2012 – Page 11 – Peace Corps Worldwide

Winner of 2011 Photography Award — Richard Sitler (Jamaica 2000-02)

Sep 06 2012

Richard Sitler’s (Jamaica 2000–02) Making Peace with the World: Photographs of Peace Corps Volunteers published by Other Places Publishing has won the Peace Corps Writers’ award for best photography book of 2011. Richard is a photojournalist who grew up in Knightstown, Indiana. He worked at newspapers in Ohio, Indiana, New Hampshire and New Jersey. Most recently Sitler was on staff at The Herald Bulletin in Anderson, Ind. Sitler is a graduate of Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois. He also studied at The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland, Maine. From 2000 to 2002 Sitler took a break from his photojournalism career to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Jamaica. Sitler was placed in the rural community of Lluidas Vale where he served as an at-risk youth advisor to the Lluidas Vale All Age School. In 2006 Sitler returned to Jamaica as a Crisis Corps Volunteer (now called Peace . . .

Maureen Orth (Colombia 1964-66) In the Middle of It Again!

Sep 05 2012

Maureen Orth (Colombia 1964-66) is in the “Middle of It” again! Maureen this morning on the TODAY Show defended her October article in Vanity Fair about the Church of Scientology seeking a bride for Tom Cruise. Maureen told Matt Lauer on the TODAY Show that “Tom can’t find the Scientology soul mate that he needs to be the No. 2 most important person in the religion, which is what he was called by the head of Scientology.” The church, it seems, wanted Tom to settle on actress Nazanin Boniadi who dated Cruise for a few months in 2004. In VF Maureen wrote that when Cruise was married to Nicole Kidman, the pair “drifted away” from Scientology; the Church then ramped up efforts to get them back by “auditing” (“their kind of confessional”) Cruise once a day for almost a year, and collecting information from spies working in the couple’s home. . . .

A Website To Promote Your Books Established by RPCV Julie Dargis (Morocco 1984-87)

Sep 05 2012

Poet Julie Dargis (Morocco 1984-87) is the founder of Indie House Press. This non-profit site is working to support independent writers by connecting them to independent publishing platforms, editors, designers, branding specialists, and independent booksellers. Rather than creating a list, like many traditional publishers, she is creating a network. If you are an independent writer, and you would like to list your work on her site, contact Julie at julie.dargis@gmail.com. Julie lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota and has worked for international organizations in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Asia, primarily with populations affected by conflict and natural disaster for twenty-five years. Her first book, Seven Sonnets, was published in June on CreateSpace.com. Her second book, a memoir including sonnets and verse depicting her life and work in eight countries will be out in November 2012. She began writing sonnets when she was a PCV in Morocco. Her website is www.IndieHousePress.org.

Tony D'Souza Writes about the "Mini-Madoff" in Sarasota Magazine

Sep 04 2012

Tony D’Souza (Ivory Coast 2000-02; Madagascar 2002-03) spent the summer writing about the $400 million “Mini-Madoff,” and the wife left behind. The 6,000 word piece is the feature of the September Sarasota Magazine. Eyes Wide Shut Peg Nadel-and others who benefited from her husband Art Nadel’s Ponzi scheme-say they never knew what he was doing. But did they just refuse to see the truth? Award-winning journalist Tony D’Souza finds the answer may lie in a mysterious black box at the heart of the crime. On a quiet afternoon in June, Peg Nadel, 76, paces the kitchen of her east Sarasota home, suffering through a debt collection call. “My friend,” she sighs into the phone, “my status has been in the trash. I can’t make any monthly payments. I struggle just to live. Hopefully in a month things will change.” In a month, a judge will decide whether Nadel-who has filed . . .

The First Three Peace Corps 'Incidents'

Sep 04 2012

We are all aware of the recent tragedies that have resulted in missteps and misadventures for the Peace Corps agency and PCVs. Those missteps got me thinking of what were the first incidents that attracted press attention and had naysayers declaring, “See, I told you so!” I found three such incidents within the first year, 1961. The first involved a Peace Corps Trainee, Charles Kamen, who allegedly applauded the House Un-American Activities film “Operation Abolition” in the wrong place while attending a Rotary Club meeting in Miami, Florida. Extraordinary pressures were brought to bear on the agency to summarily drop Kamen from Training. Shriver, however, decided to keep him in Training and permit him to be evaluated on the basis of all the facts in the same manner as other Trainees. What Shriver was trying to show was that the Peace Corps would not react to pressures or pressure groups in the determination of who should . . .

