Archive - September 11, 2012

Talking with Rajeev Goyal (Nepal 2002-03) by John Coyne (Ethiopia 1962-64) When you arrived in Nepal, Rajeev, the Nepalese royal family had just been massacred, Maoists threatened national security, and, as you discovered, a caste system dominated the culture. How did these realities affect your Peace Corps tour? The Maoist war affected every element of life, including education. Bridges, roads, and electricity grids were being blown up all across the country pretty much from the moment we stepped off the plane. So on a physical level, you never quite felt secure. But there was also an ideological “war” taking shape about how the country should move forward, the role and limits of tradition and religion in social and political life. Teachers and students were not shielded from this debate, obviously. The royal massacre had created a political vacuum, which the Maoists were capitalizing on.  Ordinary Nepalis felt squeezed between an . . .

Rajeev Goyal’s new memoir The Springs of Namje, published by Beacon Press, will be launched at The Rubin Museum of Art in New York. The museum opened in 2004 and  is recognized as the premier museum of Himalayan art in the Western world. The Launch Friday September 14, 2012 @ 7:00 PM The Rubin Museum of Art 150 West 17 Street (between 6th and 7th Avenues) Price: $12.00 Member Price: $10.80 About the Book The Springs of Namje A Ten-Year Journey from the Villages of Nepal to the Halls of Congress “The Springs of Namje tells many stories, including, very movingly, how to try to effect real change in Washington, D.C. It’s about idealism and savvy, and it shows how they can mix powerfully.” — Bill McKibben, author of Earth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet In 2001, Peace Corps volunteer Rajeev Goyal was sent to Namje, a . . .