John Coyne – Page 17 – Peace Corps Worldwide

First RPCV to Go to Jail for a President!

Mar 19 2024

In the news Ex-Trump adviser RPCV Peter Navarro reports to prison on contempt of Congress conviction MIAMI — Former Donald Trump adviser Peter Navarro (Thailand 1965-68), who was convicted of contempt of Congress last year, is set to surrender Tuesday at a federal Bureau of Prisons facility in Miami to begin serving his four-month sentence. Before turning himself in, Navarro held a press conference in a strip-mall parking lot down the street from the facility. Near a Papa John’s, Navarro gave an extended speech airing his grievances against the government and his prosecution, painting himself as a victim of political persecution. “I will walk proudly in there to do my time,” Navarro said. “I will gather strength from this: Donald John Trump is the nominee.” Navarro, who was closely involved in Trump’s attempts to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss in the lead-up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the . . .

GARDENS OF PLENTY by Ron Arias (Peru)

Mar 19 2024

Gardens of Plenty by Ron Arias (Peru 1963-64) Peace Corps Writers March 2023 333 pages $9.99 (Kindle), $19.99 (Hardcover), $16.99 (paperback) • • • In Gardens of Plenty, Ron Arias immerses readers in a 16th-century world that is both mysterious and magical, exploring the rich culture of “Amexica” with a tenderness that is both persuasive and captivating. Following the publication of his previous work, The Wetback and Other Stories, which earned praise from Paul Theroux for providing a compassionate glimpse into an adjacent neighborhood, Arias continues his literary journey with this epic work of historical fiction. A seasoned writer and author with a diverse bibliography, Arias brings his narrative talent to Gardens of Plenty, providing a deeply sensitive, first-person account of one man’s early years in the New World. Drawing on his nomination for a National Book Award with The Road To Tamazunchalc, and his skill in crafting truc survival sagas . . .

FEUD’s Truman Capote by Larry Grobel (Ghana)

Mar 16 2024

In the news — Feud’s Truman Capote Doesn’t Shine Like the Man I Knew Yes, he was a lonely, tormented alcoholic at the end, but he was also a riveting dinner companion and a transcendent writer. by Lawrence Grobel (Ghana 1968-71) Vanity Fair March 13, 2024 Capote does his version of a fan dance to the disco beat at Studio A minute before the Today show’s cameras rolled in February 1985, Jane Pauley smiled and said, “I’ll begin by asking you about Truman’s hate list.” My own smile disappeared, and my eyes widened in fright. I was about to go on national television to promote my first book, Conversations with Capote, and she wanted me to talk about some of the two thousand people Truman Capote claimed to have on his “hate list.” In the seconds before the camera’s red light turned green, my mind whirred through some of those people, and I didn’t feel . . .

Which RPCV Writer Tells the Best “Peace Corps Story”?

Mar 15 2024

Which Peace Corps writer in the 62+ years of the agency has made the biggest impression on you by what they have written about their Peace Corps tour? You pick your writer from the book (s) she or he has written. The winner will be awarded a special ‘Peace Corps’ prize Peace Corps Writers and we’ll profile who it is on our site. Post on our website your ‘best’ Peace Corps writer and email me the writer’s name: jcoyneone@gmail.com Also tell why you think your person is the best of all our wonderful writers in the Peace Corps. Thank you, John & Marian

Peter Navarro (Thailand) going to jail

Mar 15 2024

In the news WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court denied Trump White House official and RPCV Peter Navarro’s (Thailand 1965-68) bid to stave off his jail sentence on contempt of Congress charges Thursday. Navarro has been ordered to report to a federal prison by March 19. He argued he should stay free as he appeals his conviction for refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Review | YET TO BE REVEALED by Geri Marr Burdman (Bolivia)

Mar 15 2024

Yet to be Revealed: Finding Paths to Meaning by Geri Marr Burdman, Ph.D. (Bolivia 1962-64) GeroWise Books November 2023 124 pages $16.95 (Paperback) Reviewed by Gary D. Robinson (Colombia 1962–64; El Salvador staff 1967–68; DC staff 1969-71) • • • In Yet to be Revealed: Finding Paths to Meaning, Dr. Geri Marr Burdman takes the reader on an enlightening journey to discover meaning and purpose in life. This exploration, she suggests, becomes increasingly important as we age. The book encourages readers to reflect deeply on when they last contemplated what gives their lives significance, introducing the idea that the quest for meaning is a lifelong journey for some. In contrast, others may not embark on this path until a personal or family crisis strikes. Drawing on her extensive experience in health and gerontology education, as well as her international efforts starting with her time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bolivia . . .