RPCV Facing 22-year sentence for drug trafficking in Nicaragua

Sep 03 2012

By Tim Rogers, GlobalPost (Credit: GlobalPost/Tim Rogers) This article originally appeared on GlobalPost. GRANADA, Nicaragua – A US family that has spent the past 23 months on an odyssey through the treacherous terrain of Nicaragua’s legal system hopes the adventure will end soon, with Jason Puracal’s safe return home to Tacoma, Washington. Puracal, 35, a former US Peace Corps volunteer and beachfront realtor in Nicaragua, could be acquitted by an appeals court by the end of this week. That would conclude nearly two years in jail on what his family, friends and international supporters claim are false charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and organized crime. But if appellate judges uphold the original ruling, the cocktail of crime convictions will keep the American behind bars in Nicaragua for 22 years. Puracal, who has a Nicaraguan wife and a 5-year-old son, was arrested inside his home in the beach town of . . .

Winner of the 2011 Award for Travel Writing — Lawrence F. Lihosit (Hondurus:1975-77)

Aug 30 2012

The winner of the Peace Corps Writers Award for Best Travel Writing in 2011 is Lawrence F. Lihosit (Hondurus 1975-77) for his Years On: And Other Travel Essays Lawrence F. Lihosit was born in the southern suburbs of Chicago, Illinois in 1951. His family later moved to Arizona where he graduated from grade school, high school and Arizona State University. He reluctantly served in the U.S. Army Reserves during the closing years of the Vietnam War and enthusiastically volunteered for the Peace Corps (Honduras, 1975-1977). His travels and work have taken him from the salmon spawning Nushagak River Basin in southwestern Alaska to the fertile Argentine Pampas. His continuing studies have included master’s coursework in urban planning at la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México in Mexico City, art and creative writing at Skyline College in San Bruno, California and education at California State University Fresno. He earned his living as . . .

2011 Winner of the Poetry Award–Jeff Fearnside (Kazakhstan 2002-04)

Aug 29 2012

2011 Winner of the Poetry Award–Jeff Fearnside (Kazakhstan 2002-04) author of Lake, and Other Poems of Love in a Foreign Land. Winners of the Peace Corps Writers Awards receive a certificate and small cash award. Jeff Fearnside taught English as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kazakhstan from 2002 to 2004. After completing his service, he remained in Central Asia for another two years, marrying his Kazakhstani bride Valentina. Their courtship and his experiences in general while living overseas were explored in his chapbook Lake, and Other Poems of Love in a Foreign Land. Most of his work since Peace Corps has involved education in some way, from managing the Muskie Graduate Fellowship Program in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan to teaching at Western Kentucky University and Prescott College. As a Visiting Assistant Professor in Creative Writing at WKU, he was nominated for a Faculty Award for Teaching, one of that institution’s highest . . .

Winner of 2011 Moritz Thomsen Peace Corps Experience Award (Memoir)–Chris Honore' (Colombia (1967-69)

Aug 29 2012

Winner of the Moritz Thomsen Peace Corps Experience Award (Memoir) for 2011 is Chris Honore’ (Colombia (1967-69) for his book Out in the All of It, published by iUniverse. Winners of the Peace Corps Writers Awards receive a certificate and small cash award. Chris Honore’ was born in occupied Denmark during WWII. His father was in the Danish resistance. His mother still remembers the day the Germans arrived and the day they left. After the war, they immigrated to America. Chris attended San Jose State University and then the University of California, at Berkeley, where he earned a teaching credential, an M.A. and a Ph.D. And then he joined the Peace Corps. Since then he has been a freelance journalist based in Ashland, Oregon. He is married and his wife owns a famous bookstore on Main Street in this charming town. Their son is a cinematographer and lives in Hollywood. . . .

Selling Your Novel Today

Aug 28 2012

Here is a writer who have solved the marketing problem of her first novel. I have been reading about Kathleen Grissom’s novel, The Kitchen House. It is about life on a Southern plantation and was published by Touchstone, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, in February 2010. The first run was 11,500 copies, which is a lot for a first novel, but, of course, that didn’t attract much attention. While most of us focus on the Internet and creating buzz, it was the old-fashioned book-club-word-of mouth that made the difference for The Kitchen House. Today, the book is in its 21st printing, with 254,000 copies in print and another 152,000 e-books sold. It is now being carried at Target and Costco. Grissom received a good advance of $35,000 from Touchstone and now has had several more royalty checks for $100,000 plus. How’s that for a first time novelist! How did . . .

