Morocco – Peace Corps Worldwide

New books by Peace Corps writers | May — June 2024

Jul 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 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!!! When Coronavirus Unmapped The Peace Corps Journey by Jeffrey W. Aubuchon (Morocco 2007-08) & Peace Corps Response Nepal 92252 Press 142 pages $2.99 (Kindle).$7.00 (Paperback) This book . . .

WHEN CORONAVIRUS UNMAPPED THE PEACE CORPS JOURNEY by Jeffrey W. Aubuchon (Morocco)

Jun 24 2024

When Coronavirus Unmapped The Peace Corps Journey by Jeffrey W. Aubuchon (Morocco 2007-08) & Peace Corps Response Nepal 92252 Press 142 pages $2.99 (Kindle).$7.00 (Paperback) On March 15, 2020, the U. S. government recalled the more than 7,300 Peace Corps Volunteers serving in the field, thereby halting active development projects around the globe and the person-to-person diplomacy that has defined the agency’s mission for 60 years. Volunteers returned home to a nation under biological attack from the novel coronavirus with shuttered businesses and skyrocketing unemployment. The newly-designated “Evacuated Peace Corps Volunteers” found themselves neglected by the country they served: unable to collect unemployment benefits, limited to two months of health insurance, and grieving their own disrupted dreams. This book details the unprecedented global evacuation of Volunteers from national headlines as well as village stories of abandoned projects and suspended friendships. Yet, the book also describes the ensuing advocacy . . .

CorpsAfrica Expands to South Africa

Jun 08 2024

RPCVs in the news — WASHINGTON, DC, USA, June 5, 2024 CorpsAfrica is expanding its global presence by launching volunteer programs in South Africa, the organization announced this week. Founded in 2011 by former Peace Corps Volunteer Liz Fanning (Morocco 1993-95) CorpsAfrica recruits and trains educated African youth as volunteers to live and work in rural, under-resourced communities in their own countries. Operating on the core belief that African youth are the Continent’s greatest resource, the organization places volunteers in remote communities for up to one year, to facilitate small-scale, high-impact projects that are identified by the local community, many of which are related to health, economic empowerment, and climate change. Currently, CorpsAfrica has over 900 volunteers in ten African countries, with plans to eventually expand to all 54 African nations. Kelo Kubu, curator of TEDx Johannesburg, has been appointed as CorpsAfrica’s Country Director in South Africa. Kubu served as . . .

Peace Corps / Morocco Celebrates 61 Years of Partnership

Apr 28 2024

Peace Corps Morocco held its 61st-anniversary ceremony on Friday at its offices in Rabat. The event celebrated the “impactful service and dedication to fostering cross-cultural understanding, volunteerism, community service, and sustainable development in the Kingdom of Morocco», according to the US Embassy.” The celebration saw the participation of US Ambassador Puneet Talwar, Peace Corps Associate Director of Global Operations Scott Beale, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication Mehdi Bensaid, Peace Corps volunteers, staffers, Moroccan partners, and members of the local community, commemorating this significant milestone. ‘For over six decades, the Peace Corps has stood as a powerful symbol of hope, cooperation, and understanding,” Ambassador Puneet Talwar said. Peace Corps Morocco is about “more than the projects; it’s about relationships built; it’s about the lives that are transformed – Moroccan and American,” the senior diplomat said, lauding Peace Corps Volunteers who “serve as cultural diplomats, representing Americans in the . . .

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 . . .

An interview with North Africa Folklorist Deborah Kapchan (Morocco)

Dec 11 2023

RPCVs in the news — Deborah Kapchan is an American folklorist, writer, translator and ethnographer, specializing in North Africa and its diaspora in Europe. In 2000, Kapchan became a Gugenheim fellow. She has been a Fulbright-Hays recipient twice, and is a Fellow of the American Folklore Society. She is professor of Performance Studies at New York University, and the former director of the Center for Intercultural Studies in Folklore and Ethnomusicology (now the Américo Paredes Center for Cultural Studies) at the University of Texas at Austin. After completing her Bachelors of Arts in English Literature and French at New York University while studying flute performance with Harold Jones in New York, Kapchan went to Morocco in 1982 as a Peace Corps Volunteer. There she learned Moroccan Arabic, and in 1984 got a job doing ethnography in Marrakech and in El Ksiba, Morocco. This experience reoriented her life and in 1985 . . .

Review | THE COUSCOS CHRONICLES by Azzedine Downes (Morocco)

Dec 05 2023

The Couscous Chronicles Stories of Food, Love, and Donkeys from a Life Between Cultures by Azzedine T. Downes (Morocco 1982-85) Reviewed by Julie R. Dargis (Morocco 1984-87) An old friend of Azzedine and his family, and a close friend of mine, devoured the Couscous Chronicles over a weekend, munching on each story as if she were a guest at a coveted Friday couscous lunch invite. Every Peace Corps/Morocco volunteer can recount various faux pas that ensue during such a visit, but soon enough all volunteers learn the lessons that have been maktub (written) over centuries: only eat from the triangle in front of you, wait for the host to offer you the prime real estate from the center of the mound, say the word sha’bet (truly, I’m full) only when you are ready to burst, and NEVER EVER eat with your left hand! When I began reading my . . .

