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Bringing the world hometo theFifty years of Peace Corps.Twenty years of Peace Corps Fellows at Johns Hopkins.Hopkins Nursing and Peace Corps—a shared passion, commitment, and community spirit:U.S. News & World Report)

A magazine of news and comment about the Peace Corps worldWoRldViewKevin F. F. Quigley, publisherCatherine L. AlstonErica BurmanSarah H. HaughtChristopher KloseAnthony PariseShannon ScribnerAngene WilsonErica Burman, editorContributorsGeoff BendeckJoAnna HaugenChristoph HerbyMolly MattessichJonathan PearsonJoby TaylorJack WilsonWoRldview adveRTiSIngPartyke Communicationssuepartyke@cs.com540 374 9100WorldView (ISSN 1047-5338) is published quarterlyby the National Peace Corps Association to providenews and comment about communities and issuesof the world of serving and returned Peace Corpsvolunteers. WorldView © 1978 National Peace CorpsAssociation.Periodicals postage paid at Washington, D.C. & additionalmailing offices.POSTMASTERPleased send address changes toWorldView magazineNational Peace Corps Association1900 L Street NW, Suite 404Washington, DC 20036-5002ADVERTISINGQuestions regarding advertising should be sent tosuepartyke@cs.com orPartyke Comunications145 Harrell Road, Suite 119Fredericksburg, VA 22405SUBSCRIPTIONSMagazine subscriptions may be purchased from theNational Peace Corps Association by check or creditcard. Prices for individuals are $25 and institutions$35 [add $10 for overseas delivery]. Order formsare also available on the NPCA website at www.peacecorpsconnect.org or www.worldviewmagazine.comEDITORIAL POLICYArticles published in the magazine are not intendedto reflect the views of the Peace Corps, or those ofthe National Peace Corps Association, a nonprofiteducational membership organization for those whoselives are influenced by Peace Corps. The NPCA isindependent of the federal agency, the Peace Corps.EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONSLetters to the editor are welcomed. Unsolicitedmanuscripts, photographs, or other illustrations willbe considered. The editors prefer written proposalsbefore receiving original material. Send queries ormanuscripts to the editor at news@peacecorpsconnect.orgor by mail to the NPCA address.All inquiries can be addressed to the appropriateperson at NPCA by fax at 202 293 7554 or by mailto NPCA, or through the NPCA website at www.peacecorpsconnect.org or www.worldviewmagazine.comWORLDVIEWSpring 2011 Volume 24 Number 1Food Securitypublished by the National Peace Corps AssociationIN MEMORIAMIn Remembrance of Sargent Shriver:A Twenthieth Century giantby Joby Taylor, Ph.D. 1050th ANNIVERSARYLargest Gathering of Peace Corps Volunteers in 50 Years:House parties around the globe celebrate the 50th anniversaryby Molly Mattessich 1650th Anniversary Celebrations 20Letter from The Director of The Peace Corpsby Aaron S. Williams 24FOOD SECURITYIt’s the Inequality Stupid:Dealing with food prices and instabilityby Shannon Scribner 26Strengthening Communities Through HolisticAgricultural Programsby Catherine L. Alston 28Six Food Security Resources You Can Use:Here are some places to startby Erica Burman 30COVERA Fulani woman carries a calabash kitchen set, the dowry for her sister’s wedding inGoumori, Benin. Photo by Christoph Herby (Benin 08-10), a self-taught photographerand documentary storyteller. © 2011 Pulaku Project.www.worldviewmagazine.comPeace CorpsAndy SmithKaren Robinson/Oxfamwww.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011

NPCA Peace CorpsClockwise from top left:President John F. Kennedy hands Sargent Shriverthe pen used to sign legislation creating the PeaceCorps. Sen. Hubert Humphrey is to the left of thepresident. March 1961.Sargent Shriver with his daughter Maria Shriver andgrandchildren at the 41st anniversary celebration.Sargent Shriver addresses Returned Peace CorpsVolunteers at the 25th anniversary of the PeaceCorps in Washington, D.C., 1986.Sargent Shriver addressing “Sarge’s kids” at the 41stanniversary of the Peace Corps, 2002.NPCANPCAget good things done. Developing thisformula for practical idealism becameShriver’s ongoing experiment as hedesigned and launched program afterprogram. Serving in the Peace Corpsor VISTA, volunteering for SpecialOlympics, or providing Legal Servicesfor the Poor, in addition to meeting realhuman needs, also offers us a chanceto expand our moral imagination.At its best, our participation in theseefforts provokes reflection on the lifewe want to live, it gives us new insightinto the lives of others, and it redoublesour commitment. This is the spiralingelegance of Shriver’s big idea, that thelife of service is its own antidote todespair and cynicism. And his own lifeexample was an untiring witness thatthis is both the most effective and thehappiest way to be in the world.Shriver’s faith in this path andits outcome—his unwavering andenthusiastic belief that we can buildpeace through service—is a great giftto the world. His legacy, like his life, isturned toward the future; it will grow aseach new generation catches the fire ofhis world-changing idea by answeringthe call to serve.Sarge, you will be sorely missed,dearly remembered, and alwaysbeloved. I pledge my own best effort tokeep your faith, and, here at the ShriverCenter, we’ll keep working toward thatformula for practical idealism. “Welldone good and faithful servant…enterthou into the joy of thy Lord.”Joby Taylor Ph.D. (Gabon 91-93, PeaceCorps Fellows/USA 99-01) is Director ofthe Shriver Peaceworker Fellows Programand Affiliate Faculty; Language, Literacy& Culture; at the University of MarylandBaltimore County.www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 11

Around the NPCAOn the Hill:2011 Day of Action for Peace Corpsby Jonathan PearsonFifty NPCA citizen advocates.One hundred and fivecongressional meetings.Information distribution to morethan 530 congressional offices. Morethan 500 volunteer hours devoted tobringing the world back home.In this case, the world was broughtto Capitol Hill during NPCA’sseventh annual National Day ofAction in Support of the Peace Corps.Korea RPCV Richard MacIntyre,meeting with his CongressmanMichael Michaud (D-ME), was partof the Hill contingent that covered alleras of Peace Corps service. Advocatesmade the case for continued strongsupport for Peace Corps funding.Visit the advocacy sectionof the NPCA website, www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org/advocacy, tofind resources and information thatcan help you advocate for a strongand independent Peace Corps.House RPCVs IntroduceCommemorativeLegislationLegislation to authorize the creation ofa commemorative work in the nation’scapital to mark the historic and enduringsignificance of the establishment ofthe Peace Corps in 1961, and theideals on which it was founded hasbeen re-introduced in the House ofRepresentatives. Authored by RPCVCongressman Sam Farr (D-CA) andAll Photos: NPCAAbove: NPCA Intern Liana Bennett and Sean McLernon (Niger 09-11) helped stuff packets inthe days leading up to the Day of Action.Center top: Advocates teamed up and distributed materials to every congressional office.Right top: Richard MacIntyre (Korea 67-69) met Congressman Michael Michaud (D-ME) todiscuss the importance of Peace Corps.Right lower: It wasn’t just meetings. Advocates wrote thank you notes and filled out meetingreport forms throughout the day.Center lower: As Massachusetts citizens made phone calls and sent emails, the Capitol Hill teamof Judith Whitney Terry (Honduras 67-68), Bob Terry (Bangladesh 61-63; India 66) and ScottSharland (St. Vincents and Grenadines 08-10) met with Massachusetts congressional offices.12 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

