John Coyne – Page 31 – Peace Corps Worldwide

Danielle Guerin (Cameroon)— “Farm Girl”

Sep 18 2023

In the news by Karl Schneider Indianapolis Star Rural landscapes blanketed with row crops and pastures peppered with faded red barns are the stereotypical scenes of Indiana agriculture. But a new type of farming is taking root in a far different setting — crops growing amid bustling streets, residential neighborhoods and commercial districts. These urban farms are tucked into inconspicuous vacant lots, oases where leafy greens and vegetables flourish in areas once overgrown and strewn with trash. In many cases, the hidden gems provide a rejuvenating source of healthy foods in areas where grocers and supermarkets may be sparse. Danielle Guerin (Cameroon 2014-16), an Indianapolis native who took a roundabout route to growing food in the city, is one of the new breed of farmers. She’s well on her way to helping her community — and, hopefully, inspiring a new generation of urban farmers. Farming wasn’t part . . .

Review | AMERICAN VOODOO by Joseph Theroux (Samoa)

Sep 16 2023

American Voodoo (with William Faulkner) by Joseph Theroux (Western Samoa 1975-78) Kilauea Publications April, 2023 190 pages $3.00 (Kindle); $10.00 (Paperback) Reviewed by Stephen Foehr (Ethiopia 1965-66) • This novel reads like a police report. The style has a James Ellroyness quality — just the facts, sketch descriptions, no setups, expositions, or transitions. Get on with the story. The reader is immediately captured by the fast pace and carried along in the torrent of a murder mystery. But an astute reader will tweak something is afoot by the name on the cover, the credit on the title page, and the subtitle “with William Faulkner in Louisiana.” Joseph Theroux’s name is on the cover in the usual author’s slot. The title page credits Lloyd Osbourne as the writer, edited by Joseph Theroux. The editor’s note identifies Joseph Theroux as the secretary for the Cemetery Advisory Committee. Lloyd Osbourne is quoted, . . .

Ron Singer (Nigeria) reads from NORMAN’S COUSIN & OTHER WRITINGS in NYC

Sep 15 2023

Jefferson Market Library 425 6th Avenue, NY,NY Saturday, September 30, 3pm Ron will be reading from his latest novel Norman’s Cousin & Other Writings (Unsolicited Press, Portland, OR, June 2023). The engine for this selection of writings from Brooklyn and Manhattan (1974-the present) is story-telling, but beneath the plots lurk layers of madness and magic, as well as startling, genre-busting juxtapositions. For example, two related stories, “Buying a Car” and “Selling a Car,” are N.Y. City picaresques combined with technical automotive detail and the history of a marriage. Written almost three decades apart, these two stories mirror their times, from the 1970s recession to the wave of immigration that was a by-product of the war in Afghanistan Norman’s Cousin & Other Writings is full of allusions to literature and the other arts. “Simple” takes its title from Langston Hughes, and alludes to the history of rhythm-and-blues. “Carla, the Copy-Shop Girl,” . . .

“The Slave Boy Who Became a Priest” by Kevin Denny (Malawi)

Sep 15 2023

Kevin Writes — I have appreciated the recent writing in which RPCVs personalize the impact the Peace Corps has had on their lives. I have a story I would like to add to the collection. It is a story that covers less than a day, but it is one that makes me value my experience more every day. • The Slave Boy Who Became a Priest by Kevin Denny (Malawi 2964-66) It was my last day in Malawi. I had said good-bye to the village I had known for two years and the was making my last stop at the post office. There I ran into Father Tovey, an Anglican priest, who asked me when I was leaving. I told him the Peace Corps lorry would be at my door early the next morning to start me on my homeward journey. Then he asked me a rather strange question: . . .

SIXTY YEARS OF SERVICE IN AFRICA by Julius A. Amin

Sep 14 2023

Sixty Years of Service in Africa: The U.S. Peace Corps in Cameroon by Dr. Julius A. Amin Routledge Press October 2023 272 pages $170.00 (Hardcover) Based on previously unused primary sources obtained from both sides of the Atlantic, this study provides a more fundamental, consistent, and balanced source-based assessment of the role of the US Peace Corps across its entire existence in Africa. The study sheds light on a new and intriguing historical perspective of the Peace Corps’ meaning and significance. Though the main thrust is Cameroon, the study offers a window to understanding Peace Corps performance in all of Africa, and the larger global community. It examines volunteers’ service in countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Togo, and Guinea, showing how the agency transitioned from a Cold War agency to the Post-Cold War era, while asking important questions about the continuous relevance of Peace Corps in Africa. In addressing the . . .