THE COUSCOUS CHRONICLES by Azzedine T. Downes (Morocco

Oct 05 2023

The Couscious Chronicles: Stories of Food, Love, and Donkeys from a Life Between Cultures by Azzedine T. Downes (Morocco 1981-85) (PC Staff 1991-95) Disruption Books 328 pages June 2023 $12.99 (Kindle); $18.02 (Paperback) Azzedine Downes moves between cultures, places, and time in this wryly comedic, at times mysterious, and always curious memoir of a lifelong nomad. The best strategy was to drink tea, smile, and enjoy the frustration of not knowing where the story leads. If time is endless, why rush to the point of a story? Now an international leader in the fight for animal welfare, Azzedine began his career as a volunteer teacher and later was appointed to leadership in the U.S. Peace Corps. An American Muslim with Irish roots, he’s a natural cultural shape-shifter, immersing himself in the cultures of Morocco, Eastern Europe, Northwest Africa, Israel and his native United States. Along the way he befriends . . .

Lillian Kidane (Morocco) new Dalberg Advisor for Africa region

Oct 03 2023

In the news DALBERG ADVISORS APPOINTS LILLIAN KIDANE AS NEW REGIONAL DIRECTOR FOR AFRICA ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Oct. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ Dalberg Advisors, a global impact consultancy committed to building a more inclusive and sustainable world, is pleased to announce the appointment of Lillian Kidane as the new Regional Director for its Africa region. “Lillian’s appointment marks a significant milestone in Dalberg’s commitment to Africa. Her extensive experience across the continent in public health systems, climate, trade, and digital transformation will be invaluable in contributing to shaping the continent’s development trajectory,” says Gaurav Gupta, Global Managing Partner of Dalberg Advisors. Lillian has two decades of experience working with governments, foundations, corporates, and NGOs both on the continent and from the United States to support systems transformation and access to medicines in Africa. Lillian’s recent accomplishments include serving as a senior advisor to the COVID Vaccine Delivery Partnership (CoVDP) leadership in Geneva, tasked with overseeing the allocation and disbursement of vaccines across . . .

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 . . .

Review | THROUGH GRATEFUL EYES: The Peace Corps Experiences of Dartmouth’s Class of 1967

Jun 23 2023

Through Grateful Eyes: The Peace Corps Experiences of Dartmouth’s Class of 1967 by Charles A. (Chuck) Hobbie (Korea 1968-71) — Compiler/Editor iUniverse Publisher 273 pages July 2022 $2.99 (Kindle); $39.99 (Paperback); $31.95 (Hardback) Reviewed by Evelyn Kohl LaTorre (Peru 1964-1966) • “Talk less and listen more.” “Accept the values of the population you’re working with.” “Adapt to being comfortable being uncomfortable.” These are a few of the sage learnings found in this 2 ½ pound, 8 1/2” x 11” tome that relates the Peace Corps experiences of 19 members of the Dartmouth class of 1967 and several of their spouses. All served in the Peace Corps in the late sixties and early seventies, and their exploits are a sampling of the 30 Dartmouth ’67 graduates who went on to join the Peace Corps. Their fascinating, and often humorous, stories are punctuated with 146 photos that show the youthful volunteers . . .

New books by Peace Corps writers | March–April 2023

May 01 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 . . .

OFF THE RAILS: Weird, Wicked, Wacky & Funny Stories by Jerome McFadden (Morocco)

Feb 27 2023

What happens if no one else sees the creatures calling to you from your back yard? Or your perfect crime is not as perfect as you planned? What if a city-dweller on vacation meets a tribe of head hunters in the middle of the jungle? Or if the best player on the boys’ high school sports teams . . . is a girl? What happens if everything you thought you understood goes . . . OFF THE RAILS? In this eclectic collection of twenty-six stories, multi-award winning author, Jerome W. McFadden, takes a warped view of robbers, gang-bangers, killers, cowboys, dead people (who might not know they’re dead), and the idiosyncracies of rural life in the mythical town of East Jesus, Texas. These fast-paced tales explore the satirical edges of crime, paranoia, human foibles, and the afterlife. Some of the stories are weird, some are wicked, some are wacky, . . .

Review | SORRY, NO ENGLISH by Craig Storti (Morocco)

Feb 11 2023

Sorry, No English: 50 Tips to Improve your Communication with Speakers of Limited English Craig Storti (Morocco 1970-72) Chambers Publisher October 2022 189 pages $5.94 (Kindle); $12.60 (Paperback) Reviewed bu D.W. Jefferson (El Salvador 74-76) and Costa Rica 76-77). • What a shame this book didn’t exist when I was trying to help my wife learn English years ago. Craig Storti has been writing about intercultural communications for over 30 years and has published a number of useful books, but for everyone who needs to interact with speakers of limited English, this is the indispensable handbook we have been waiting for. The book will be useful to anyone working in a public-facing job from government to hospitality, international organizations, human resources, cross-cultural and diversity training, and teaching English as a second language. Also, those who simply have an interest in languages, cultures and communication will love this book. I . . .

U of Illinois Graduate Ajai Rajeev begins life after college with Peace Corps service

Jan 26 2023

The Grainger College of Engineering, University of Illinois Aerospace Engineering 1/24/2023 by Debra Levey Larson Ajai Rajeev, BS ’22 Ajai Rajeev (Morocco 2022-24) received his B.S. in ’22 with a major in aerospace engineering and a minor in political science. After graduating, he decided to join the Peace Corps, and is currently serving in Morocco for two years. Learn more about his experiences in Morocco, what he enjoyed while at Illinois, and his plans for the future. • AE: What influenced your decision to join the Peace Corps? AR: When I first entered UIUC, I fully intended to work in the space sector, and I still do, but in a different capacity than what I originally intended after using my time in undergraduate studies to fully understand my best skills and my interests. I want to go into law for the space sector. I felt that going to the Peace . . .