Around the NPCASHORT-TERM, ON DEMAND CAPACITY BUILDINGEncore Makes Its Markby Christopher Klose“The Peace Corps Volunteer comes to you as one to treat and be treated equally, to give and to receive,in the effort to reach the aspirations of all…”— Anonymous PC India staff, circa 1968experience here hasbeen fantastic. I’ve“Thelearned so much aboutAfrica and its people. I hope I’vegiven as much as I have received.”So blogged Larry Badger (Azerbaijan05-07) at the end of his recent threemonthservice as an Encore Volunteerworking with the InternationalFertilizer Development Center’s(IFDC) East and Southern AfricaDivision (ESA) based in Nairobi,Kenya.A writer and videographer, Badgerwas producing three new training videosfeaturing local farmers and focusedon IFDC’s core mission of increasingagricultural productivity and foodsecurity. IFDC is a public internationalorganization with projects in more than100 countries.Working with both public andprivate partner organizations, Encorevolunteers like Badger have providedmore than 12,500 hours of technicalexpertise to 22 capacity buildingprojects in the developing world overthe last four years. They have completedchallenging assignments in Peru,Armenia, India, Indonesia, Zambia,Cameroon, Tanzania, Mozambique,Ethiopia and Kenya.“The Encore/NPCA approach isunique,” says NPCA President KevinQuigley. “Unlike similar programspromoting RPCV involvement, itis demand-driven. Job assignmentsare designed by the host institution,like IFCA, for example. EncoreVolunteers are chosen to fit a veryspecific, demanding bill.”Last November, in honor of the 50thanniversary ofPeace Corps andto expand thenumber, rangeand impact oftargeted projects,Encore becamea Joint Project ofthe National PeaceCorps Association(NPCA)and EncoreService CorpsInternational(Encore).“The advantageswere obvious,” recalls Encore chairpersonRussell E. Morgan (Kenya 66-69).“Our success in developing effectiveworking relationships with partnerssuch as the UPS Foundation, UnitedWay International, The Abbott Fund,and Johnson & Johnson, who co-fundour projects, combined with NPCA’smembership of experienced RPCVswith their passionate commitment tocontinued service.”Perhaps no one personifies the Encoreopportunity better than Linda Layfield(RPCV Haiti 81-88; Staff Uzbekistan,Madagascar, The Baltics, Lesotho 00-07), who just finished serving in NewDelhi, India with Operation ASHA(OpASHA). She says, “It has beenan incredible volunteer experience.Operation ASHA is growing rapidly.They really work with the poorest ofthe poor. It is poised to expand all overthe country and they have just openedprograms in Cambodia and Morocco.”Matched with specific assignments,as Layfield was, Encore volunteers serveLinda Layfield (Haiti 81-88) teaching proposal writing to OpASHAstaff.from as little as six weeks to nine monthsor longer. Expenses are covered eitherby a mix of local and internationalfunding or through partial support bythe volunteer her/himself. The localinstitution usually provides food andlodging. Specific impact evaluations aredeveloped in advance and the results arejointly reviewed by the host institutionand Encore/NPCA in preparation forfollow up assignments. The experiencelearned from each service assignmentis then integrated back into Encore’sorientation procedures.NPCA handles Encore operations,including the recruitment andplacement of volunteers, projectdevelopment and outreach. Governanceis provided by an Advisory Committeemade up of representatives of bothorganizations. NPCA Vice PresidentAnne Baker and Program Assistant ErinMadsen staff Encore.Christopher Klose (India 68-70) is theco-founder of Encore Service Corps.Encore Service Corps14 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

W O R C E S T E RM A S S A C H U S E T T SPreparingglobal business leadersand change agentsClark University Graduate School of Management isproud to be a new Peace Corps Fellows/USA partner,and offers generous scholarships to former Peace Corpsvolunteers.EARNED EXCELLENCETHE BEST BUSINESS SCHOOLSIN THE WORLD•MBADevelop the skills requiredof business leaders in theglobal economy. Earn upto two concentrations inaccounting, finance, globalbusiness, informationsystems, management,marketing, or socialchange.• MBA inSocial ChangeCombine your businessstudies with elective coursesfocused on environmentalsustainability, social justiceand economic well-being.Prepare to lead in a diverserange of fields, frommicrofinance and ethicalinvesting to sustainabledevelopment and corporatesocial responsibility.• MBA/Master of Arts inCommunity Developmentand Planning• MBA/Master of Arts inEnvironmental Science andPolicyCombine an MBA and Masters of Arts into a singlecourse of study with a dual degree offered incollaboration with the University’s Department ofInternational Development, Community, andEnvironment.Visit www.clarku.edu/gsom or contact us at 508.793.7406 or clarkmba@clarku.edu

50th AnniversaryLARGEST GATHERING OF PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERSIN 50 YEARSHouse Parties around the globe celebrate the 50th Anniversaryby Molly MattessichNearly 20,000 current and returned Peace CorpsVolunteers in 76 countries, along with their familiesand friends, attended Global House Parties onMarch 1 this year. The National Peace Corps Association led theorganization of the parties so that everyone could have a chanceto attend an event during this special Peace Corps year. Althougheach party was as diverse as Volunteers are–the Peace CorpsCommunity joined in solidarity for this one day to reflect on theexperiences of the past and discover how they can still shape thefuture. For total coverage, visit http://bit.ly/GlobalHouseParties.e had Peace Corps volunteers representing Nepal,“WEcuador, the Caribbean, Togo, Uzbekistan,Ethiopia, Paraguay, and Ghana. We brought food from ourPeace Corps countries, enjoyed good Sonoma Valley wines,and told wonderful stories. We each shared how we feltcalled to the Peace Corps. The common experience for allof us was that we loved and appreciated our experience. Itwas a wonderful celebration of the 50th, and we came awaydeciding to meet quarterly and to march in Sonoma’s 4th ofJuly parade as a group of RPCV’s.”— Cathy Coleman, (Ecuador 79-81), Sonoma, Calif.ne guest said later that she and her husband usually“Ohesitate to speak of Peace Corps because they don’tthink most people are very interested. She said it was very niceto be in a group where we all wanted to discuss Peace Corps.We all agreed. I had two books: Sarge and Come As You Areout, along with a Peace Corps cap and a world map. The foodincluded my Armenian dolma, Nepali-Indian “stew” withAlison Williams (Mali ’97-99) from Marblehead, Mass. hosted agroup of 9 volunteers whose service spanned every decade fromthe 1960’s to the 2010’s.Alison WilliamsA beautiful cake at the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers ofBuffalo, N.Y. party.rice, fried plantain, sweet potato fries, tropical fruit, coffee,,chocolate, and Armenian brandy which we used to toast thePeace Corps. Oh, and nan, the Indian bread. I gave each guesta box of SerendipiTea. They were pleased.”— Constance Speake (Armenia 09-11), Chicago, Ill.ur house party, attended by five of us from the“OToronto area, was a great success. Countriesrepresented were India, Malaysia (Sarawak), Brazil, Peru, andColombia. Each brought a dish representing the countrywhere they served. The food and fellowship were terrific.”— Cathy (Peru 65-67) & Jack Swenson (Colombia 65-67),Toronto, ON, Canadaespite the difference in years between active and“Dolder volunteers, this gap quickly disappeared as wedonned our house party T-Shirts designed and contributed byBart. Obviously, the ‘old guard’ had a few tales to tell—butthe active volunteers were not intimidated as they reportedon their backgrounds and interesting current work in thecountry. Somehow we PCVs are a sister/brotherhood!”— Bart Duff (West Pakistan 62-64), Susan PotterEvangelista (Philippines 63-65), and Jack Finlay (Nigeria61-63), Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, PhilippinesContinued on page 18Andy Smith16 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

Continued from page 16e had about 50 Returned Volunteers from the early“Wsixties to late 2010. Many new faces came to theparty from all over our region representing service in about 30countries. It was a potluck so we shared palm butter, groundnut stew, abaloo polo, Peruvian empanadas and plantain,guava jelly and lots more. We ate, we networked, we sharedmemories, we talked of the past and the future and celebratedthe importance of the Peace Corps to our lives.”— Jeanette & Steve Gottlieb (Iran 65-67), Albany, N.Y.“A10-year-old neighbor came in with his father tolisten and learn (wide-eyed and -eared) about ourexperiences. I showed the first three My Piece of the PeaceCorps YouTube video clips to the group. He seemed inspired.It made me remember that it was most likely the Peace Corpsadvertising campaigns of the mid-’70’s that first planted thedesire in me to join.”— Melissa Chesnut-Tangerman, (Kenya 85-87),Middletown Springs, Vt.he 50th anniversary of the PC was the inspiration to“Tseek out RPCVs who live in the northwest region ofNew Jersey to get together. It started with an event reminiscentof challenges faced while serving in the Peace Corps. A blockaway from the restaurant was a tractor trailer that the driverhad tried to get under a railroad bridge that morning but gotstuck, blocking everyone’s direct to the restaurant. It did not getcleared until early afternoon but in typical Peace Corps fashion,all RPCVs found their way to the restaurant, one way or theother (alternate back alley routes or parked & walked). We didnot, however, roll up our sleeves and help get the truck unstuckas we would have done overseas!”— Christine Musa (Sierra Leone 83-85) High Bridge, N.J.he two current PCVs were joined by eight VSOs“Twith whom we work. We had a birthday cake, sang,laughed and celebrated till 11 PM (on a school night)!”— Ron Brouillette (Seychelles 76-78), Stone Town, ZanzibarChristine Musa hosted the group from New Jersey. All smilesonce they made it to the restaurant.e had a great time at our local celebration of the“W50th anniversary. Eight of the known 12 RPCVswho live in Calloway County, Ky. showed up at the Big AppleCafé. It was a lively bunch, as might be expected. Some kneweach other, others met for the first time. We have promisedourselves to get together more often— we will not waitanother 50 years!”— Martin Tracy (Turkey ’67), Murray, Ky.e ate typical Ecuadorian food that I prepared“Wand then had American birthday cake, ice creamand fruit salad. We drank canelazos, a hot drink made withcinnamon, lime juice and aguardiente—yummy. A good timewas had by all and we agreed that we would do it again beforePeace Corps turns 75! Thank you to NPCA for giving us areason to get together and celebrate the best idea ever to comeour way.”— Elizabeth “Betsy” Davis (Ecuador 72-74, RPCV Brazil68-71, PC Staff 86-90, 93-98), Bethesda, Md.Matthew Allen Christine MusaReturned Peace Corps Volunteers on the island of Palawan,Philippines.Matthew Allen (Thailand 01-03) hosted 20 RPCVs plus onecurrent Volunteer serving in Cameroon at his and his wife’s homein London, England.18 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