Libby Bennett (Zambia) | New Executive Director of Groundworks Collaborative

Mar 14 2024

RPCVs in the news Groundworks, a homeless shelter in Brattleboro, Vermont Promotes Libby Bennett (Zambia 2006-09) To Be New Executive Director March 13, 2024 BRATTLEBORO—The Board of Directors of Groundworks Collaborative has announced that Libby Bennett, formerly the agency’s Director of Development & Communications, has accepted the offer to lead the organization as its new Executive Director. Bennett has been on staff with the agency since joining the Morningside Shelter team in 2012. Previously, she served as an intern for the organization in 2011 while completing practicum work toward her master’s degree in non-profit management from the SIT Graduate Institute. Bennett points back to volunteering for overnight shifts at Brattleboro’s Seasonal Overflow Shelter in 2010/2011 as her earliest interaction with the agency—inspired to volunteer after hearing a presentation from the founder of Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center, Melinda Bussino. A lifelong resident of Brattleboro and graduate of Brattleboro . . .

WORDMAN by P.F. Kluge (Micronesia)

Mar 13 2024

Wordman by P.F. Kluge (Micronesia 1967-69) Peace Corps Writers Publishers January 2024 204 pages $22.00 (Paperback) • • • The summation of a distinguished career in writing fiction, writing for film, travel writing, and teaching, P.F. Kluge’s Wordman is a source book for emerging writers and a memorable set of reflections upon a life spent as a journalist, author, and teacher. Kluge’s service in the Peace Corps in the early 1960s provided an unexpected geographic focus that has accrued to a lifetime of novels and creative nonfiction. Of the many successful Peace Corps writers, P.F. Kluge (Micronesia 1967-69) is recognized as one of our most accomplished, having published seven novels, two books of nonfiction, and countless articles for The Wall Street Journal, Life, Playboy, Rolling Stone, and Smithsonian. With his Master of Arts degree and a PhD from the University of Chicago, he has been for the last ten years the . . .

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers visit Belize

Mar 12 2024

BELMOPAN, BELIZE March 7, 2024 Seven Returned Peace Corps Volunteers visited the Peace Corps headquarters March 6, 2024. They are in country to visit decades after having served as volunteers and to learn about the work that Peace Corps Belize is currently doing in the education and youth development sectors. The group was led by former Ambassador Frank Almaguer. Frank Almaguer is an American retired diplomat and career Foreign Service Officer. Almaguer served in the Peace Corps as a volunteer in Orange Walk Town, Belize from 1967 to 1969. In 1999, Almaguer served as United States Ambassador to Honduras from August 1999 to September 2002. The returned Peace Corps Volunteers had worked in the education sector during 1960s and 1970s. Since President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order on March 1, 1961, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 143 host countries. Peace . . .

Sarah Quinn (Morocco) | Director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center

Mar 11 2024

RPCVs in the news School of Law, University of Georgia Friday, March 1, 2024 Sarah Quinn (Morocco 2011-14) currently serves as the director of the Dean Rusk International Law Center, which has served as a nucleus for global research, education and service for the University of Georgia School of Law since 1977. Previously, she was the associate director for global practice preparation and managed the school’s Global Governance Summer School (a four-decades-old summer study abroad offering), Global Externships, the Graduate Certificate in International Law and other academic and research initiatives. Before coming to the School of Law, Quinn was the coordinator of faculty-led study abroad and domestic field study programs at the UGA Office of Global Engagement. She oversaw the development, management and assessment of almost 200 programs annually. Quinn designed and led a variety of professional opportunities for faculty and staff involved in study abroad programming at the . . .