RPCV’s High Atlas Foundation supporting Morocco earthquake victims

Sep 13 2023

Supporting Morocco Earthquake Victims On September 8th, 2023, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco. The earthquake was centered in the Atlas Mountains, about 50 miles southwest of Marrakech. Moroccan authorities are struggling to meet the needs of the devastated population, and have been slow to accept foreign aid. This leaves NGOs as a vital lifeline for the hundreds of thousands of affected civilians. Donating to trusted charitable causes and non-profit organizations is the best way to support people affected by the disaster. We’ve listed organizations that either have teams on the ground or are supporting partner organizations with vital funding or supplies. We’ve also included a few actionable tips to help you avoid fraud and stay safe while you donate. What Happened? A large earthquake has devastated parts of western Morocco, creating an increasingly desperate humanitarian situation. With an initial shock measured at 6.8 on the Richter scale, it’s the . . .

“Teaching in Ethiopia” by Tom Weck

Sep 13 2023

by Tom Weck (Ethiopia 1965-67) After graduating from Stanford University, I felt compelled to give back something to those who were less fortunate than I. I joined the Peace Corps and spent two years in Ethiopia in a solo posting in the tiny village of Haik teaching English, math and science to 7th and 8th graders. I taught every period of every day (I got to teach Science as well – as a bonus) to about 25 students in each class and thoroughly enjoyed them. All were eager, if not desperate, to learn as they knew that a good education was their ONLY path out of a life of abject poverty (at the time Ethiopia was the second poorest country in the world). Memorization The standard approach to teaching throughout the country was rote memorization. The teacher wrote out an English sentence or math problem on the blackboard, . . .

FINDING MISS FONG by James A. Wolter (Malaya)

Sep 12 2023

Finding Miss Fong by James A. Wolter (Malaya 1961-63) Atmosphere Press 382 pages November 2023 (pre-order available) $ 18.99 (Paperback) Set against the vibrant backdrop of the 1960s in Malaya, now known as peninsular Malaysia, Finding Miss Fong is the journey of Jim Wolter, a character pulsating with life-changing aspirations and determination. The novel begins with Wolter abandoning medical school and the insistent matrimonial arrangements by his mother, who wishes for him to marry Lolly. Instead, Wolter’s soul yearns for an adventure that promises to be fulfilling, a journey where he can make a tangible impact by teaching biology in the remote areas of Malaya. However, his high expectations are met with a harsh reality. Wolter’s noble pursuit is thwarted by his unscrupulous boss, pushing him to the brink of despair and driving him to contemplate a return to Chicago. But Malaya has other plans for Wolter. Enter Miss Fong . . .

PCV Murder in Tonga

Sep 11 2023

The Peace Corps Volunteer, Dennis Priven, who murdered PCV Deborah Gardner in Tonga in 1976, and never was charged for her death, has died. The Tonga RPCV community found out that Priven died on April 1, 2023. Priven was ruled not guilty in the Tonga judicial system, with national Peace Corps intervention, based on an insanity defense. He returned to the U.S. where he was briefly hospitalized but checked himself out. He eventually got a government job and reportedly retired on a government pension. The story was retold in Philip Weiss’s 2005 nonfiction book, American Taboo and fictionalized in Jan-Worth (Tonga 1976-78) novel Night Blind published in 2006. Recently a 1970s Tonga RPCV Tom Riddle found this obituary: Dennis Priven, age 70, of Brooklyn, New York passed away on Saturday, April 1, 2023. He was born in Brooklyn on May 28, 1952 to Morris and Dorothy Priven. He . . .

9/11 at Peace Corps NYC

Sep 10 2023

“One Morning in September” — 9/11 Nov 11 2019 One Morning in September by Edwin Jorge (Jamaica 1979–81) Edwin Jorge was the Regional Manager of the New York Peace Corps Office and was at work in Building # 6 of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The building was destroyed when the North Tower collapsed. At a commemoration service held at Headquarters in Peace Corps/Washington a year after 9/11 Edwin spoke about the attack and what happened to the Peace Corps Office. His comments follow. ONE YEAR AGO TODAY, on the morning of September 11, 2001, I sat down at my office desk and turned on my computer. As the computer booted to life, I glanced up and looked out of the windows of my office on the sixth floor of the Customs House in the heart of the financial district of New York. From where I sat, . . .