50th AnniversaryAROUND THE WORLD EXPOSThe National Peace CorpsAssociation, in conjunctionwith the Peace Corps RegionalRecruitment Offices and select MemberGroups, is coordinating a series of50th Anniversary Around the WorldExpos nationwide in 2011. Eachregional Expo will highlight the workof the Peace Corps over the past 50years, while seeking to engage RPCVsand inspire the next generation ofvolunteers.Each Expo will feature exhibits fromRPCVs showcasing their work aroundthe world, remarks from both PeaceCorps and NPCA, and discussionsessions for interested applicants andRPCVs. Expos are free and open tothe public. Click on a city to find outspecific details about that Expo and toregister – hope to see you there! Learnmore at http://bit.ly/50thExpos.Roger SolesRPCVs gather at a Global House Partyhosted by Roger Soles (Colombia 65-67)and others at the Arlington UnitarianChurch in Arlington, Va.www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 19

50th Anniversary50th Anniversary CelebrationsThis September, Washington, D.C. will be the placeto be. Don’t miss out on the landmark eventscelebrating 50 years of Peace Corps. Visit ourwebsite at www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org for completedetails and to register for events visit http://bit.ly/NPCASeptemberEvents.Group Activities, September 22-25, 2011Member group events (receptions, lunches, dinners, andget togethers) are ongoing throughout the entire weekend.Visit the 50th anniversary master event calendar to see allevents and to post your own. Still planning your events inDC for September 2011? NPCA’s events are designed forflexible attendance, so that you can host member specificactivities throughout the weekend.NPCA Advocacy Day OrientationWednesday, September 21, 20116:00 – 8:00 pmproject. A select group of pre-screened projects will bepresented to the audience for review and questions. Theaudience will vote for the most deserving project and thatproject will be awarded with a grant that day.Promise of the Peace Corps GalaSaturday, September 24, 20117:00 pm – 10:00 pmSaturday will culminate with a formal Gala to celebratethe past 50 years of the Peace Corps and energize thecommunity for the next 50 years. NPCA is honoredto have Chris Matthews, Host of Hardball and RPCVSwaziland as the event Emcee. Event location: The RonaldReagan International Conference Center, Washington,DC. Tickets will be available for sale May 2011 – $250per person for NPCA members/$300 per person fornon-NPCA members. Register here to get added to theinvitation list. To receive program ad and sponsorshipinformation please contact Khalisa Jacobs at khalisa@peacecorpsconnect.org.NPCA Advocacy Day Thursday,September 22, 2011 8:00 am – 8:00 pmAdvocacy Day: 50 years to the day of Congressional passageof the Peace Corps Act, join NPCA advocates for a full dayof congressional meetings, a rally on the grounds of theCapitol featuring notable political figures, an end-of-dayevent and more! Registration is required for this eventNPCA Service Day Friday, September 23,2011 9:00 am – 8:00 pmJoin NPCA in a day of service. This day will begin withan opening ceremony at one of the site locations inWashington, DC. The final list of service locations will beprovided the week before the event.Conversations: The Future of PeaceCorps Saturday, September 24, 20112:00 pm – 4:00 pmHow will the Peace Corps community continue to growand strive for a world of peace and prosperity for the next50 years? A panel of thought leaders and global figures willdiscuss their experience with the Peace Corps and discusspressing topics with the community. The second sessionwill feature competitive proposals for a global communityaRLIngton National CemeteryPresentation, Wreath Laying & Paradeof Flags, Sunday, September 25, 201110:00 am – 12:00 pmSunday’s activities will begin with a sequence of eventssponsored by the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers ofWashington DC. The program will include a parade offlags, a wreath-laying ceremony at the gravesite of JFK,a program at the Arlington Cemetery Amphitheaterhonoring Peace Corps’ accomplishments and the, fallenReturned Peace Corps Volunteers. Keynote speakersrepresenting the full spectrum of the Peace Corpsexperience will share reflections on the future of thecommunity. The wreath-laying ceremony will be followedby a processional past JFK’s gravesite and a march withCountry of Service flags across the Memorial Bridge to theNational Mall.NPCA Closing Ceremony, Sunday,September 25, 2011 12:00 pm – 3:00 pmNPCA will end the weekend’s activities with a festiveget together highlighting the community through minidemonstrations, booths and entertainment. NPCA willannounce details regarding the closing ceremony includingthe location at a later date.20 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

March 2011Dear Peace Corps Community,Throughout 2011, the Peace Corps is commemorating 50 years of promoting peace and friendshiparound the world—a legacy of service rooted in the vision of President Kennedy. Our 50th anniversary isan opportunity to honor our past and advance our mission of world peace and friendship througheducation and engagement. As legendary founding Director Sargent Shriver said, “(The Peace Corps)personifies our best qualities and deploys to the world the vision of what the United States stands for.”Together, we have established an honored tradition of public service and community development in139 countries around the world. As we commemorate our 50 years of service, we also look to the futureof Peace Corps.I am proud that more Americans (8,600) are serving with the Peace Corps today than at any time in thelast 40 years. I have met hundreds of Volunteers serving in our 77 host countries around the world andam inspired by their optimism, commitment, and energy. I am also struck by how similar theirexperiences are to those I had as a Volunteer in the Dominican Republic.Over the past year we have accomplished many things. We completed a comprehensive agencywideassessment and have started to implement six dynamic strategies to strengthen our global operations.Volunteers have returned to three historic Peace Corps countries: Indonesia, Colombia, and SierraLeone. Our Peace Corps Response program has more than doubled in size, offering more Americans theopportunity to serve again. We have created new partnerships with leading international developmentorganizations, universities, colleges, and other U.S. government agencies to strengthen existing serviceand educational opportunities.We are committed to strengthening all facets of our program and it is our goal to further enhance thequality of the Peace Corps. All Volunteers, past, present, and future have a voice as we work to improveour operations. We take to heart the messages and communications that you regularly share with us.The safety and health of our Volunteers remains the top priority for the agency and we continue to doeverything in our power to minimize the risks associated with service overseas and offer compassionatesupport and guidance during difficult periods, both to our Volunteers and to our wider community. Westrive to be supportive of our Volunteers and transparent about the realities of service.The Peace Corps has always been an extended family. Together we will continue to build an even betterPeace Corps for the Volunteers of today and tomorrow. Our Volunteers strive to make a difference andhave improved the lives of millions of people—not just in communities around the world, but also inlocal communities here at home. That is our legacy.Thank you for your service.Aaron S. Williams(RPCV/Dominican Republic)

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Food SecurityIt’s the Inequality, StupidDealing with food prices and instabilityby Shannon ScribnerAs violence and unrest unfoldsacross North Africa and theMiddle East, we are remindedof how tenuous the grip on globalstability can be. In recent months,riots, protests and conflict has rippledfrom Algeria to Yemen leading to theouster of the Tunisian President andinstilling fear in the hearts of unelectedleaders across the region. These reformmovements, though only looselyconnected, reportedly found commoncause in deeply held feelingsof economic dissatisfaction,oppression and anger atgovernment corruption. Butthey also shared a collectivespark, a catalyst that inspiredprotesters across borders:high food prices.In February, 2011 theUN Food and AgricultureOrganization (FAO)reported that the FAOFood Price Index had fortwo consecutive months,surpassed its all-time peakreached at the height ofthe 2008 food price crisis.Driving the index’s rise wasa dramatic spike in prices forsugar and wheat as well asedible oils and fats.High food prices werejust one contributingfactor to the ferment thatunleashed demonstrationsthroughout the region. Butthe important role the pricespike played in cracking thedoor open to violence andinstability makes addressingthe underlying causes ofprice volatility and globalhunger a pressing challengefor US and internationalpolicymakers. Becausewhile we empathize with those whotake to the streets to protest for abetter existence, long-term instabilityis in nobody’s best interest. Andfailure to make serious progress onfood security and price volatilitycould mean further instability.The cause of the current spike iscomplex and there is considerabledebate about the relative importanceof different factors. Many analystspoint to triggers on the supply sideWoman carrying maize stalks in Egypt.including reduced production due toextreme weather, high oil prices andincreased biofuels production. Othersfactors implicated include ill-advisedexport restrictions, panic buying orhoarding of food, the depreciationof the dollar or speculation in thecommodities market.Whatever mix of short and mediumterm factors triggered this particularspike, these incidents are fueled bylong-term trends that strike at thevery heart of future foodsecurity. The growth indemand for food due toincreasing population,strong economic growth,and rising per capitameat consumption,especially in emergingeconomies, has comeface to face with stagnantagricultural productivity indeveloping countries dueto lack of investment ininfrastructure, extensionservices, Research andDevelopment andmarketing systems, as wellas to land degradation,natural resources depletionand climate change.Food price spikes arethe rare occasion whenthe issue of food securitymakes its way into thenational dialogue. Asthese spikes contributeto violence and politicaltumult, stories of riotsand bloodshed make amuch more compellingheadline than those ofchronic hunger andpoverty. Often left out ofthis discussion are storiesfrom the hundreds ofKaren Robinson/Oxfam26 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