A Journey of Resilience: Bishnu Maya Pariyar (Nepal)

Mar 09 2024

After overcoming caste-based discrimination in her early years, Bishnu Maya Pariyar is now known for tireless efforts in uplifting marginalized communities. by Jagdishor Panday Katmandu Post 3/8/2024 Bishnu Maya Pariyar was born and raised in a supportive home in Shahid Lakhan Municipality Ward 4 in Gorkha District. She calls herself fortunate not to have experienced gender violence in her younger years. However, being born into a Dalit family, she faced caste-based discrimination. Her parents, farmers by profession, were also not financially well off. She remembers that her mother, like many Nepali women of her time, never learned to read. “Growing up, girls—especially ones from the so-called ‘lower castes’—weren’t sent to school. Even when we did go, we were teased and bullied by other kids,” she recalls. Despite these challenges, she remained resilient and continued her education. Pariyar considers herself fortunate to have a father who recognised that education was . . .

Interview with Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn

Mar 08 2024

Thanks for the ‘heads up’ from Dale Gilles (Liberia 1964-66) In this episode of ‘@ HydePark with Indeewari Amuwatte,’ Carol Spahn, the Director of Peace Corps, who is in Sri Lanka, to oversee the swearing in of 20 Peace Corps Volunteers from the United States, discuss the educational program that is set to be implemented in the country. The 25th group of Peace Corps volunteers to be posted there, are set to embark on a two-year service journey as English teachers in the Central and Uva provinces. The Director of the Peace Corps, Spahn said that Volunteers will work alongside their Sri Lankan counterparts, including English teachers and principals, to deliver English language instruction to Sri Lankan school children. Further, she also discusses the challenges and opportunities experienced by the Peace Corps while commending the support of the local authorities and added that the Peace Corps is willing to . . .

Review | BURMA SAHIB by Paul Theroux (Malawi)

Mar 08 2024

Burma Sahib by Paul Theroux (Malawi 1963-65) Mariner Books February 2024 400 pages $14.99 (Kindle); $30.00 (Hardback); 1 Credit (Audio book) Reviewed by Mark D. Walker (Guatemala 1971-73) • • • Here one of the more prolific, best-known Returned Peace Corps Volunteer authors reimagines one of English literature’s most controversial writers in his early, formative years. Theroux leads us on the journey of Eric Blair, a British Raj officer in Colonial Burma to his transformation to George Orwell, the anti-colonial writer. Blair set sail for India shortly after graduating from the same prestigious private school of Eton whose alumni included Boris Johnson and nineteen other British prime ministers. Despite his young age (19), he would oversee local policemen in Burma and deal with his fellow British’s racial and class politics while trying to learn new languages. His father, a middling official in Britain’s opium trade, had served in India, and . . .

Peace Corps Volunteers sworn in, marking historic return to Sri Lanka

Mar 07 2024

Colombo, March 06, 2024 – In a ceremony held in Colombo on March 6, Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn, U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Julie Chung, First Lady Professor Maithree Wickremesinghe, and Minister of Education Dr. Susil Premajayantha officiated the swearing-in of 20 Peace Corps Volunteers from the United States. This marks the 25th group of Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in Sri Lanka since 1998. The cohort of skilled, diverse Trainees arrived in November 2023 to begin 12 weeks of training. Following three months of intensive training in language, culture, and effective engagement within Sri Lankan schools, these Volunteers will now embark on a two-year service journey as English teachers in the Central and Uva provinces. They will work alongside their Sri Lankan counterparts, including English teachers and principals, to deliver English language instruction to Sri Lankan school children. Addressing the swearing-in ceremony, U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung . . .

Zack Guido (Bolivia) . . . Climate Change RPCV

Mar 06 2024

Zack Guido is Program Manager at the University of Arizona’s International Research and Application Program (IRAP). climate impacts on water resources, co-producing end-to-end climate services, and climate risk management. Guido has also conducted research to advance climate adaptation planning with Arizona municipalities and worked with Federal emergency managers to develop tailored climate information. In these efforts, Guido employs frameworks for the co-production of science in order to make climate information more credible, relevant, and useful. Guido has extensive international research and practice experience. A three-year Peace Corps stint in Bolivia between 2000 and 2003 subsequently paved the way for him to co-found a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to work with rural Bolivians to make their water resources more resilient to shortfalls from drought and retreating glaciers. This topic also became part of Guido’s PhD dissertation (2015) at the University of Arizona’s School of Natural Resources and Environment. Guido has also . . .

Author - John Coyne