Mali – Peace Corps Worldwide

In latest book, geography professor offers new way forward for agriculture in Africa

Nov 15 2024

Published November 13, 2024 in Macalester College News For more than 35 years, DeWitt Wallace Professor of Geography Bill Moseley has devoted his career to agriculture in Africa. First as a Peace Corps volunteer, then as a staffer with international aid organizations, and finally as a geographer, Dr. Moseley has sought to understand the complex forces, both domestic and foreign, that shape what is grown and by whom in various parts of the continent, as well as who benefits and who does not from these policies and practices. In his latest book, Decolonizing African Agriculture: Food Security, Agroecology, and the Need for Radical Transformation, Professor Moseley has concentrated his expertise into an accessible volume that examines the history of food security and agricultural development in four African nations. The way forward, he argues, is to reject the dominant colonialist approach to economic development in favor of less commercialization and . . .

New books by Peace Corps writers | September–October 2024

Nov 05 2024

New books — 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 maybe 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. PLEASE join in our Third Goal effort and volunteer to review a book or books!!! Make Room for Healing:40 Tips from a Breast Cancer Survivor by Travis Brady (China 1994) Hay House LLC 176 pages October . . .

DECOLONIZING AFRICAN AGRICULTURE by William G. Moseley (Mali)

Sep 25 2024

A new book — Decolonizing African Agriculture By William G. Moseley (Mali 1987-89) Agenda Publishing December 2024 246 pages $40.00 (Paperback) Why have so many approaches to farming and food policy failed in Sub-Saharan Africa? Because, argues William Moseley in this compelling analysis, of the shortcomings of a prevailing western, colonial agricultural science that is infused with power and politics. To tackle food security successfully, the book argues, we need a non-colonial, indigenous agronomy that creates the social innovation needed to support the livelihoods of small-scale farmers. The book is organized in four sections: Part 1 provides a broad conceptual introduction emphasizing political agronomy, political ecology and agroecology. Part 2 evaluates past food security and agricultural development experiences in four countries where Moseley has undertaken extensive field research over several decades: Mali, Burkina Faso, South Africa and Botswana. Part 3 examines successful efforts in each of these countries . . .

The Victimization of Public School Teachers in America

Sep 24 2024

A new book — The Victimization of Public School Teachers in America by Emmanuel Edouard (Mali 1980-82) Fulton Books Publication 356 pages June 2024 $9.99 (Kindle) & $25.73 (paperback) The assault on public school teachers’ integrity, livelihood, and professionalism started in 1983 with the publication of A Nation at Risk. Based on the results of our education system performance, they were indirectly accused of failing our children. It peaked in 2004, when Rod Paige, then George W. Bush’s secretary of education, called the country’s leading teachers union a “terrorist organization.” Teachers felt dehumanized then. In 2009, Barack Obama blamed them for “letting our grades slip, our schools crumble, our teacher quality fall short, and other nations outpace us.” Teachers felt let down again. In 2017, President Donald Trump lamented how “beautiful” students had been “deprived of all knowledge” by our nation’s cash-guzzling public school system. Teachers felt humiliated and . . .

New books by Peace Corps writers | July through August, 2024

Sep 03 2024

New books — 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 maybe 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. PLEASE, PLEASE join in our Third Goal effort and volunteer to review a book or books!!! Songs of Mali by Ruth Gooley (Mali 1980-81) Peace Corps Writers May 2024 102 pages $15.00 (paperback) Songs of Mali . . .

American Law Society recognizes Alec Allen Ross (Mali)

Feb 19 2024

In the news — Feb 18, 2024 The American Law Society proudly announces the addition of Alec Allen Ross, Founder and Trademark Attorney at The Trademark Place, to its prestigious ranks of America’s Top Lawyers. Handpicked by the esteemed American Law Society Board, Ross’s selection underscores his outstanding professional track record, legal expertise, and commitment to the highest ethical standards expected of esteemed lawyers. With six years of experience, Alec Allen Ross has made a significant impact in the field of Intellectual Property and Trademarks. His passion for intellectual property law and dedication to client service have garnered him recognition, making him a prominent figure in the legal community. Ross’s legal career began with years of service as a trademark attorney and managing attorney at the largest trademark law firm in the United States. Motivated to enhance the client experience, he founded The Trademark Place, emphasizing simplified processes . . .

The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo hosted “Towering Task”

Feb 09 2024

A lively audience attends showing of documentary film on history of Peace Corps by Alana DeJoseph (Mali) PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 9, 2024 At the documentary film showing of A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps, Feb. 5, 2024 at UH Hilo, are from left, Charlene Iboshi of the East Hawai‘i Rotary Action Group for Peace, Jon and Julie Countess who are both returned Peace Corp volunteers, Chancellor Bonnie Irwin, film director Alana DeJoseph, film production assistant Isabella DeJoseph, and Joseph and Diane Theroux who are both returned Peace Corps volunteers. (Courtesy photo) The University of Hawai‘i at Hilo hosted a showing of the documentary film, A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps, on Feb. 5 at the Performing Arts Center. The event was free to the public. The documentary is directed by filmmaker Alana DeJoseph, a former Peace Corp volunteer who attended Monday’s screening. A Q&A . . .

