Archive - October 2015

One story that is told in the new book about the International Voluntary Services (IVS), The Fortunate Few IVS Volunteers: From Asia to the Andes, is from William Seraile (Ethiopia 1963-65). Here is a slightly edited version of what Bill had to say. Seraile had been a social science teacher in Mekelle, Ethiopia and he says “that experience had whetted my appetite for overseas adventures which is the reason I went to Vietnam.” He was 26 when he arrived in Can Tho and taught English at Phan Than Gian high school with a schedule that resembled a college professor’s light teaching load. The school had 3,000 students and was formerly a French fort and a World War II Japanese barracks. As the only American on the faculty, he recalls, his classes were very large. Before the Tet Offense, however, he had become disillusioned teaching English and thought he could better . . .

The Fortunate Few details some of the organization of the International Voluntary Services (IVS) and its links to the Peace Corps, but the majority of the 370 page book is spent telling the stories of individual volunteers and their tours. And they have, not unlike PCVs, stories to tell. In reading the book, I was particularly drawn to the stories of the PCVs who were also in IVS, and especially those volunteers who served in Ethiopia as PCVs. There were at least six such volunteers to IVS. One name in particular jumped out at me. Gary L. Daves (Ethiopia 1964-66), IVS/VN 67-73 (Captured in Hue, South Vietnam by the Viet Cong in 1968 and spent next 5 years in a Hanoi, North Vietnam prison. Now here was a story I had never heard. According to the accounts in The Fortunate Few, IVS’s involvement in Vietnam began in 1957. Noffsinger had . . .

A new book entitled The Fortunate Few IVS Volunteers From Asia to The Andes, written by Thierry J. Sagnier, novelist and former senior writer with the World Bank, has just been published. In the early chapters the author links the Peace Corps to this international volunteer organization. Created in 1953–eight years before the Peace Corps–International Voluntary Services (IVS) roots go back to the religious pacifism of Mennonites, Quakers, and Brethren organizations. Like the Peace Corps it had a small community of organizers, two in particular, Dr. Dale Clark and Dr. John Noffsinger. Clark was with the State Department and had aided the Arab Development Society setting up a dairy program in Jordan. He then went to the Mennonite and Brethrens with an idea: would they be interested in starting a voluntary organization using Marshall Plan funds to help other Middle-Eastern nations? After a series of meetings, the IVS was born . . .

Check out: http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/events/ Events Clilck the venue name to go to their website. Friday, Oct 2 Release of Kinky’s newest CD – The Loneliest Man I Ever Met and Cactus Records – In-store 2110 Portsmouth Street Houston, TX 713-526-9272 5:30pm performance/signing The Loneliest Man I Ever Met Tour Friday, Oct 9 Ashland Coffee And Tea 100 N. Railroad Ave. Ashland, VA 804-798-1702 Saturday, Oct 10 Robert E. Loup JCC 350 South Dahlia Street Denver, CO  80246 303-316-6351 Sunday, Oct 11 Club Cafe 56 South 12th St. Pittsburgh, PA 412-431-4950 Monday, Oct 12 The Hamilton Live 600 14th St NW Washington, DC 202-787-1000 Tuesday, Oct 13 Ram’s Head 33 West St. Annapolis, MD 410-268-4545 Wednesday, Oct 14 Stanhope House 45 Main Street Stanhope, NJ 973-347-7777 Thursday, Oct 15 Sellersville Theater 24 W Temple Avenue Sellersville, PA 215-257-5808 Friday, Oct 16 The Linda-WAMC’s Performing Arts Studio 318 Central Avenue Albany, NY 518-465-5233 Saturday, . . .