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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!nsc!pyramid!isieng!chrisf
From: chrisf@isieng.UUCP (Chris Fagan)
Newsgroups: net.nlang.africa
Subject: Re: Liberia and the Peace Corps
Message-ID: <178@isieng.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 4-Dec-85 16:16:53 EST
Article-I.D.: isieng.178
Posted: Wed Dec  4 16:16:53 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Dec-85 05:21:30 EST
References: <177@isieng.UUCP> <329@steinmetz.UUCP> <23@cad.UUCP>
Reply-To: chrisf@isieng.UUCP (Chris Fagan)
Distribution: net.nlang.africa
Organization: Integrated Solutions, San Jose, CA
Lines: 40
Keywords: Peace Corps, Liberia, tourism

[I know the Bug still exists; I drive it to work every day]

My name is Suzanne and I am using the terminal of my  friend Chris to
thank all  of you  who responded  to our  original posting concerning
Peace  Corps  in  Liberia.   Unfortunately, because  of the political
upheaval in  that country,  I am  no longer  being sent  there and am
awaiting reassignment in another country.  

I  would  like  to  respond  to  the  recent  posting  asking  for an
explanation of  Peace Corps  work.   There are  probably former Peace
Corps  Volunteers  out  there  who  can add  to this description--I'm
looking forward to seeing further dialogue, if appropriate (Note from
chrisf:  I suspect followup would be more appropriate in net.misc).

The Peace Corps is a  government organization  established during the
Kennedy Administration to promote  peace and  help developing nations
and  Third  World  countries  gain  technological,  educational,  and
medical skills through a volunteer  system.   I  suppose  it could be
described  as  a  sort of  tourism if  your style  of travel includes
living in a mud hut, dealing with unusual and perhaps deadly wildlife,
dysentery and culture shock, and overcoming your own  value system in
order to help the people  you came  to serve.   It  is not missionary
work,  nor  is  it  American imperialism.   Although  there have been
accusations  that  Peace  Corps Volunteers  have spied  on their host
countries, none of these accusations has ever been substantiated.  In
fact, I had to write letters to the Peace Corps to assure them that I
had no intention of getting involved  in the  political activities of
my host country.  

Perhaps another viable  solution to  sending PCV's  to host countries
would be to encourage natives to help teach in the outback, establish
clinics,  etc.   Unfortunately, often  the countries  are lacking the
necessary educated work force to do this.  

I've heard Peace Corps work described like this:  "Give a man a fish,
and  he  eats  for  a  day; teach  a man  to fish  and he  eats for a
lifetime."  PC Volunteers want to teach their hosts to be self-reliant
-- and then they get the hell out of there.

	(posted by) Chris