January 13, 2011 – Peace Corps Worldwide

Why did you join the Peace Corps?

Jan 13 2011

People are still asking that question as we approach the half century of the agency. Back in May of 1966, Joseph Colman, who was then the Acting Associate Director of the Peace Corps for Planning, Evaluation, and Research, published a paper in the Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences. I tracked down a copy of Colman’s paper that reports on several studies of motivation for joining the agency. One was done in 1962 of 2,612 applications’ replies to a motivational question on the application form; another in a 1963 interview study of why people who apply later decline a specific invitation to enter training; and the third was a 1964 interview study of college seniors and their interest in the Peace Corps. Colman’s paper concludes [not surprisingly] that Volunteers can be successful in the Peace Corps with a variety of motivations for joining. In 1960, before . . .

“Once in Afghanistan”

Jan 13 2011

RPCVs of Colorado are sponsoring an Anniversary Film Series to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps. Tonight the film is “Once in Afghanistan.” The website for the Colorado Returned Peace Corps states: Synopsis: Returned Peace Corps Volunteers recall their experiences as female members of Afghan male vaccinator teams in the late 60s.The women vividly recall trying to convince the women to be vaccinated and their dependence on the Afghan counterparts and the people in the villages. Their stories and photographs go behind the walls where people of completely different backgrounds could recognize one another in spite of their differences. In a world in which messages of hate travel faster than ever before, this is a message of understanding. There are materials available on line that helps to understand the context of Peace Corps/Afghanistan. These include: Walter P. Blass was the first Peace Corps Director in Afghanistan and this . . .

Archive - January 13, 2011