True Progress

Of the three main missions of the Peace Corps, two of them relate to cultural exchange: one in showing people who might not have otherwise come into contact with an American a real face that they can relate to, and the other being bringing a part of a foreign culture back to Americans that might not otherwise have traveled to that place. Just the fact that these mission statements exist points to one thing–that these are not simple tasks to accomplish. In part they happen without effort. But, also, the difficulties with them affect volunteers whether they are actively pursuing these activities or not, even to the point of affecting relationships with friends and family back home. Read the rest of this entry »

It is a common conversation piece among those trying to understand how the world works: how did it come to be that Sub-Saharan Africa is far less developed than the rest of the contemporary world? While there is no one simple answer, there is an answer. One that involves several intertwining threads with some causes in the past and some existing today. This article points to 8 books that hold many of the keys to reaching an answer to this question, identifying the causes of the situation we see today, and hopefully sow the seeds of change for the future. Read the rest of this entry »

For background, I am describing some of my experiences from the US Peace Corps in Guinea, West Africa. More information on this series is available in the introduction.

Many often wonder what it is really like to live as a Peace Corps Volunteer. The fact is it can be a very different experience depending on which country and what position you are posted to. It has also changed significantly from the days in the early 1960s to the present, partly due to worldwide development, and partly due to changes in the Peace Corps methods and objectives. So, while every experience will be different from what I describe, this article will offer one perspective on what it was like for me serving in one place in the nation of Guinea from 1998 to 2000. Read the rest of this entry »

Increasing the quality and quantity of education in poor countries is critical and absolutely necessary to their development, but let’s not lose sight of how disruptive a free and generous education can be. Education changes cultures, economies, and governments, and for nations entering that transition period the way must be prepared. Read the rest of this entry »

And, I mean way off…

Picture yourself in a small tropical village a few hundred miles south of the Sahara Desert. About 800 people live there. You are probably related in one way or another to most of them, but you don’t really know how exactly, beyond your own close-knit extended family. There is no electricity, no running water, no telephone.

During 6 months of the year when thundershowers pass over most afternoons, you work hard in your small fields taking care of cassava, corn, peppers, eggplant, okra, tomatoes, and rice, and look after your 9 goats. During another 2 months in the dry dusty season you have work to do tending your small orchard of mango, papaya, cashew, and orange trees. You are good at what you do, providing almost all the basic food you need, and have a surplus of almost 20% in products you can sell for cash. This covers the costs in supplies and uniforms to send you son and daughter to primary school. Read the rest of this entry »