millions of hungry people who suffermostly in silence. It is these peoplewho are impacted the greatest byfood price volatility. Yet the storiesof their everyday struggle to accessenough food to eat rarely receiveinternational coverage.Conventional wisdom is that hungerresults from too many people and toolittle food. But this is not the case.Right now we produce enough foodto feed everyone, yet nearly a billionpeople go to bed hungry every night.There are neither too many people, nortoo little food.In fact, most of the world’s hungeris not an issue of availability—butrather an issue of access. There is foodin markets, but people are too poor tobuy it. Solving this problem now or inthe future, must therefore start withaddressing severe inequality. Gettingthe production part right is essential,but it won’t end hunger.Many of the proposed solutionsto food insecurity are self-serving,designed either to blame the victimsof injustice or to defend the statusquo and those that profit from it.Convenient myths and misdiagnosesrange from crude Malthusianarguments about the need forpopulation control, to the “all youneed is more gadgets” hype of technooptimists.As the population increasesand more people are lifted out ofpoverty, we’ll need to tap into a diverseset of solutions. But we’re not blessedwith an endless supply of resources atour disposal. Therefore, we need totarget our efforts towards solutions thatcan have an immediate impact.So what are we to do? Even thoughmost of the world’s people live incities, three quarters of its hungryinhabitants live in rural areas, wheremost of them work in small-scaleagricultural production as farmers,herders, fishers or laborers. Around60% of people facing hunger rightnow eke out their livelihoods in foodproduction. They are surroundedby the means to produce food,and yet they go hungry. In manycountries, women are the primaryfood producers, yet cultural traditions,government repression and unjustsocial structures doesn’t allow themto access markets, which means theyoften face poverty and hunger more sothan men. Reinvigorating investmentsand support for agriculture is aclear priority. Global developmentassistance directed at supporting foodsecurity fell from around $20 billionin the mid 1980s to just $4 billiontwo decades later. The food pricecrisis of 2007/08 and some of theriots that followed was a wake-up callthat spurred donors to increase theircommitments to food security to $20billion over three years. For its part,the US has promised $3.5 billion,and has packaged these promisedinvestments in a new initiative, Feedthe Future. Based on principles ofcountry ownership and participation,Feed the Future promises to putcountries in the driver’s seat oftheir own agriculture growth.Unfortunately, the economic climatein Washington, DC threatens to derailthese commitments if the US Congressdoes not fund the inititiative.In the face of rising and volatileprices, governments should act to calmmarkets, working together globallythough the Committee on FoodSecurity, a global forum for dialogueand action to improve food security,to help people living in poverty tocope with the immediate effects ofhigh prices, including through strongsafety nets. Over the long term newinvestments in agriculture are neededto address stagnating production,improve nutrition, strengthen marketsand to help farmers adapt to andmitigate climate change. We’ve seenfrom examples like Brazil, Thailand andMalawi that these kinds of solutionscan show real results with buy-in fromcommunities and commitment fromall levels of government and the privatesector. The task is by no means small,but as recent events should show worldleaders, failure to face these challengeshead on is in nobody’s best interest.Shannon Scribner is the HumanitarianPolicy Manager for Oxfam America.She served as a Health Volunteer in theRepublic of Zambia in the United StatesPeace Corps from 1997-1999.Prepare foryour future...Temple University School of MedicinePost BaccalaureatePre-Medical ProgramProvides the opportunity to fulfill yourgoal of becoming a physician. We offertwo courses of study:Basic Core in MedicalScience Track: 12-month full-timeprogram for students who need to completetheir pre-medical requirements.Advanced Core in MedicalScience Track: 10-month full-timeprogram for students who have com-pleted the pre-medical requirementsand wish to enhance their credentials.Students have the unique opportunityto matriculate into our School ofMedicine immediately after successfulcompletion of the program.The online application and additionalinformations are available atwww.temple.edu/medicine/postbac3500 North Broad Street, Suite 124,Philadelphia, PA 19140phone: 215-707-3342e-mail: postbac@temple.eduwww.temple.edu/postbacwww.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 27

Food SecuritySTRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES THROUGHHOLISTIC AGRICULTURE PROGRAMSby Catherine L. AlstonDuring my Peace Corps servicein Burkina Faso, I quicklydiscovered that one can makea greater impact by taking a holisticapproach to development work. AsGirls Education and Empowerment(GEE) volunteers, we were chargedwith the rather auspicious task ofimproving gender equality andencouraging opportunities for girlsto go to school in our communities.My fellow GEE volunteers and Ifound that the best way to tacklesuch a broad development goal was toapproach the problem from multipleangles. Many of us worked withyoung girls to form theater groups andencourage the participants to educatetheir community about issues theyface; we established Girls Camps andbrought in facilitators and womenrole models who discussed reasonswhy these young women should stayin school; and we worked at the localclinics to educate women and girls onmother/infant nutrition and wellness.As in all Peace Corps sectors, in orderto ensure we were building sustainablesolutions to the community’s concerns,we engaged local stakeholders in thevarious projects using a participatorymodel to identify potential solutionsto problems.It was difficult to leave mycommunity and the local leadersthat helped me facilitate the differentprojects. They taught me manyvaluable lessons about life and howto improve a community’s well-being.Fortunately, I was offered a positionwith the World Cocoa Foundation(WCF) and given the opportunityto apply the lessons I learned inBurkina Faso. WCF is an internationalmembership foundation that promotesa sustainable cocoa economy byproviding cocoa farmers with the toolsthey need to grow more and bettercocoa, market it successfully, and makegreater profits. WCF implements,manages, and participates in programs atthe grassroots level to help independentfamily farmers in 15 cocoa-producingnations around the world.The World Cocoa Foundation strivesto maximize farmer success through apragmatic philosophy that recognizesthe health and success of cocoafarmers, families and communitiesare essential to the success of theworldwide cocoa and chocolateindustry. That is why WCF managesand supports programs focused onthree principles:People – Enhance thelives of families andcommunitiesOne example of a WCF programpromoting healthy and thrivingcocoa-farming households is the WCFEmpowering Cocoa Households withOpportunities and Education Solutions(ECHOES) Alliance. The WCFECHOES Alliance is strengtheningcocoa-growing communities in Côted’Ivoire and Ghana by expandingopportunities for youth and youngadults through relevant education.Ultimately, the program seeks to serveas a scalable model for educationin rural West Africa and providesvocational agriculture trainingfor young adults, family supportscholarships, teacher training, adultliteracy and the development ofcommunity resource centers. To date,WCF ECHOES has directly impactedover 17,000 youth and adults andenhanced the lives of more than280,000 people in Ghana and Côted’Ivoire.Planet - Promoteagricultural practicesthat are good forthe environmentThe World Cocoa Foundationalso implements Challenge Grantswhich are open to research institutes,universities, farmer groups andNGOs from cocoa-producingcountries. The objectives of theChallenge Grants Program is to 1)improve the quality of life for cocoafarmingfamilies and the quality oftheir cocoa, 2) foster linkages betweenuniversities, research institutes,and NGOs in cocoa-producingcountries to further collaborationwith cocoa farmers and 3) introduceinnovations that will make a longtermdifference for cocoa-farmingfamilies and communities. Nong LamUniversity in Vietnam, for example,was awarded a Challenge Grant todevelop an affordable drip-irrigationsystem that would be an effectiveand efficient way of delivering waterto cocoa and other crops during thedry season. The final product was notonly less expensive than an importedsystem but also increased cocoa podproduction by almost 80% from theconventional irrigation method.Profit – Help independentfarming families reachtheir full economicpotentialWCF supports training programsthat provide an interactive andhands-on learning experience toeducate cocoa farmers on goodfarming techniques. Throughenhanced production and harvestingtechniques, farmers can significantlyimprove the quality and yield of theircocoa by adopting small changes such28 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

