growth as new oil production begins. The country is rich in natural resources and in addition to abundant rainforests and agricultural land, the country’s natural reserves also include gold and diamonds. Guyana’s proud decline in poverty shows a change from 60.9% of the country’s population living in poverty in 2006 to 48.4% in 2019, according to the World Bank. Accessibility to education and health care still needs improvements since COVID-19 additionally worsened conditions in these sectors. There are five charities operating in Guyana to make positive changes for the people living in Guyana. One of them was started by . . .

3rd Edition: CONFESSIONS OF AN ECONOMIC HIT MAN by John Perkins (Ecuador)

Apr 20 2024

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins (Ecuador 19968-70) Berrett-Koehler Publishers; 3rd edition February 2023 384 pages $16.49 (Kindle); $17.97 (Paperback); $21.91 (Audio CD) • • • How do we stop the unrelenting evolution of the economic hit man strategy and China’s takeover? The riveting third edition of this New York Times bestseller blows the whistle on China’s economic hit man (EHM) strategy, exposes corruption on an international scale, and offers much-needed solutions for curing the degenerative Death Economy. In this shocking expos, former EHM John Perkins gives an insider view into the corrupt system that cheats and strong-arms countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars and ultimately causes staggering income inequality and ecological devastation. EHMs are highly paid professionals who use development loans to saddle countries with huge debts and force them to serve US interests. Now, a new EHM wave is infecting the world, and at the . . .

THE LIGHT OVER LAKE COMO | New novel from Roland Merullo (Micronesia)

Apr 19 2024

The Light over Lake Como by Roland Merullo (Micronesia 1979-80) Lake Union Publishing June 2024 280 pages $14.89 (Paperback), $4.99 (Kindle), 1 credit (Audiobook) • • • Two lovers separated in war-torn Italy struggle to reunite in a riveting and heartrending historical novel by the bestselling author of Once Night Falls and From These Broken Streets. It’s 1945. The Nazi occupation of Italy is in its closing days. But risk is ever present. It’s been nearly two years since Sarah Zinsi found tenuous sanctuary in Switzerland. Unmoored in a foreign land, she heeds a rumor that her village on the Lake Como shore has been liberated. Clutching her young daughter, Sarah navigates the arduous mountain trek back home to be with Luca Benedetto, the father of her child. A resister to the end, Luca has one last assignment: assassinate Mussolini, the man who destroyed everything Luca cherished and who forced the love of his . . .

AUSTRALIA BY BUS by Steve Kaffen (Russia)

Apr 18 2024

New book — Australia by Bus by Steve Kaffen (Russia 1994-96) Independently published 313 pages April 2024 Kindle Unlimited $4.99 (Kindle) • • • Australia is an ideal country to explore by bus. While most visitors spend their time in the urban centers, Australia’s scenic gems, historic sites, and vibrant cultures, including those of native Aborigines and other Indigenous groups, are scattered along the coasts and in the vast interior of desert, mountains, and windswept brush of the Outback. Buses go to these places. Because of the time limitations that most visitors have for travel, and the extreme distances to many points of interest, bus travel might effectively be combined with flights to the nearest cities. Bus travel is more than transportation; it is part of the journey. A visitor can fly over and look down, hopefully on a clear day. He or she can whiz past by train and catch panoramic . . .

Sheila Crowley (Ukraine) is new chief operating officer of NED

Apr 18 2024

RPCVs in the news National Endowment for Democracy Washington, D.C.—The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has named Sheila Crowley (Ukraine 2001-03) as its new chief operating officer (COO) at a time of historic leadership change, growth, and transition for the organization. Crowley previously served as the Executive Vice President and COO at Global Communities, and the Acting Director of the U.S. Peace Corps. She joined the NED staff on April 16th, 2024. “We are delighted to welcome Sheila Crowley to the Endowment,” said NED President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Damon Wilson. “Her experience managing global teams and in the field grounds her in the importance of the work of NED partners and its core institutes around the world. Her passion for helping complex organizations deliver on their missions in tough environments will be critical to helping NED ensure that we are fit for the future at this consequential moment . . .

Kelsey Walters (Moldova) in “War in Ukraine Hurting Oklahoma Wheat Farmers”

Apr 17 2024

In the news — By Analyse Jester and Lisa Maslovskaya NonDoc Saturday, April 13, 2024 From a farm in Oklahoma to growing wheat in Moldova, Kelsey Walters (Moldova 2007-09) is now looking to her past to secure her future. Kelsey Walters grew up on her family’s sixth-generation farm in western Oklahoma. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in agriculture economics, and she was placed in Moldova as a Peace Corps volunteer where she met her husband, Iurie, and began a wheat farming operation. But now their livelihood and that of wheat growers across Oklahoma is threatened by the war in Ukraine. Russia has reopened ports out of the Black Sea, and Ukraine is exporting low-priced wheat, which means American farmers are struggling to match those prices and still make a profit. Some Oklahoma farmers are looking toward alternate crops. Since the invasion, Russia has gained roughly 20 percent of . . .

Flash Fiction “Never Too Old” by Kathleen Coskran (Ethiopia)

Apr 16 2024

A Writer Writes – Never Too Old by Kathleen Coskran (Ethiopia 1965-67) • • • “Let’s count the stars,” he said. “Count the stars? That’s not possible!” she said. “Not possible?” “Right. Glad you agree. There are too many to count.” “But, if we started now–look! There’s one….and another…: She started laughing, muttering 13, 14, 15,16, under her breath, shouted out, “20! You’re right–there’s number 20. Do you see her?” “Her?” “Or him. Gender is hard to tell at this distance.” She had turned away, so he couldn’t see her face, couldn’t see the grin, the-making-fun-of-him smile that he knew so well and, actually loved, not that he would tell her. “One hundred!” she shouted triumphantly, and started running across the field, towards more stars. “Two hundred!” Another triumphant shout. “Two hundred twenty-two!” Her favorite number-222. He laughed then and took off after her. She’d be easy to catch, easy to tackle from . . .