Archive - March 2013

Barry Hillenbrand (Ethiopia 1963-65) (Jesuit trained so he knows what he is talking about ) and who after the Peace Corps went on to be a correspondent of TIME magazine for more than 30 years serving most of those years as a foreign correspondent, including three years as South American Bureau Chief based in Rio de Janeiro and covering the early years of the Dirty War in Argentina sent me this email based on the recent blog about our new Pope. Here’s what Saint Barry had to say. (By the way, his wife would never call him a saint.) • Sigh.  First of all any archbishop who holds up a football banner while decked out in his miter has to be partly alright, but this cozy laddie-ness will no doubt be added to all those other overly charming traits that Donna Gebera finds so suspicious. I suspect that part of D. Gebera’s problem is . . .

[This is being circulated by the Catholic community I’m part of.] The new pope and the geopolitics of secrecy by Ivone Gebara (Brazilian feminist theologian Ivone Gebara is one of Latin America’s foremost Catholic thinkers. This article was first published in Portuguese and Spanish by Adital.) Now that the initial shock of Buenos Aires Cardenal Bergoglio’s election and the thrill of having a Latin American pope who is both cordial and friendly are over, it’s time for some reflection. Despite their value, the media also have the power to distract us, to lull our minds and keep us from allowing needed critical questions to surface.  In the days leading up to the papal election, many in Brazil and around the world were “hijacked” by live broadcasts from Rome.  Of course the historic events witnessed in these days are not everyday occurrences!  But what interests are leading the huge telecommunication industry . . .

The Peace Corps Agency is not planning any furloughs for the FY2013 year, and they are now working so as not to furlough anyone in FY 2014 if the Sequester has its full effect on the government.  That said, they are looking at ways to “cut back on headquarters staff”  either through extended lapses in staffing or hiring freezes.  At this time there are no expected staff reductions in the field in either FY 2013 or FY 2014 (i.e. all staff reductions will be taken at HQ).   There are also no plans to reduce the total number of PCVs currently overseas.   In 2014, however, they might have to cut 200-300 Volunteer positions if the sequester isn’t resolved.

A cousin of mine, a Catholic priest, sent me the following email when I asked him about the selection of Pope Francis. His reply: When I spoke with fellow Jesuits from other countries about Bergoglio’s prospects for becoming pope, I was taken aback by their dislike. He was harsh and disciplinarian, they said, and never went to visit his Jesuit brothers in the curia in Rome. According to Marcó, the alienation between Bergoglio and the Jesuits was a thorn in his side that he bore with silent patience. Because of issues like this, and his confrontations with the Argentinian government on questions such as same-sex marriage, he has been classed as a conservative. But a different picture has been painted by one of Bergoglio’s friends, a radical feminist and Catholic called Clelia Luro, who is about as far to the left on the ecclesial spectrum as you can go. She married a prominent and respected bishop, Jerónimo Podestá – one of . . .

[Thanks to Dale Gilles (Liberia 1964 & 67; PC/W 1968-73 & 1990-93) we have this item from the Bizpac Review written by Michael Dorstewitz on March 14, 2013.] • Beginning at 9:45 a.m. on Thursday morning, former congressman Allen West of Florida was the alarm clock for the enthusiastic Conservative Political Action Conference-2013 attendees. “There is no shortage of people telling us what conservatism cannot accomplish, what we can’t do, how we cannot connect, how we must change our values to fit the times,” he began. “Well ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you that is truly a bunch of malarky.” “The last time I checked, a bended knee is not, nor shall it ever be, a conservative tradition.” He then steered the address to his own personal experience as a black conservative. “I’m speaking from experience when I tell you that there is nothing on this green earth that . . .

Tino Calabia (Peru 1963-65) was kind enough to email me this item for today’s blog, knowing perhaps that I was a student of the Jesuits years ago at St. Louis University.  Tony writes about our new Pope being a Jesuit and how Jesuit schools are famous for their volunteer work. • Many of you may know the Jesuits started the international Jesuit Volunteer Corps in 1956, five years before the first PCVs arrived in Ghana (and Colombia). Like PCVs everywhere, these Jesuit Volunteers manifest the Jesuit spirit of serving others, especially the poor. It was my experience in the Peace Corps, and being associated with the agency from a distance, is that Jews and Catholics make up the majority of PCVs in terms of percentages.  When the Peace Corps recently released its list of the top 25 schools fielding PCVs in Fiscal Year 2012, Jesuit schools were prominently listed. The first of three categories was limited . . .

The Peace Corps will need to reduce the total number of PCVs by approximately 300 Volunteers when the full force of the sequester takes hold. The Volunteers will go first, than the overseas staff, and, of course, no one in D.C. will be laid off. When the hammer of the sequester falls the total number of Peace Corps Volunteers will drop. We all know that regardless of who is in the White House or on the Hill, the Peace Corps is expendable. We are a token agency on the foreign aid front. The budget in 2012 was $375 million. The budget for the agency in 2013 is set at $377.295 million before the cuts begin. At the moment, we have 8,073 PCVs overseas. Of course, we don’t know who just ETed in the last ten minutes. We are currently in 76 countries, more or less. The high point for the agency in terms of . . .

Bender Library Establishes Peace Corps Community Archive The Bender Library is pleased to announce the newly established Peace Corps Community Archive (PCCA) an exciting new joint initiative with the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of International Service. The PCCA will collect and exhibit materials documenting the experiences and impact of individuals who have served in the Peace Corps. The archive will serve as a research level collection for use by students and scholars studying peace diplomacy. The archive also aims to increase awareness of the history of the Peace Corps and interest in serving today. Bender Library is reaching out to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in the DC area to donate their personal memorabilia. For more information about this exciting new archive or to make donation inquiries, please contact University Archivist Susan McElrath at archives@american.edu <mailto:archives@american.edu> or 202-885-3197. American University recently ranked second in the country for . . .