World Cocoa FoundationThe author with cocoafarmers in the San Pedrodepartment in Côted’Ivoire.as maintaining their trees throughpruning or ensuring the beans havehad adequate time to ferment afterthe harvest. By applying the lessonslearned through farmer field schooltraining, cocoa-farming householdscan increase their net profit. Omar,a cocoa farmer in Colombia,participated in a farmer field schooland by implementing the practiceshe learned, Omar has significantlyimproved his yields and income. Overtwo seasons he increased his yields byover 1,000 kilograms per hectare, anet profit increase of approximately600%.These are just a few examples ofthe many WCF programs that aimto improve the lives and livelihoodsof cocoa-growing communities byencouraging sustainable, responsiblecocoa farming. In all of its projects,WCF engages local partners andrepresentatives to maximize impact.By building the capacity of these localorganizations and agencies, WCFis ensuring the support for cocoafarmingcommunities remains beyondthe life of any specific program. This iswhy we are pleased to have formalizeda partnership with the Peace Corpsto collaborate on joint activities incountries where both organizationscurrently serve.Catherine L. Alston (Burkina Faso 06-08) is the former Program Coordinatorfor WCF’s Cocoa Livelihoods Program.For more information on the World CocoaFoundation and its programs visit www.worldcocoafoundation.org.www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 29

Food SecuritySix FOOD SERCURITY RESOURCES YOU CAN USEHere are some places to startcompiled by Erica BurmanAFRICA RURAL CONNECTAfrica Rural Connect is a programof the National Peace CorpsAssociation where current andreturned Peace Corps Volunteers canshare their ideas to develop creativebusiness plans to improve agriculturein sub-Saharan Africa. On theonline platform, which now focuseson reducing post-harvest losses,developing better communicationstools for small holder farmers,improving water resources, andsupporting small agribusinesses,people can post an idea or remixanother idea to improve it and makeit their own.ARC won an OutstandingAchievement Award in the agriculturecategory of the InterActive MediaAwards in 2010, and has beenmentioned on Voice of America, theWashington Post, the Seattle Times,and America.gov, among others.Africa Rural Connect is an ideal spaceto post ideas, videos, comments,documents or other materials toconnect with people interested inimproving food security.www.AfricaRuralConnect.orgChristoph HerbySIsteRS on THEPLANETTogether with individualsand local groups in morethan 90 countries, OxfamAmerica helps womenand girls overcome genderdiscrimination, realize theirpotential, and becomedecision makers and leaders.Oxfam is also harnessing thepower of women to createpolitical and social changethrough its Sisters on thePlanet initiative.Inspired by womenhere and abroad who arebattling climate changein their communities, adiverse group of Americanwomen have joined OxfamAmerica as Sisters onthe Planet. Since 2008,hundreds of influentialSisters have worked to raiseawareness about women andclimate change and to helpvulnerable communitieshere and abroad adapt tochanges in the climate.Today, the Sisters on the Planetare raising awareness about hunger,climate change, and other crisesfacing women in poor countries andcalling for a worldwide investmentin women farmers, so they can fighthunger now and for generations tocome.www.oxfamamerica.org/whoweare/sisters-on-the-planetWORLDWatCH INSTITUTENourishing the Planet (www.NourishingthePlanet.org), a projectof the WorldWatch Institute, assessesthe state of agricultural innovations—from cropping methods to irrigationtechnology to agricultural policy—with an emphasis on sustainability,diversity, and ecosystem health, aswell as productivity. The projectaims to both inform global effortsto eradicate hunger and raise theprofile of these efforts. The projectalso considers the institutionalinfrastructure needed by each of theapproaches analyzed, suggesting whatsort of companion investments arelikely to determine success—fromlocal seed banks to processingfacilities, from pro-poor value chainsto marketing bureaus.The 2011 edition of the WorldWatch Institute’s flagship reportis a compelling look at the globalfood crisis, with particular emphasison global innovations that canhelp solve a worldwide problem.State of the World 2011 not onlyintroduces us to the latest agroecologicalinnovations and theirglobal applicability but also givesbroader insights into issues includingpoverty, international politics, andeven gender equity.www.worldwatch.org30 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

WORLD FOOD PRIZEThe World Food Prize is theforemost international awardrecognizing—without regardto race, religion, nationality, orpolitical beliefs—the achievementsof individuals who have advancedhuman development by improvingthe quality, quantity or availabilityof food in the world.The Prize recognizes contributionsin any field involved in the world foodsupply—food and agriculture scienceand technology, manufacturing,marketing, nutrition, economics,poverty alleviation, political leadershipand the social sciences—andemphasizes the importance of anutritious and sustainable food supplyfor all people. By honoring thosewho have worked successfully towardthis goal, The Prize calls attention towhat has been done to improve globalfood security and to what can beaccomplished in the future.www.worldfoodprize.orgted.COMA cornucopia of great TEDTalksabout food: growing it, cooking it,consuming it—and making surethere’s enough for all. From DanBarber’s poignant tale of fois gras ...to Jamie Oliver’s fighting words aboutkids’ lunches ... to Louise Fresco’seconomic unpacking of a simple loafof bread ... these talks examine bigideas through the food we eat.www.ted.com/themes/food_matters.htmlALLIanCE TO END HUNGERThe Alliance to End Hungerdevelops innovative partnershipsamong its more than 75 members,which include corporations,non-profit groups, universities,individuals, and Christian, Jewish andMuslim religious bodies. The Alliancealso elevates hunger on the nationalagenda by studying how votersthink about hunger, sharing thefindings with political leaders, andencouraging champions for hungrypeople among elected officials.www.alliancetoendhunger.orgYou can continue to Make a Difference in the World!Michigan Technological University announcesthe National Service Graduate FellowshipBRYN MAWR COLLEGEIn recognition of yourcompleted service with thePeace Corps, you are eligiblefor a graduate educationfellowship (equal to 30percent tuition reduction)at Michigan Tech.For more information, contactthe Graduate School.www.gradschool.mtu.edu/nsgfEmail gradadms@mtu.eduGraduate SchoolHoughton, MichiganMichigan Technological University is an equal opportunityeducational institution/equal opportunity employer.It’s not too late tobecome a doctorThe Postbaccalaureate PremedicalProgram at Bryn Mawr CollegeRealize your dream to become a physician at one of the nation’s oldest,strongest, and most respected postbaccalaureate premedical programs.• For women and men changing career direction• Intensive, full-time preparation for medical school in one year• Highly respected by medical schools—many look for Bryn Mawrpostbacs• Over 98 percent acceptance rate into medical school• Early acceptance programs at selected medical schools—more thanany other postbac program• Supportive, individual academic and premedical advising• Ideal size—small enough for personal attention, yet large enough fordiverse perspectives• Wide range of medically related volunteer and job opportunities andprogramsPOSTBACCALAUREATE PREMEDICAL PROGRAMCanwyll House | Bryn Mawr, PA 19010610-526-7350 | postbac@brynmawr.eduwww.brynmawr.edu/postbac/www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 31

German Chancellor FellowshipAn International Opportunity for ProspectiveLeaders and Young ProfessionalsGermany’s Alexander von Humboldt Foundation awards ten German ChancellorFellowships annually to young professionals in the private, public, not-for-profit,cultural and academic sectors who are citizens of the United States. Theprogram, which also includes fellowships for citizens of the Russian Federationand the People’s Republic of China, sponsors individuals who demonstrate thepotential to strengthen ties between Germany and their own country through theirprofession or studies. The fellowship provides for a stay of one year in Germanyfor professional development, study, or research. Prior knowledge of German isnot a prerequisite. Fellows are provided with intensive language training prior toand during the fellowship.The program begins September 1 and lasts twelve months. It is preceded bythree months of intensive language classes in Germany. Candidates must havereceived their bachelor’s degree after September 1, 2000. Application deadlinefor U.S. applicants: October 15, 2011.Applications and FAQs:Alumni Website:www.humboldt-foundation.dewww.americanfriends-of-avh.orgInternational Relations ● Journalism ● Law ● Management ● Public PolicyEconomics ● Environmental Affairs ● Finance ● Government