TAKING THE PLUNGE INTO ETHIOPIA by William Hershey (Ethiopia)

Sep 10 2023

Taking the Plunge Into Ethiopia: Tales of a Peace Corps Volunteer by William L. Hershey (Ethiopia 1968-70) University of Akron Press September 2023 134 pages $18.99 (Kindle); $24.95 (Paperback) William Hershey served as the only Peace Corps Volunteer in the small Ethiopian town of Dabat. He taught seventh and eighth grade students the English that they would need to continue their educations and brighten their futures. He became part of the community, eating the local food and doing his best to communicate in Amharic. He also navigated cultural gaffes — having his house stoned by disgruntled students angered at being assigned to clean the outhouses; and nearly sparking international trouble by clashing with a player from a rival school during a heated basketball game. Decades later as a journalist, he used his once-in-a-lifetime Peace Corps experience to reflect on immigration, global goodwill and the hope the United States should . . .

ME MADAM by Dorothy Crews Herzberg (Nigeria)

Sep 10 2023

Me, Madam: Peace Corps Letters from Nigeria 1961-63 Dorothy Crews Herzberg (Nigeria 1961-63) Arc Lights Books February 2014 170 pages $5.18 (Kindle); $5.18 (Paperback) When Dorothy Crews Herzberg joined the Peace Corps in 1961, she was unaware that the program had not yet been approved by the U.S. Congress. The Corps’ proponents were hedging the strategy that having four hundred volunteers already working overseas would strengthen their case. While serving in the Peace Corps Dorothy Crews married Hershel Herzberg, and from 1961 to 1963 they wrote letters to her parents. Dorothy’s father saved and carefully preserved the fragile blue air letters. Every page of “Me, Madam” illuminates the energy of Nigeria immediately after independence. The author’s letters convey with intimacy what it was like to be there as the people struggled to create a new democracy.

SECRETS FROM MY TRAVEL DIARIES by Stacey L. Abella (Nicaragua)

Sep 09 2023

Secrets From My Travel Diaries by Stacey L. Abella (Nicaragua 2001-03) Game Changer Publishing 321 pages May 2023 $9.92 (Kindle) $16.97 (Paperback), $9.99 (Kindle), $24.97 (hardcover) Secrets From My Travel Diaries will transport you back to 1997, when the author, as a college student, ventured from a small Ohio town to study and live in Germany and France, eventually traveling to more than ten countries. Her diaries, written on train rides and after late-night adventures at the disco, helped her clarify her thoughts and feelings at a pivotal time in her life. Years later, after leaving her corporate career, the author rediscovered these dust-laden diaries. They reconnected her to a time of unprecedented freedom when navigating your way required paper maps, constant currency conversions, and finding truth within herself. Secrets From My Travel Diaries will take you on a journey to reawaken your Adventurer within, shift your perspective, and inspire . . .

Father Ted Hesburgh and the Peace Corps: A Story Not Often Told

Sep 08 2023

by Tom Scanlon (Chile 1961-63) Father Hesburgh was leaving his office at the Civil Rights Commission on March 1, 1961, walking through Lafayette Square across the street from the White House, when he encountered two friends – Harris Wofford, a former legislative assistant on the Commission, and Sargent Shriver, with whom he had a long-time friendship, and who was the brother-in-law of President Kennedy. Wofford and Shriver were ebullient. They held in their hand the text of a Presidential Executive Order that President Kennedy would sign that day, creating the United States Peace Corps. Returning to South Bend and the Notre Dame campus, Father Ted was working late in his office that same evening and received a call from Wofford and Shriver, still together and still “celebrating.” In the call they challenged him to “bring us a Peace Corps project.” Father assembled the Notre Dame Latin American faculty and . . .

Peter Navarro (Thailand) convicted

Sep 07 2023

WASHINGTON — Former Trump White House adviser Peter Navarro (Thailand 1973-76) was convicted Thursday of criminal contempt of Congress for failing to comply with a congressional subpoena related to the plot to overturn the 2020 election. The jury deliberated for about four hours before finding Navarro, 74, guilty of two counts of contempt for refusing to testify before the House Jan. 6 committee and turn over subpoenaed documents. U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta scheduled his sentencing for Jan. 12. The two counts each carry a minimum of 30 days and a maximum of one year in prison, in addition to a maximum fine of $100,000. “There’s no mistake, no accident,” prosecutor John Crabb told jurors in the Washington, D.C. federal courtroom during closing arguments Thursday morning. “That man thinks he’s above the law,” Crabb said. “In this country, nobody is above the law.”

Author - John Coyne