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Dr Strangelove
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My older brother was in the peace corps over 30 years ago. At the time he was given the opportunity to write a prospectus for his own project. He chose to go to India and introduce Indian teachers to the concept of using science demonstrations and projects as a means of teaching science to Indian school children. What he failed to take into account was the pride of Indian teachers, most of whom were considerably older than he and resented the idea of being shown how to teach by a young American. His classes were not well received.
He did however meet a girl there, whom he later married. He returned to the US, completed medical school and Residency, then came back to Virginia to practice. After my father died, he offered my mother a job as receptionist in his office. She did a good job and was well liked by ther patients, but she became jealous of my mom's good relationship with the patients. Eventually she convinced my brother to fire my mom. Her plan was to talk mom into taking an overseas vacation, then to fire her just before she left. I suppose she hoped that having her away from town for the first few weeks after termination would reduce the impact on my brother. What she didn't count on was mom dying during the trip. This hurt my brother deeply. He blamed himself for her death. To compound matters she then convinced him to break off ties with the rest of the family. She considered us to be beneath her, a strange idea coming from a woman who hadn't even completed high school.
I didn't see my brother for several years, then one day I got an urgent call from North Carolina. My brother had attempted suicide and was in an ICU at UNC. He recovered from his injuries minus sight in one eye, but he was never the same. He returned to medical practice for a year or two, but became progressively more addicted to alcohol. His wife divorced him, he lost his license, and now he lives in a rescue mission.
Go ahead, go overseas, but be careful about what you bring back with you.
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Az
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MACEDONIA - It's the name of the sovereign country to the north of Greece
Apr 2000
time: 07:34
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EDIT: NOTE TO SELF, READ POSTS TILL THE END.
I am really sorry about that, Strangelove, I never got to THAT part.
Last edited by Az on 10-08-2004 at 18:03
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Dr Strangelove
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quote:
Originally posted by Pekka
uhh are these peace corps the same I'm talking about? I mean blue berrets? Doing UN missions, carrying weapons and never firing them? Those peeps.
Dr Strangelove, oh man that's a sad story. Sorry about your brother.... |
You're thinking of the Peacekeepinmg force, a multinational armed police force under UN supervision. The Peace Corps is an American organisation founded by President Kennedy to enbale young Americans act as ambassadors of good will to the developing world.
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chegitz guevara
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Ft. Lauderdale, FL Communist Party of Apolyton
Jun 2000
time: 00:34
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quote:
Originally posted by Azazel
quote:
Americorps is safer. After I heard a Bolivian woman recount her story about how she and the other villagers castrated two PeaceCorp workers I vowed never to join the PC.
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*******s, why did they do that? |
They had been pushing sterilization as a method of birth control, to help villagers keep their family sizes down. The idea being that peasants are poor cuz they have too many kids and that they were unlikely to practice birth control responsibly.
The U.S. has been pushing this for a little over thirty years. Puerto Rico was especially hard hit, with the high point being 42% of women of child bearing age being sterilized in the early 90s. Today it's around 35%.
The head of USAID said in the early 70s, better to kill a revolutionary before he's born.
I had always planned on joining the Peace Corps. The Bolvian woman's story clinched my not going. At the time I was interested, the late 80s, being in the PC wasn't very safe. You were expected to do reports on the village you were sent to, which were usually read by the CIA, and forwarded to local security organizations, who might show up and disappear someone you had mentioned. This would make you a target for any local guerillas.
On the other hand, you might identify with the people you were trying to help, write reports about how the government is screwing them, and get your ass disappeared by the local government. 
Still, three Peace Corps volunteers came back to the U.S. thinking, if Americans really knew what was going on in the 3rd World, they'd be less supportive of our government's policies. The founded New World Resource Center, a lefty bookstore where Bunnygrrl and I were once managers. One of the founders then returned to Chile, where he was murdered during the coup against Allende.
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Barinthus
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A Magical Moment...
Jan 2004
time: 21:34
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I visited my dearest friend in Kenya who was serving out a term for Peace Corps. I lived with her for 90 days and helped out at the school she was teaching. She was in the education so I suppose it's not as sensitive as birth control and so on. I had an awesome time myself and I still want to serve a term myself.
However Peace Corps is not for wussies. Most of the time you will be isolated surrounded by a culture so different from American culture it's like being on some other planet. For instance, the Luo people (the tribe whom I lived among) have no concept of personal privacy the West have. After a while it can really get to you unless you learn to adapt.
There's a great book on Peace Corps and it's very easy to read. It took me an hour to go through it. I'll find the title later on for you. Very informative too.
Not many people can stick with finishing up their terms. Normally there are three major waves of people just quitting. The first would be during the first month when some people's romantic ideals get shattered when they get to actually see what they're getting themselves into.
The second wave would be around 6 months later when the stress of being isolated in a culture so alien to them is really getting to them and they just can't handle it.
The third wave would be after one year when people start to become disillusioned or wondering what the heck they are doing there while they could be back in the States finishing up a masters or being with a boy/girlfriend.
I'd say about 20% to 30% actually finish their terms. So if you have completed a term successfully, you (and potential employers) know that you are capable of adapting to difficult situations and can stick with your goals no matter what. That's very attractive. Also like someone (Oerdin?) said, it can get help you to get into a competitive graduate school. Many grad schools will even give you credit for time spent in Peace Corps. Also you will get preferred status should you wish to work for the government. Foreign Service would definitely love to have you working for them.
There is already a strong network of RPCV (returned peace corps volunteers) who will be more than help you out with schools and jobs just because you are a fellow RPCV. Especially in the government but it's everywhere, really. Ever since I came back from Kenya, I keep on bumping into RPCVs, they are literally everywhere in various positions.
There are other benefits more intangible than those already mentioned. There's personal growth and a completely new persceptive on the world beyond the comfortable borders of the States.
I would recommend the experience but be aware it's not exactly a safe job. There are risks involved, both from Mother Nature and the locals.
Oh by the way, if possible, enter Peace Corps as a married couple. Many PCV (peace corps volunteers) will agree with me I'm sure when I say you are better off serving Peace Corps when you have your spouse at your side. This way you would not be completely alone, you would be living with your spouse (Married PCVs are more likely to finish up their terms) and also you both would have the advantages of being able to pool together two stripends which translates into more buying power.
One more thing before I shut up - that tidbit about filling out reports to send to CIA or whatever, perhaps it was once true but not anymore. No PCVs I know had to do this.
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Dr Strangelove
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My brother had a greaqt time while he was there. He didn't have to work very hard because the teachers tended to under-attend his classes. He was pretty much by himself, and rarely had to account to anyone, so he got a generous amount of time to see India. Based in Bihar, a city in Bengal, he traveled from coast to coast and even visited parts of southern India.
For the more liberal amongst you gunja was easily available. So also were girls, and, er...... even little kids would come up and proposition for themselves...... if you're into that sort of thing.
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asleepathewheel
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listening too long to one song
Mar 2002
time: 00:34
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I really really wanted to join after college. But I met my love and went to law school instead. I didn't want to lose my love over the 2 years abroad.
still...
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10-08-2004 07:40
. I don't need to be living with roaches. And going without A/C. hmm, not for me. I don't mind working in hot temps. In the navy I have been in reactor compartments that were 140 F (60 C)., but when I was finished I could crawl into an air conditioned rack and sleep 
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