All Photos: Sarah HaughtThe Vice Governorof Arkhangaispeaks to gatheredstudents.than 20% alcohol content had been.Ninety years later, alcohol is a factorin many of the major issues impedingMongolia’s development, includingunemployment, domestic violence, andnon-communicable disease.But Mongolia is not alone. Westernstyleand industrially-producedalcoholic beverages are accompanyingor replacing cottage-producedindigenous beverages in countries allover the developing world. Accordingto the WHO’s “Alcohol in DevelopingSocieties,” overall alcohol consumptionin the developed world has beensteadily decreasing since 1980, whileconsumption in the post-Soviet anddeveloping world has been increasing.“Amidst rapid globalization and societalchange, drinking patterns and attendantproblems are worsening, often in settingswith the fewest resources to combatthem,” the report says.Unlike in America and other Westerncountries where rehab is a gossip columnbuzzword and twelve-step programs areabundant, the options for a Mongolianwho needs help with problem drinkingare virtually non-existent. The onlyrehabilitation facilities are under-equippedto deal with the extent of the problemand are in the capital, a sixty-plus hourbus ride for many in the country. Andwhile AA does have a presence here, theorganizer in one province said his grouponly met once last year. In America, wegrow up surrounded by requests to drinkresponsibly and warnings that “we cardhard.” In Mongolia, alcohol laws are notenforced and we had trouble translatingthe phrase “Alcohol Awareness Week.”The language to combat this problemhere literally doesn’t exist yet. The lackof physical resources and infrastructurecoupled with an absence of societaldialogue about alcohol and alcoholismserve to make this a very difficult issue,and this combination of hazardouscircumstances is repeated across thedeveloping world, from Africa to Asia andSouth America. The WHO states that“Global leadership is needed for a globalproblem.” So where is it?This got me thinking: why can’t PeaceCorps do something? Using the PeaceCorps model of cultural understandingand community integration, it would seemthat Peace Corps Volunteers across theworld are uniquely qualified to understandthe obstacles their communities andcountries face in dealing with alcohol issuesand would therefore be most able to worksensitively and effectively with counterpartsParadingstudents.34 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

to combat them. True, most Volunteersare not psychotherapists or doctors,but we are very capable of communitymobilization efforts and workwith local governments and otherorganizations. When we decided tohave an Alcohol Awareness Weekhere, I had never encountered suchenthusiasm on any project I’ve beena part of as a Volunteer. I honestlythought one of the police officers wasgoing to kiss me, she was so excited.She had wanted to work on this issuefor so long, she just had no idea whereto begin.The idea at the core of Peace Corpscommunity development work isthat Volunteers go to their individualcommunities in their specific countries,integrate into them, do a needsassessment, and then work towardsimproving life at their site. Therefore,any Volunteer who encounters alcoholrelatedissues might work to addressthem. Peace Corps has global initiativesthat it encourages Volunteers to workwithin and supports—but alcohol is notone of them, although alcohol plays a rolein almost all of them. Alcohol has beenproven to contribute to the spread of HIVand other STIs, it increases the prevalenceof domestic abuse, in some countriesindustrialized alcohol production hassignificantly effected women’s economicA flag made by a student. The word on the flagmeans “future”.independence, and it can contribute tothe destitution or desperation that leadswomen into the sex trade or to be victimsof human trafficking (all of which fallsunder the WID/GAD initiative). Andwhile a country like Mongolia has arelatively low number of HIV/AIDS casesand a country in Africa might have a lowinstance of human trafficking, alcohol’saffects are everywhere.I heard a low rumble. I looked up inthe direction it was coming from andsaw nothing for a moment, then all ofthe sudden a massive wave of teenagersrounded the corner of the governmentbuilding. They were chanting loudly andcarrying carefully crafted posters withcrossed out pictures of vodka labels,images of gers destroyed by a familymember’s alcoholism, 3D paper cutoutsof futures destroyed by vodka.Suddenly more students descendedfrom the hill behind us and thesquare was alive with voices. Wehadn’t failed after all.Over five hundred studentsmarched through Arkhangaiprovince that morning, and theywere not alone. Across MongoliaPeace Corps Volunteers joinedwith Children’s Centers, secondaryschools, universities, social workers,police officers, health departments,governors, mayors, governmentworkers, lawyers, NGOs, televisionstations, local businesses, and more toraise awareness and begin a nationaldiscussion about alcohol related issuesin Mongolia. Though the problemof alcohol here often feels impossiblylarge and complicated, for one weekin October at least, if felt like we alltook a small step in the right direction.Volunteers in Mongolia will continueto work with their communities to be apart of the local solution to the “globalproblem” of alcohol abuse. Hopefully,with the support of Peace Corps,volunteers worldwide will do the same.Sarah H. Haught is an education Volunteercurrently serving in Arkhangai, Mongolia.She is a leading member of the Peace CorpsMongolia Alcohol Task Force.All Photos: Sarah HaughtAbove: A student poster.Left: The rally in the square.www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 35

Commentary & OpinionSKATEBOARDING IN THE KALAHARI?An unlikely project springs up in South Africaby Anthony PariseWhen I joined thePeace Corps I agreedto part with mybiggest hobby, skateboarding. Iassumed we were going to a placefilled with dirt, sand, and a fewtin roof huts. My assignmentin the school and communityresources program was to teachmaths, with technology educationas a secondary project. That allchanged after I discovered a ruralhousing development projectunderway in our village. About100 homes were already built,but there were around 50 brandnew and completely emptyconcrete slabs still waiting forcompletion. I was just so amazedthat all this concrete existed right herein my own village. I immediately hadmy skateboard shipped to me fromback home.The very first time I went out toskate I was quickly bombarded withquestions by almost everyone in theMy host brother is on the left- Tsaone Maselo. and on theright is his friend Letlhogonolo (Lucky) Sebati.local vicinity. They had seen me doingsome tricks and within ten minutes mysolo relaxation session turned into a fullblownskateboard demo lasting thirtyminutes. After that first day it was amiracle if I could sneak out to the slabsunnoticed and get a few short minutesAll Photos Tony Pariseto myself before a million kidsdescended with their long list oftrick demands. So I started toteach some of them to ride andwithin a short time even had a fewpicking up simple maneuvers.I quickly realized that if I couldsomehow get some more boardstogether I might be able to set upa real skateboard program. Thenumber of people interested justkept on growing and I could clearlysee dedication in many of the kids’eyes. I started using all my freetime to connect with skateboardcompanies in South Africa, hopingto get support and possibly somefree product. My wife Kimberlyhelped me write a proposal, andit wasn’t long before I teamed up withone of the largest companies based inJohannesburg. I was able to get tenskateboards and many pairs of skateshoes sent to my village within the firstfew weeks of the partnership. It was allcoming together nicely.I am showing the kids how to do a Board slide.Thabang (Grade 8) is practicing the newly learnedBoard Slide. I was blown away that they couldalready land it.36 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

All Photos Tony PariseA Saturday sessions where all the kids wanted to be in the photo.They skate until the sun goes down on an old house foundationthat we unearthed from under tons of rubble.After some intense planning andcoordination with my school principalwe had our first formal skateboardsession. Without the help of asingle advertisement, flyer, or publicannouncement, 40 people gathered atthe school to learn to skateboard. Aftera few sessions I started to teach themabout the rich and recent history ofskateboarding. We watched videos, readmagazines, and even used computersto analyze tricks and discuss the mathand physics behind them. I focused onskateboarding as an independent sportthat can create a very positive outlookon life. Unlike team sports, one gets animmediate sense of accomplishmentwhen finally learning a new trick. Itteaches the kids to have patience, selfreliance,commitment, and so manyother great qualities.Currently the program is gettinga lot of national attention in theskateboarding community and itwon’t be long before the Americanmagazines get wind of the project too.There are plans already in place tobuild an actual concrete skate park inthe village which will give the kids aplace to skate safely in a dedicated andadequate space. Not only will it be aplace to gather after school and play,but it will give kids an opportunity toimprove their skills and possibly evenbecome a pro one day.Since the program started, kidsthat were once sitting at home doingnothing after school hours are nowbeing active and having fun until thesun goes down! When I return to theU.S. I plan to create an organizationin America that will collect new andused equipment to send to the villagewhile also generating funds that willgo towards the construction of theskatepark.I would never have guessed that Iwould travel to another country andintroduce the local community tosomething so obscure and different—and that they in turn would actuallyembrace and cherish it. The elderssee it as a very good thing that iskeeping their children out of harmsway and preventing them from sittingScholarships available forPeace Corps alumni.Apply now for Fall 2011.idle, which in any village can lead todrugs and alcohol at a very early age.And the kids? Total excitement andpleasure!Anthony Parise began his Peace Corpsservice South Africa in July of 2009, wherehe is posted to a village in the NorthernCape province with his wife KimberlyLongshore_. Together have establisheda computer lab with daily classes and alibrary for the local primary school.You made a difference in the lives of others.Let us help make a difference in yours.Salem, Oregon GetaRealMBA.comwww.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 37

