2024 – Page 20 – Peace Corps Worldwide

AFGHANISTAN: CROSSROADS AND KINGDOMS by Guy Toby Marion (Afghanistan)

Jan 24 2024

Afghanistan: Crossroads and Kingdoms — My 1970s Peace Corps Service and Recent Afghan History by Guy Toby Marion (Afghanistan 1971-75) Peace Corps Books January 2024 280 pages $21.95 (Paperback); $8.95 (Kindle) In 1971, at age 22, Guy Toby Marion joined the Peace Corps. He was tasked with training high school science teachers in rural Afghanistan, and later with teaching in the Faculty of Engineering in Kabul. In text rich with description and detail, Toby relates his experiences living among a Farsi-speaking Muslim people, learning their language, their culture, their literature, their food. At the time Afghanistan was desperately poor, characterized by an ancient Islamic culture, a Pashtun monarchy and Farsi-speaking minorities descended from ancient Central Asian empires. The people readily accepted and welcomed American support. However, at this time towards the end of the Cold War, a revolution under the influence of the USSR was at hand. Toby’s . . .

Review | GROWING MANGOS IN THE DESERT by Katherine Baird (Mauritania)

Jan 23 2024

Growing Mangos in the Desert: A Memoir of Life in a Mauritanian Village by Katherine Baird (Mauritania 1984–86) Apprentice House Press 2022 380 pages $19.99 (paperback), $32.99 (hard cover), $6.49 (Kindle) Reviewed by Bonnie Lee Black (Gabon 1996-98) If I were still teaching Creative Nonfiction Writing at the University of New Mexico in Taos, I would assign this book to my students to read and study carefully, because I think it’s an excellent example of contemporary memoir writing done well. Some people confuse memoirs with autobiographies. To clarify: Autobiographies are stories of a life – written by, or ghost-written for, famous people who have a built-in following. Their fans have a deep-seated curiosity: How did she (or he) become so famous? So they’re willing to follow that person’s story from cradle to however close to the grave this celeb might now be — all the ups and downs . . .

The Volunteer who became a National Presidential Campaign Manager | Timothy Kraft (Guatemala)

Jan 22 2024

by Jeremiah Norris (Colombia 1963-65) • • • Timothy Kraft graduated from Dartmouth College in 1963, then went on to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala, 1963-65. After graduate studies at Georgetown University, he began a long career of professional involvement in state and federal political campaigns, beginning as Executive Director of the New Mexico Democratic party in 1974. In 1975, he connected with then-Governor Jimmy Carter who came to New Mexico to campaign for the election of a Democratic governor. In 1975, Timothy connected once again with then-Governor Jimmy Carter’s national presidential campaign as its National Field Director and then as its National Field Coordinator. In the Democratic presidential campaign, he worked to solicit contributions from ten Western states so that candidate Carter could qualify for federal matching funds under the Federal Election Campaign Act. After then-president Jimmy Carter won the presidency, he named Timothy as his Appointments . . .

Bruce Corker (Colombia) wins coffee case

Jan 22 2024

RPCVs in the news — Long ago in the green mountains of Colombia a young Peace Corps volunteer dreamed of one day owning a coffee farm. Rancho Aloha is the result of that dream, and its name honors both the Latin American inspiration of our farm and its magical Hawaiian location. High above the Kona coastline, abundant rainfall, rich volcanic soils and a natural afternoon cloud cover produce a rich and mellow bean. The harvest is picked by hand and dried in the sun. How Coffee Farmers in Hawaii Fought Counterfeit Kona Beans A testing method borrowed from geology helped farmers sue a slew of stores selling supposed “Kona” coffee. By Virginia Hughes, NY Times Jan. 18, 2024 On the volcanic slopes of Hawaii’s Big Island, hundreds of farmers in the Kona region produce one of the most expensive coffees in the world. Those farmers recently won a . . .

AMERICAN SEASONS by Mark Brazaitis (Guatemala)

Jan 20 2024

American Seasons by Mark Brazaitis (Guatemala 1991-93) Main Street Rag Publisher 228 pages June 2024 $18.95 (Paperback) (*Buy now at a pre-publication discount of $10.95) Mark Brazaitis’ third novel and ninth book, American Seasons, will be published as a paperback original in June by Main Street Rag. • • • American Seasons is about a small college basketball team in the early 1960s, its ambitious coach, his young, idealistic, beautiful wife, the team’s two star players (one black, one white), and the sports editor who hopes to chronicle a championship season. All goes well . . . until it doesn’t. Past secrets and present tensions threaten to upend the team’s magical season — and explode the lives of everyone connected with it. American Seasons, Brazaitis says, began as a play, “but with all the ambitions I had for it, it would have run nine hours.” In addition to basketball, the novel is about . . .