Winner Of 2011 Maria Thomas Fiction Award–Susi Wyss (Central African Republic 1990-92)

Aug 28 2012

Winner Of 2011 Maria Thomas Fiction Award–Susi Wyss (Central African Republic 1990-92) author of The Civilized World: A Novel in Stories Winners of the Peace Corps Writers Awards receive a certificate and small cash award. Susi Wyss book of fiction set across Africa that was largely inspired by her twenty-year career managing international health programs. She served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Central African Republic from 1990 to 1992, and currently works for Jhpiego, a Baltimore-based international health organization. She has one master’s degree in public health from Boston University, and another in fiction writing from Johns Hopkins University. Her writing has appeared in numerous literary magazines, and she has received awards from the Maryland State Arts Council, the Barbara Deming Memorial Fund, and other arts organizations. The Civilized World: A Novel in Stories by Susi Wyss (Central African Republic, 1990-92) Henry Holt and Company $15.00 226 pages March, . . .

In Case You Haven't Seen Director Williams' Letter of Resignation

Aug 27 2012

August 21, 2012 Dear Colleagues: For the past three years, I have had the privilege to lead one of the most beloved and valued agencies in the United States federal government. It has been a distinct honor to serve as the Director of the Peace Corps in President Obama’s Administration and to further his policy of broader global engagement. That is why it is with a heavy heart that I announce my decision to step down as Peace Corps Director effective September 17, 2012. This has been a difficult choice because serving in this position has been the highlight of my public service career. It has brought my personal journey in government full circle – from Peace Corps Volunteer to Director. It is time, however, for me to shift my focus to my family. It has been an honor to lead an outstanding team who support our remarkable Volunteers day . . .

Winner of the 2011 Paul Cowan Non-Fiction Award — Kevin G. Lowther (Sierra Leone 1963-65)

Aug 27 2012

Winner of the 2011 Paul Cowan Non-Fiction Award is Kevin G. Lowther (Sierra Leone 1963-65) author of The African-American Odyssey of John Kizell: A South Carolina Slave Returned to Fight the Slave Trade in His African Homeland. Winners of the Peace Corps Writers Awards receive a certificate and small cash award. Kevin Lowther served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Sierra Leone (1963–65), teaching African and world history at West Africa’s oldest secondary school in Freetown. He spent the next six years with the Peace Corps in various capacities: trainer, campus recruiter, public information officer (in charge of a news service targeted at college students), desk officer for programs in Southern Africa and manager of an office to support volunteerism among former PCVs. He also was in charge of Volunteers to America — the “reverse” Peace Corps program-during its final year of operation. In 1971, Lowther worked with C. Payne . . .

Danger: Transitions – Continued : IGO comments on Political Appointees

Aug 27 2012

The recently published Inspector General’s Report, Final Evaluation Report: Impacts of the Five-Year Rule on Operations of the Peace Corps (IG-12-05-E) focused on the problems caused by the so-called Five Year Rule. But the report did acknowledge the effect of the Peace Corps’ political appointment structure. I think the observations are critically important. Do you? From the IGO report: Staffs’ concerns regarding the Peace Corps’ political appointment structure Throughout the course of this evaluation many interviewees expressed their beliefs and attitudes regarding the effect that political appointees, particularly appointees with no previous Peace Corps experience, were having on the operations of the agency. Many respondents insisted that it was important for our evaluation to consider the combined effect on the agency’s operations of constant staff turnover and the agency’s political appointment structure. The commonly expressed reasoning respondents articulated was that these two features of the agency’s personnel structure—high turnover created by . . .

J.Edgar, Ronnie, Clark Kerr, Mario & The Peace Corps

Aug 26 2012

The August 17, 2012 issue of the Chronicle Review, published with The Chronicle of Higher Education, has an excerpt from Seth Rosenfeld’s new book Subversives: The FBI’s War on Student Radicals, and Reagan’s Rise to Power published this month by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Rosenfeld was for many years an investigative reporter for both The San Francisco Examiner and the San Francisco Chronicle.The book is about Mario Savio, leader of the Free Speech Movement, Berkeley’s most notorious campus agitator, and Clark Kerr, the president of the university. It is also about Ronald Reagan and most importantly, J. Edgar Hoover, who in the 1950s and 1960s ran a secret operation within the FBI called the “Responsibilities Program” to hunt down professors whose political views were deemed by J. Edgar as unacceptable. Frustrated in 1964 by the successful uprisings by students at Berkeley, Hoover was eager to find a collaborator in Reagan . . .

Archive - 2012