Letter from EcuadorSHARPENING MACHETESby Geoff BendeckThe red-handled and rustingmachetes needed a goodsharpening. The space weenvisioned for the organic vegetablegarden had surrendered to the wildequatorial monte. It was time torepossess it. Living in Ecuador as aPeace Corps volunteer for the past year,I had not accomplished much of valuein my own opinion. This garden wasmeant to change that, to improve thekid’s diet at the after school programwhere I worked.The Jungle here is relentless. Itsprouts back in every ounce of spaceit can reclaim, turning newly clearedland to reed and vine in a day. Theland fights the development, and thedevelopment fights it back, with weedkiller and machete.I fetched the machetes and openedthe wide gate of the courtyard andsnuck past the children trying to escapeinto the dusty street. Fletes, tricimotos,and city buses rushed by kickingup dirt and grinding their ancientgears. I closed the gate, tucking thestudents back inside, turning to seetheir faces pressed against the chainlink fence. They pleaded with me tolet them go buy candy at the cornerstore as I asked them why they weren’tin their classrooms. The five or tencents burning a hole in their tatteredpockets, the prospect of a sugar-watericee or lollipop, more appealing thanmore school after an already long andboring day of class. Today I shut thedoor closed, as a few escape the heavyswinging gate to freedom.I wiped my brow, looking downthe dusty street in the direction of theGuayllabamba road, in the directionof a distant two-ton truck. I startedwalking, sweating in jeans and rubberboots. My shirt already soakedthrough. Angel, A six-year-old spottedme and tagged along. He smelled anadventure, the kind of adventure themost mundane adult things can beto children. “Donde va….” he asked,his head slightly tilted up towardsme, asking me where I was going.His skinny legs raced to match myquick pace. His eyes looked from themachetes in my hand and back again tomy face with curiosity. “To sharpen themachetes,” I said in my coastal Spanish.I smiled and shooed him back towardsthe project. He turned and headed inthe direction I pointed him, after afew steps he headed off down a sidesstreet, distracted by a bicycle trailed byyapping dogs. I walked on.“A veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!” I yell.Nothing. “A veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer!”The building looks like a truckrepair shop, out of the second storywindow pokes the head of a womanwith a baby, a towel tossed over hershoulder. She patted the child on theback as she stood assessing me. “Iwant to sharpen my machetes.” Sheunderstood me while at the same timenot understanding me. She turnedback inside calling her husband. Heappeared and I tried again. “Sir, canyou help me sharpen my machetes?” Iunderstand his tone but not his reply.He points me farther down the street.I could be headed a few feet or a fewmiles. There is a lack of specificity here,a slow cadence and relationship withtime. There are no exact distances ordestinations. So I continue on.I pass a small wooden kiosk. It has astem of verde sitting on an old plankbench. Inside are two eggs in a largecarton, chips and candy bags hangingfrom the ceiling— A crate of emptysodas. Three men in old t-shirts andwell-worn jeans sit and talk. Eachhas a cheap colored hat, faded in theunrelenting heat of the equatorial sun.There is a metal sign, hand-painted withblack paint offering a service I don’tunderstand. I keep walking, eyeingthe stand for any sign of what couldGeoff Bendeck38 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

e electricity and a sharpening blade. Iquicken my pace past. I walk anotherblock and turn back, losing confidencein the possibility of ever findingsomeone to sharpen my machetes.I pass in front of the kiosk once againand stop as the eyes of the three viejosturn to assess me. I venture again, adeep question in my tone. “Can youhelp me sharpen my machetes?” Thehesitation of their view turns fromme to my machetes, as the owner ofthe kiosk takes one in hand. He turnsit feeling the blade with his palm.“Well….” Is all he offers for whatseems a few minutes. The pause bynow makes me unsure of myself. Ishift my weight and study his face.I’m embarrassed as the three stop theirconversation to comment and mumbleabout the poor state of my tools. I feelshame like a hoarder letting someonesee the filth and accumulation of crapand rubbish that has gone on for fartoo long. I don’t know how it got thisbad my face says. “Yes I can do it withthe tina, but not the electric blade.” Idon’t know the word tina, but grasp atthe possibility, any possibility of himfixing my machetes, making them shinyand sharp once again. I pretend tounderstand, agree with his assessment.“Yeah, it could work,” I say in the mostassured coastal accent I can muster.Even after living here a year I still feelthe need to prove that I belong, thatI know as much about life here as thelocals. I wonder now, if the thought ofmy belonging here occurred to them—or even if it would.The owner pulls out a woodenhandledsharpener. The same one Ibought with the machetes. I haveone of those, I thought. I could besharpening the blades myself. But nowof course it is too late. I had thoughtthey needed the big electric sharpener.He goes to work, moving the bladeagainst the tool as a carpenter shavesthe edge of his chair or table. Deepconcentration overtakes his face as Iexplain why I need the use of not onebut two rusted machetes.“Do you have any work?” The onein the green shirt asks. He doesn’tunderstand, he sees only that I amwhite. White around here means youown a farm, have money, are a potentialemployer. I smile, “It’s a simple garden,the kids and I run it.” No, there is nowork for you my friend I say.The owner of the kiosk has stabbedmy dull machete into the side of thesmall wood building. He bends itin an arch as he slides the sharpenerdown and up the blade. Satisfied, hewipes his brow under the bright neonpink of his cap and hands me theblade for inspection.“In a garden free of rocks, the wiseman still sharpens his machetes threetimes a day.” He silently chuckles ashis smile spread slowly wider. His wayof telling me I need to sharpen themachetes every day. I offer a grin andagree that he is probably right. They arekind, and hand me back my machetes.I pay them two dollars and head backto the project. “Chao, nos vemos,” I offerbackwards with a wave. They wave backand watch me walk away.Isaias, the director of the project,unlocks the wide swinging door andasks where I’ve been. He takes one ofthe machetes in hand and bends to cuta patch of thorny weeds to the left ofthe gate. He flexes his wrist and cutsclean through the first few blades. Heis impressed. I am coming to realizeafter a year working together, we arenot that different.There is still a whole garden patch toclear, seeds to buy, rains to come. But onsome level this small accomplishment,learning to do something on my ownat once exhilarates me and scares thehell out of me. I still have so much todiscover, about living here, about thepeople and about where I fit in to it all.My time here has reached its mid-pointbut in many ways in this town lostfrom the consciousness of the world, sofar in actions and spirit from the life Ilived once before, my real work is justbeginning.Geoff Bendeck is a freelance writer fromOrange County, California. He servedwith the Peace Corps in Quinindé,Ecuador from 2008-2010 as a Youthand Families volunteer. He is currentlyserving as a Peace Corps ResponseVolunteer in Lusaka, Zambia. You cancontact him at geoff.bendeck@gmail.com.Life is calling.Rose Galer, MPA/MSES ’10RPCV ParaguayAgroforestryVolunteerSo is SPEA.• Master of Public Affairs (MPA)• Master of Science inEnvironmental Science (MSES)• Joint MPA-MSESKindred spirits and a stellar education,enhanced by both Peace Corps Fellows andMaster’s International (MI) programs, await youat the School of Public andEnvironmental Affairs (SPEA)at Indiana University.Fellows and MI candidates receive benefits thatinclude credit hour waivers and financial aid.Contact us for more information:www.spea.indiana.eduspeainfo@indiana.edu(812) 855-2840 • (800) 765-7755www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 39

Profiles in ServiceA FIGHT FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTSSusan Deller Ross uses law to effect changeby JoAnna HaugenDuring Susan Deller Ross’(Ivory Coast 1965-1967)second year of her PeaceCorps service, she was invited toattend a ceremony in her village. Atthe time, she didn’t realize what shehad stumbled upon: A young girlbeing subjected to female genitalmutilation.“One of the things that reallystruck me was seeing the expressionon her face when the ceremonyended,” Ross says. “She was carriedout on top of a wide pan filled witha layer of cloth, and she had sucha dead look on her face.” ThoughRoss says she was a feminist prior tojoining the Peace Corps, witnessing sucha tradition and working with womenwho essentially raised a village but hadno rights of their own stayed with herwhen she entered law school uponreturning to the United States.She became involved in women’srights issues stateside and then herinterest in international women’s rightsissues blossomed. Ross, a professor oflaw, started a course on internationalcomparative law and women’s humanrights at Georgetown University LawCenter and ran a fellowship programthere that allowed African women’s rightslawyers to travel to the United States tolearn about international law and genderissues and receive an LL.M. As a result,Ross was given an intimate look at theatrocities committed against—and thelack of rights given to—women in sub-Saharan Africa. “The laws hadn’t muchchanged in Africa since independence,”she says, “and, in addition, the colonialpowers had often left customary lawin place. In the realm of marriage andfamily, it wasn’t colonial law that wasgoverning. It was tribal law.”Ross continued to learn about theoppressive laws against women that wereIn 2007 Ross (second row, third from left) traveled toSwaziland to meet with a group of 8 students.the norm in much of Africa, and in thespring semester of 1999, she started theInternational Women’s Human RightsClinic at Georgetown. Since the creationof the center, students have been enrollingin semester-long, intensive courses thatallow them to work directly with lawyersfrom a variety of countries who studied atGeorgetown to help change laws so thatwomen could achieve equal rights. Thesestudents help draft new legislation, writehuman rights reports and draft litigationpapers that lawyers can use in theircountries to try to win rights for women.They may even travel overseas to conductinterviews and gather research in country.Through the International Women’sHuman Rights Clinic, Ross and herstudents have helped enact legislativechanges to laws in several countries. InGhana, for example, the governmenthas passed an anti-trafficking law, ananti-domestic violence law and a lawthat gives women rights to protestemployment discrimination. Just asimportantly, Ross says, “they’ve repealedold laws that said women couldn’t workat night or in mines.”In Nigeria, the Clinic participated in alawsuit that Ross says is a “typical case.”The suit challenged a man who seized hisdeceased brother’s property whenthe land should have gone to thedeceased’s wife and children. Aftertheir mother died, the children wereforced to live with grandparentswho could not support them,and, as a consequence, they didnot receive the medical careor education they should havereceived. Using a new law on thebooks, a public interest group usinglitigation papers the Clinic hashelped prepare was able to supportthe children in the case.These are just two of many casesthe Clinic has worked on overthe years. From polygamy and femalegenital mutilation in Uganda and sexdiscrimination in marriage and divorcelaws in Swaziland to inheritance laws inTanzania, Ross and her students havetouched on many of the inequalityissues that African women in particularand those around the world in generalcontinue to face on a daily basis.Ross’ former students have gone onto pursue a variety of law-related careerswith public interest groups and indeveloping nations. They, like Ross andher current students, continue to makenotable headway in the fight for women’shuman rights one case at a time, andthough each victory is a sweet one, Rossnotes that there is still a lot of progressto be made. “There are many womenworking for equal rights for womenthroughout the African continent, andI’m very pleased to be working on this,”Ross says. “I think it’s so important andworthwhile, and I think it’s importantfor American students to learn about thedegree of inequality that women face inother places.”Susan Dellar RossJoAnna Haugen (Kenya 04-05) is thecommunity news editor for the NationalPeace Corps Association.www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 43