Professor Thomas Pearson (Nicaragua) | Research on Racial and Ethnic Exclusion

Jan 20 2024

RPCVs in the news— Maxwell Professor’s Research on Racial and Ethnic Exclusion Supported by Russell Sage Foundation Grant Syracuse News January 19, 2024, By Jessica Youngman Thomas Pearson, assistant professor of economics in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, is part of a team of scholars who have been awarded $195,000 from the Russell Sage Foundation to study the exclusion and expulsion of the minority groups from U.S. towns and cities between 1850 and 1950.Their project, “The Geography of Race and Ethnicity in the United States: Uncovering a Hidden History of Expulsion and Exclusion,” will result in a nationwide dataset detailing the expulsion and exclusion of minority groups that occurred locally, even if illegal at the federal level. The team aims to identify understudied forms of exclusion such as “sundown towns” to characterize both the causes of racial/ethnic exclusion and its consequences for . . .

Jamelyn Ebelacker (Eastern Caribbean) | MBA candidate: Arizona State University

Jan 19 2024

Forte: More Women Leading by Meredith Hunt Jamelyn Ebelacker MBA Candidate W. P. Carey School of Business, 2024 Jamelyn Ebelacker has taken a circuitous route to her current position as a full-time MBA student at Arizona State University’s W. P. Carey School of Business. After a childhood toggling between Eagle River, Alaska, and Santa Clara Pueblo in northern New Mexico, Jamelyn chose to study New Media Arts at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. Coming from generations of Pueblo potters who make traditional “red and black” pottery, she chose a more modern path – a decision encouraged by her elders. “They wanted me to broaden my horizons as much as possible and learn new things to be able to survive in a non-Indigenous world,” Jamelyn explains. After college, Jamelyn joined the Peace Corps. “I also come from a long line of warriors and military service people,” she . . .

THE CHINESE DETECTIVE by Joseph Theroux (Samoa)

Jan 19 2024

The Chinese Detective: Hawaii’s Real Charlie Chan by Joseph Theroux (Samoa 1975-78) Kilauea Publications January 2024 228 pages $5.00 (Kindle); $12.00 (Paperback) Reading Age 15 and up . . . Honolulu, 1920 — Lloyd Osbourne witnesses the remains of a body that has washed up on the Waikiki shore, and soon finds himself working alongside a remarkable local Chinese detective. Other dead bodies appear and the detectives draw up a list of missing men in the city. Writer Earl Derr Biggers is also vacationing at Waikiki and one morning his wife suddenly disappears. A search for her results in the kidnapping of Lloyd, and a massive opium enterprise is uncovered. A scandal at the Customs House involves the suicide of a cashier named William Wilder. Is Honolulu Sheriff Charles Rose merely incompetent or is he an active conspirator in the opium ring? And how is the violent murder of . . .

Robin Seyfert (South Africa, Zambia) | “Handmade Hope”

Jan 18 2024

In the news — By Christine Spicer .Viewpoint, PLNU RPCV Robin Seyfert knows beauty can be found in people and places that are overlooked or even steeped in darkness. As the founder and managing director of Basha Enterprises Ltd., she sees women who have been trafficked or who are vulnerable to exploitation find hope and healing through dignified work in a safe environment. Basha Boutique sells jewelry, kantha blankets, accessories, and Christmas items, all handmade by women who are rebuilding their lives. The kantha is a profound symbol of Basha Boutique’s work and mission. “A kantha is a quilt made of old saris stitched into straight, even rows,” Seyfert explained. “They are all sewn freehand. We take old discarded saris and stitch them into a blanket that is really beautiful. As each artisan transforms the worn cloth, she is also rebuilding her life.” ‘Basha’ means house in Bengali, and ‘asha’ means . . .

PCVs help promote tourism In Kyrgyzstan

Jan 18 2024

After completing training, Response Volunteers will work with CBT partners to develop nature-based tours, assist in creating effective marketing strategies to attract domestic and international tourists, establish guidelines and best practices to minimize the impact of tourism on local ecosystems of the Kyrgyz Republic, and help local partners improve their English language skills. The Volunteers will undergo two weeks of intensive training, which includes Kyrgyz language classes and cross-cultural competence before deploying to Community Based Tourism Association offices in Kochkor, Toktogul, Arslanbob, Naryn, Karakol, Osh, and Bishkek as Eco-tourism Marketing Specialists. The Volunteers passed a rigorous selection process in the United States that identified individuals who are highly qualified and committed to development. Only those who successfully complete the training program are sworn in as Volunteers. Their planned length of service is 12 months. “Community Based Tourism Associations throughout the country are glad to welcome Response Volunteers! We . . .