“The Bed on the Roof” by Bonnie Black (Gabon)

Jul 18 2023

(The following story is excerpted from the Mali memoir of Bonnie Black, How To Make An African Quilt: The Story of the Patchwork Project of Segon, Mali) By Bonnie Black (Gabon 1996-98) • One afternoon, on the way homefrom teaching a [patchwork quilting] class at Centre Benkady, I stopped at a metalworker’s atelier to ask whether he might make an iron ladder for me that could be attached securely to the front terrace of my house, allowing me to have access to the flat roof. The man, Mr. Dao, agreed, and within a few weeks the sturdy, narrow ladder was installed. Then, as if heaven-sent one Monday morning I saw on my way to the centreville marché, but not yet far from my home, a Malian family from an outlying village conveying on their donkey cart a new, hand-made traditional bed frame made of smooth sticks tied with cowhide . . .

RPCVs in Akron, Ohio host movie by Alana DeJoseph (Mali) — A TOWERING TASK

Jun 07 2023

NORVA hosts free screening of Peace Corps documentary Akron Beacon Journal What does “global citizenship” really mean? Since 1961, more than 200,00 American volunteers have collaborated directly with everyday people around the globe in the name of peace. Follow their story in “A Towering Task,” an award-winning documentary on the history of the Peace Corps. The Northern Ohio Returned Volunteer Association presents a free screening at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 17, at the main branch of the Akron-Summit County Public Library, 60 S. High St., downtown Akron. Narrated by Annette Benning, the film chronicles the political machinations that led to an entirely new government agency during the height of the Cold War. It shows how idealistic American volunteers, past and present, work side-by-side with host country nationals to transform U.S. global relations. “A Towering Task puts a human face on the Peace Corps and makes sense . . .

Once Again: Five Great Short Stories About the Peace Corps Experience

Mar 13 2023

Five Great Short Stories About the Peace Corps Experience The Mending Fields by Bob Shacochis (Eastern Caribbean 1975–76) I WAS ASSIGNED to the Island of Saint Kit in the West Indies. Once on an inter-island plane, I sat across the aisle from one of my new colleagues, an unfriendly, overserious young woman. She was twenty-four, twenty-five . . . we were all twenty-four, twenty-five. I didn’t know her much or like her. As the plane banked over the island, she pressed against the window, staring down at the landscape. I couldn’t see much of her face, just enough really to recognize an expression of pain. Below us spread an endless manicured lawn, bright green and lush of sugarcane, the island’s main source of income. Each field planted carefully to control erosion. Until that year, Saint Kit’s precious volcanic soil had been bleeding into the sea; somehow they had resolved . . .

New books by Peace Corps writers | November-December 2022

Jan 11 2023

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 . . .

Laura Ann Twagira’s (Mali) EMBODIED ENGINEERING — finalist for award

Nov 06 2022

Finalist for the 2022 African Studies Association Best Book Prize Steve Scarpa | The Wesleyan Connection Associate history professor Laura Ann Twagira’s (Mali 2000-01) book begins with a song – Malian women sing and boast about the quality of their cuisine. From that domestic moment, Twagira found the keys to a technological revolution. “Women brag and praise each other. They make food that everyone enjoys and that enlivens life. To do that, they need a set of key technological skills,” she said. Embodied Engineering: Gendered Labor, Food Security, and Taste in Twentieth-Century Mali was named a finalist for the 2022 Best Book Award by the African Studies Association (ASA). The winner of the award will be announced in November. The ASA presents the award annually, recognizing the most important scholarly work in African studies published in English and distributed in the United States in the previous year. The . . .

Review: AIN’T NO ELEPHANTS IN TIMBUCKTU by John H. Sime (Mali)

Mar 31 2017

Ain’t No Elephants in Timbucktu: Prose and Poetry of a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali by John H. Sime (Mail 1976-78) CreateSpace February 2017 208 pages $16.95 (paperback) Reviewed by Kitty Thuermer (PCV/Mali 1977-79) • IN 1975, WHEN MY SISTER finished her Peace Corps/Zaire service — she left her journal behind. On purpose. Two years later, when she stepped outside her New York City walk up — there it was, peeking out of a shredded package — haunting her. How many of us would share our Peace Corps journal with friends — much less publish it? John Sime would. He has opened up his heart — and excerpts of his journal — for all the world to see. If you wonder why Volunteers keep journals (aside from the obvious therapeutic value), John has an answer: “One thing about this journal writing business — it makes me a character in a continuing book. . . .

3 Flash Stories inspired by the Peace Corps experience

Jul 31 2016

by Jon Anderson (Gabon/Mali 1974–77) • A Trip to Okandja Uneven plywood table. Sticky plastic tablecloth. Big bottles of Meuse. We get the cold ones. Since there is no electricity, “cold” means bottles that have been put into a bucket of water. They are maybe one degree cooler than the ones coming from the crate. We try hard to believe it makes a difference. The storm lamp on the table seems to throw more shadows than light. For a while there is no one else but me and Steve. Congolese music playing on the radio. The one armed, blue eyed bartender dozes. Our truck is parked in the darkness outside. Julienne comes in and asks about her bra. Then she asks for us to buy her a beer. But from where the truck is parked there is a sharp, bright, loud scream. Followed by “What the fuck? What the goddamn fuck? . . .

Water by Rachel Schneller (Mali)

Mar 29 2016

With all this talk of toxic water in Flint, and elsewhere, I thought of one of the loveliest pieces of writing by an RPCV that we published years ago. If you didn’t read it then, here is Rachel’s short essay. • Water Rachel Schneller (Mali 1996–98) When a woman carries water on her head, you see her neck bend outward behind her like a crossbow. Ten liters of water weighs twenty-two pounds, a fifth of a woman’s body weight, and I’ve seen women carry at least twenty liters in aluminum pots large enough to hold a television set. To get the water from the cement floor surrounding the outdoor hand pump to the top of your head, you need help from the other women. You and another woman grab the pot’s edges and lift it straight up between you. When you get it to head height, you duck underneath the . . .