Community ServiceRECENT ACHIEVEMENTS OF OUR COMMUNITYby JoAnna HaugenBRAZILSusan (Corry) Luz (72-75) has releasedher book The Nightingale of Mosul, aNurse’s Journey of Service, Struggle andWar. Luz was the highest-ranking soldierin the Army Reserve’s 399th CombatSupport Hospital when she was called toserve as a nurse in Mosul, Iraq. She wasawarded the Bronze Star in 2007. Luz wasa public health nurse with certificationas a psychiatric nurse in Iraq, and shewas charged with helping soldiers withemotional trauma and providing comfortto dying soldiers. Though she retiredfrom the military in May, Luz still worksfull time at Gateway Health Care andvolunteers at the Veterans AdministrationHospital in Providence. Her book isabout her commitment to give herself toothers, which began when she served inthe Peace Corps.CameRoonAndrew Richards (03-06) spent timein Haiti earlier this year helping a localnon-profit organization expand its servicesin order to provide microfinance loansto farmers affected by the January 2010earthquake. Richards, who works for theNew York office of McCarter & English,helped put together a banking charterand an application to the Central Bankof Haiti for the organization. The newstatus will allow the organization to helparound 2,000 Haitians working in thefood and agricultural sectors. At McCarter& English, Richards is the co-head of thesocial investment practice and has advisedfinancial institutions interested in investingin microfinance programs. He wasrecruited for the case by the InternationalSenior Lawyers Project.Pamela White (71-73) has beenappointed by President Barack Obamaas the ambassador to The Gambia.She joined the U.S. Agency forInternational Development in 1978.Her first position was as a communityliaison officer in Burkina Faso, thenshe served as deputy executive officerin Senegal and Haiti and the executiveofficer in Haitian, Egyptian and SouthAfrican Missions. In Washington,D.C., she was USAID’s deputy directorfor East Africa, and in Mali, she wasthe deputy and mission director. Mostrecently, White served as the USAIDmission director in Tanzania and thenin Liberia.etHIOPIAAmbassador Dane F. Smith, Jr. (63-65)has been appointed as the senior U.S.diplomat to Darfur. He has a long historyin the Foreign Service dealing with Africanaffairs, including experience as the deputychief of mission to Sudan, ambassadorto Guinea and Senegal and specialpresident envoy for Liberia. Smith servedas the National Peace Corps Associationpresident from 1999-2003..maLAWIThe AmericanCollege of EmergencyPhysicians (ACEP)awarded E. JacksonAllison Jr., MD,FACEP, (66-69)with the John G.WiengensteinLeadership Award, the highest honor givenby the organization. Allison is a professorof emergency medical care in the Collegeof Health and Human Sciences at WesternCarolina University. He has held severalleadership positions in the emergency careindustry including serving as president ofACEP, one of four founding presidentsand first presiding president of theInternational Federation for EmergencyMedicine, chair of the EmergencyMedicine Foundation and foundingpresident of the Association of AcademicChairs of Emergency Medicine..RomanIACraig Dreves is the mastermind behindVolunTravel, a nonprofit organizationspecializing in volunteer and cross-culturallearning opportunities. The first trip, beinglaunched this spring to Cusco, Peru, willallow people to help with daily choreswith local people as well as visit significantlandmarks such as Machu Picchu.SAMOAKevin V. Daley (86-89) recently releasedhis first book, South Pacific: Survivor inSamoa, which was published by NovelsPlus, an imprint of DMI. The book is acharacter-driven thriller with informationabout Samoa’s history and culture. Daleyis also working on two other novels anda memoir. He studied fiction writing atUCLA and is a graduate of NortheasternUniversity and the Howard UniversitySchool of Law.senegaLDr. StaceyChamberlain isone of the foundingmembers of the nonprofitorganization,Global EmergencyCare Collaborative(GECC), whichhas developed anemergency room andtraining program fornurses in Uganda.Dr. StaceyChamberlain (right)Incorporated in 2008, GECC identifiesareas in the world that do not have accessto quality emergency care then partnerswith existing hospitals and trains nursesto provide this needed care. The firstpartnership site was at Nyakibale Hospitalin Uganda, and the organization hopes toexpand to other hospitals in Uganda andother developing countries. Chamberlainis the assistant director of the InternationalEmergency Medicine and HealthFellowship Program at the University44 WorldView Spring 2011 National Peace Corps Association

of Illinois in Chicago. She also works asan emergency physician at St. Mary’s ofNazareth Hospital in Chicago.SIERRA LeoneNancy Grant (81-83) has been named asthe new executive director of the BicycleCoalition of Maine. She has been thecoalition’s board president for the pasttwo years and has been an active memberon the board since 2005. Grant foundedthe North Yarmouth Safe Bike and WalkWays Committee, served as a foundingmember of Bowdoin College’s CommuteAnother Way Committee, was a part ofthe coalition’s delegation to the NationalBike Summit and served on the PortlandBicycle Network Advisory Group. Inaddition, she rides with the Women’sPortland Velo Club, is an educationaltechnology consultant at Bowdoin Collegeand has served as a staff advisor to thecollege’s bicycle sharing program.st. KITTS ANDNEVISThe NationalAssociation ofStudents AgainstViolence Everywhere(SAVE) hasappointed Argrow“Kit” Evans to theboard of directorswhere she will serve as vice chair. Evanshas worked with SAVE for more than12 years. A graduate of the Universityof North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she iscurrently a candidate to receive a master’sdegree from the Pacific School of Religionin Berkeley, Calif. In addition to servingin the Peace Corps, Evans is also a Teachfor America alumni.tanZanIAErik “Boots” Christensen (08-10) isone of four men preparing to begin athru-hike trek of the Appalachian Trail,which will begin in March. Known asthe Hospital Hike, the 2,175-mile trekis being used as a fundraising vehicle forThe Mufindi Highlands Orphans Project,an effort based in rural Tanzania to helporphans, vulnerable children, peopleliving with HIV/AIDS and their families.Christensen and the rest of the HospitalHike team hope to raise $25,000 forthe construction of Mdabulo GeneralHospital in Mufindi, Tanzania..THAILandUniversity at Buffalo Law Schoolprofessor David M. Engel (68-71)received an honorary degree of doctorof laws from Chiang Mai Universityin Thailand. Engel has studied andwritten about Thai law for more than30 years. He has also taken law studentsto Chiang Mai for a course on the legalculture of Thailand for many years.A careerthat crossesborders.Graduates of Lesley University’sMaster’s program in InterculturalRelations pursue careers as diverseas the worlds they’ve experienced. and Management Human ResourcesLearn more!lesley.edu/info/cultureADVERTISERS INDEXAmerican Friends of Humboldt, 33American University, College of Arts & Science, 15American University, School of Public Affairs, 17ASAP Africa, 8Brandeis University, Heller School, 21Bryn Mawr, 31Center for Cultural Interchange, 21Clark University, Graduate School of Management, 15Cornell International Institute, IGERT, 19George Mason University, School of Public Policy, 33Goucher College, Postbacc PreMed, 25Indiana University, SPEA, 39Johns Hopkins, School of Nursing, Cover 2, 1Lesley University, 45Michigan Technological University, 31Monterey Institute of Int’l Studies, 13Peace Corps, 22, 23Peace Corps, Overseas Recruitment, 25Temple University, Postbacc PreMed, 27Thunderbird School of Management, 9Tufts University, Fletcher School, 4University of California San Diego, Int’l Relations &Pacific Studies, 17University of Denver, Korbel School, 7Western Illinois University, Peace Corps Fellows, 29Willamette University, Atkinson School of Management,37World Learning / SIT, 2Cambridge, MassachusettsGR10_INT_PA008www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org WorldView Spring 2011 45