Towering Task On PBS LearningMedia

Jan 17 2024

A Towering Task:The Story of the Peace Corps on PBS LearningMedia Educator Resources for Middle and High School A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps is now available for classroom use on PBS LearningMedia. With this resource, students will explore the origins of the Peace Corps during the Cold War in 1961 to the challenges and changes it faces today The documentary, A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps examines the history of the Peace Corps and its role as an icon of American idealism using archival footage as well as interviews with volunteers and experts. Resources on PBS LearningMedia include: Teacher Guide & Tips Discussion Questions Extension Activities

BETRAYAL by RPCV Phillip Margolin (Liberia)

Jan 17 2024

Betrayal: Robin Lockwood #7 Phillip Margolin (Liberia 1965-67) Minotaur Books Publisher 336 pages November 2023 Hard copy ($23.97); Kindle (14.99), Audiobook (credit) • In Phillip Margolin’s Betrayal, attorney Robin Lockwood finds herself defending her old nemesis in a multiple murder case with too many suspects, where success might cost her own life. Robin Lockwood is now a prominent defense attorney in Portland, Oregon but a decade ago, she was a ranked and rising MMA fighter. Her career came to a quick end when she was knocked out and concussed in the first round by Mandy Kerrigan, a much more talented fighter. Now the situation couldn’t be more different, with Kerrigan on her last legs, her career nearly over, arrested for the quadruple murder of the entire Finch family . . . and Kerrigan’s only possible friend is the attorney she beat so many years ago. For Robin, it’s no simple case: Margaret Finch was . . .

Review | ESCAPE TO ALASKA by Steve Kaffen (Russia)

Jan 16 2024

Escape to Alaska by Steve Kaffen (Russia 1994-96) December 2023 $0.00 (Kindle) Kindle Unlimited; $4.99 Review by N. Waheed Nasser (Peace Corps Staff 2002-06 & 2011-16) Steve Kaffen has written a fascinating book of travel in Alaska, which he calls “Land of Superlatives.” As is typical of his books, the photography is stunning, and in the introduction, he describes the challenge that he faced choosing the book’s 300 photos. My favorites are the glaciers, the mountain scenery from the Yukon Railroad to the Canada border, the cute pups in the summer camp for dogs, and the people pictures. Prospective visitors can use the photographs along with the discussion of land (the author’s first Alaska visit) vs. sea travel, itinerary, and ship selection to plan their visits. The book is filled with suggestions, such as experiencing daybreak from the top deck of a ship “as it slowly glides through a narrow . . .

Two Friends—One Jewish, One Muslim—Have an Answer to Campus Conflict

Jan 16 2024

BY JENNIFER BRICK MURTAZASHVILI (Uzbekistan 1997-99) AND ABDESALAM SOUDI JANUARY 16, 2024 Participants at the Pitt Community United in Compassion event We are two professors at the University of Pittsburgh—one Jewish, one Muslim. We are also close friends. We have seen American college campuses torn apart by conflict this fall, but we believe there is another way. A way for us to move forward. On Oct. 26, we organized our first event together, called Pitt Community United in Compassion. Faculty, staff, students, and community leaders—including religious leaders—gathered from across the region. We yearned to create a supportive environment where people could gather, focus, meditate, foster meaningful connections, care for each other, and find solace amid the chaos of our lives. At first, we were unsure about what would unfold. But what transpired was powerful, positive, inspirational, and emotional. We opened with our own personal reflections that led us to lead . . .

Reed Hastings Calls It Quits (Swaziland)

Jan 15 2024

Reed Hastings Reed Hastings is an American entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Netflix, a global streaming entertainment service. Born on October 8, 1960, in Boston, Massachusetts, Hastings grew up in a family that valued education. He attended Buckingham Browne & Nichols School and later went on to study at Bowdoin College, where he earned a degree in mathematics. After graduating from college, Hastings joined the Peace Corps and spent two years teaching high school mathematics in Swaziland 1983-85. This experience had a profound impact on him and shaped his views on education and cultural exchange. Upon returning to the United States, he attended Stanford University, where he earned a master’s degree in computer science. In 1991, Reed Hastings co-founded his first company, Pure Software, a debugging software company. Pure Software experienced significant growth and went public in 1995. However, the company faced challenges, and in 1997, it merged . . .

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