May 2024 – Page 3 – Peace Corps Worldwide

United States Being Unceremoniously Evicted from Niger

May 03 2024

Meeting in Washington, D.C., Niger Prime Minister Ali Lamine Zeine informed Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell that all 1,000 U.S. special operations troops and other personnel must vacate the country. By Arthur I. Cyr of Carthage College In the news — By ARTHUR I. CYR Syndicated Columnist • • • This is a major setback, during a time of general instability in that region. Last year, the leader of Gabon, Ali Bongo, was removed in a sudden military coup on Aug. 30. On July 26 of the government in Niger was overthrown. In August 2020, Mali experienced a military takeover. Coups have also taken place in recent years in Burkina Faso, Chad and Guinea. France is most tied to these nations culturally and economically, but the entire international community has stakes in this worrisome trend. Russia’s mercenary Wagner Group has been notably active in trying to establish lucrative contracts in . . .

Published in American Diplomacy by Mark G. Wentling (Honduras, Togo)

May 02 2024

RPCVs in the news — Tough Love and the Diplomacy of Foreign Assistance May 2024 by Mark G. Wentling (Honduras 1967-69) & (Togo 1970-73) • • • Providing aid to low and middle-income countries (LMIC) is at the heart of our relationships with those countries. The concept is that needy countries on this list of 132 LMICs, particularly the 45 Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in the bottom range of this list, require external aid for their development. However, almost all the countries on the LMIC list are the same as they were over 30 years ago, and they are no closer to graduating into a higher income category. It is highly doubtful if any LMIC will achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals set for 2030. This raises several fundamental questions about the return on the US government’s investment. What are the cost-benefit and recurrent costs analyses? Do the returns justify the . . .

“Hi, I’m RPCV Bob Vila” (Panama)

May 02 2024

I’ve spent my career helping people upgrade their homes and improve their lives. You probably know me from TV, where for nearly 30 years I hosted a variety of shows—This Old House, Bob Vila’s Home Again, Bob Vila, and Restore America with Bob Vila. Oh, and let’s not forget my cameo appearances on Tim Allen’s sitcom, Home Improvement, where I got to star as myself. That was something else! Before my life in broadcasting, I launched my own residential remodeling and design business. Earlier still, I served as a Peace Corps volunteer, building houses and communities in Panama 1969-70. I learned firsthand about home building from my father, who built our family home by hand. I’ve written more than a dozen books about remodeling, buying your dream home, and visiting historic homes across America. It’s fair to say that buildings, especially homes, are my life’s work. Over the years I’ve supported many . . .

RPCV Couple — Joseph and Cristina Kessler killed in Illinois RV/Train Crash

May 01 2024

John writes — Taylorville (IL) Daily News – Posted Sunday Night by Leroy Kleimola The Christian County IL Coroner has released the names of the couple who died in the RV/Train Crash in rural Christian County. Joseph M and Cristina Kessler of Sarasota Florida were pronounced deceased. Both victims were 73 years of age and Joseph was identified as the driver. Preliminary autopsy results show they died of multiple blunt force injuries. According to the family, they had been on a journey to vicit all 50 states and nearly all US National Parks. The Kesslers were killed in their RV after it was struck by a train late last week between Stonington and Blue Mound. (Open this link ) Cristina Kessler – Author. World Traveler. Photographer. Here is a March 2024 interview I had with Christina about her Peace Corps life and books. Cristina Kessler is an award-winning author of . . .

New books by Peace Corps writers | March — April 2024

May 01 2024

To purchase any of these books from Amazon.com — CLICK on the book cover, the bold book title, or the publishing format you would like — and Peace Corps Worldwide, an Amazon Associate, will receive a small remittance from your purchase that will help support the site and the annual Peace Corps Writers awards. We include a brief description for each of the books listed here in hopes of encouraging readers to order a book and/or to VOLUNTEER TO REVIEW IT. See a book you’d like to review for Peace Corps Worldwide? Send a note to Marian at marian@haleybeil.com, and she will send you a free copy along with a few instructions. P.S. In addition to the books listed below, I have on my shelf a number of other books whose authors would love for you to review. Go to Books Available for Review to see what is on that shelf. PLEASE, PLEASE join in our Third . . .

Review: THE CHINESE DETECTIVE by Joseph Theroux (Samoa)

May 01 2024

The Chinese Detective: Hawaii’s Real Charlie Chan by Joseph Theroux (Samoa, 1975-78 years) Kilauea Publications 228 pages January, 2024 $12.00 (paperback) $5.00 (Kindle) Reviewed by Cynthia Nelson Mosca (Ethiopia 1967-69) • • • On cold blustery Chicago afternoons, I could be found sitting on the sofa in our living room, munching popcorn, and watching old black and white Charlie Chan movies. It never occurred to me that Charlie Chan was based on a real person. But real he was and quite a character too. Earl Derr Biggers authored six Charlie Chan novels which were made into feature films and were the inspiration for sixteen more. His Charlie Chan was modeled after Chang Apana who was a real detective in Honolulu, Hawaii. Lloyd Osbourne, the narrator of story was the stepson of Robert Louis Stevenson. The father and stepson collaborated on three novels. Osbourne went on to fill his life with the . . .

Archive - May 2024