Tell me about the Peace Corps

[IdesOmarch]

You are basing your opinions solely on fictionalized films and on US-based news reports. The people who are saying that you are overdoing it have actually been there or do business with people there on a regular basis.

The movies I cited are all based on real life, true, documented history. Not fiction, some in great detail of the factual events. I am also wondering if you could cite me to one country in Africa that has a real democracy/republican form of government that truly guarantees basic rights and freedoms like our Bill of Rights. Those types of details make me fell better knowing that I don't have to worry about the local war lord "arresting" me for not having the proper papers, or whatever.

 

[NotUrsula]

Even in the US, the Bill of Rights really doesn't completely cover non-citizens, so having it doesn't protect visitors. Foreign visitors OFTEN feel threatened by the US government; try listening in to what happens at the "other" immigration checkpoint if you don't believe me.

Movies that are BASED on true stories but don't show actual footage of events have room to embroider those events, and they do. They tend most often to compress months and even years of events into two hours without indicating the passage of time. Doing that makes great sense in dramatic terms because it heightens the tension, but real life normally doesn't happen with that degree of intensity, even in a war zone.

You see, I don't need to be assured that I will be perfectly safe everywhere I go, because anyone who assures me of that is lying. I can't assure anyone of that, because for all I know they could be hit by a parking shuttle bus on the way to the airport. Life is full of dangers, and I weigh the probable against the possible all the time. (I guess you would be horrified to hear that I take my kids to Northern Ireland regularly, and did even at the height of the Troubles.)

There is a high probability of danger in SOME locations within Africa, just as there is a high probability of danger in SOME locations within the US. It doesn't stop me from travelling at all; if I need to go to a dangerous place, I take the proper precautions and do so, but yes, I accept the calculated risk. I might not do it for a pleasure jaunt, but then, no one in their right mind joins the Peace Corps thinking that it's going to be a vacation. They have a purpose for being there and a job to do, and that is why they are choosing to take some risks. Professional missionaries know this well; they face danger because they feel that what they are doing is worth the risk.

 

[mariolatry]

I had a friend who went to Lesotho in the mid 1990s to set up a school. She never felt unsafe but said the frustrating part was that the people were completed jaded and unwilling to help design or implement any improvements to the schooling process. She felt like the whole two years of trying to get people involved in building and starting this school was a waste.

Also, she and two other women I've know who've done Peace Corps stints have talked about how marginalized/discriminated against/unsafe they've felt during their stays. American woman don't always have an idea of how hard it is to be a woman in the kinds of countries that need Peace Corps help.

As far as Africa's danger, ther U.S. State Department currently has travel advisories against fourteen African countries.

Central African Republic
Sudan
Cote d'Ivoire
Mali
Niger
Kenya
Somalia
Mauritania
Eritrea
Chad
Guinea
Congo
Burundi
Nigera

The list was last update on 01/20/11, but I can tell it's in error because it doesn't have Eqypt on there, which should be. Tunisia, as well. So 16 of 53 countries are considered unsafe. I guess it depends if you think those are good or bad percentages. Botswana is lovely though.

If you go to travel.state.gov they will tell you about the specific incidents of violence that the advisories are based on, as well as specific areas of the country to avoid, for any country on the list (not just in Africa)

ETA: I see that Eqypt, Tunisia, and Uganda now have added travel alerts from the State Department so that should be 17 of 53 countries.

 

[Cindy B]

So it's the maurading bands that are the problem. So I guess the fact that we have 14 year old boys in drug gangs with ak 47's is no problem? LOL.


I guess teens doing drive by's is ok as long as it's only 4 or 5.

Sorry, I'm not trying to make Africa sound like any thing. Dead is dead.

whether its by some one in the peoples liberYation army or whether is by some whackadoodle walking into the grocery store and taking out a group of people does not give anyone bragging rights.

And I'd damn sure take a bunch of African nations over Compton California or Camden NJ any day.

As someone who works in one of those United States cities mentioned, I will say it IS NOT as bad as it sounds. I work and teach in that city every day and have had NO ISSUES. And no, I'm not in a "better" part. I'm in one of the more dangerous parts.

In my city, there are nobody chopping off limbs or mutilating people like some African nations. I teach in this city and I have students who want to get out, parents that want to help their students, and some that want to do the right thing. Do I see drug deals a 1/2 block away every morning? I sure do. There are no drive bys. I know there is petty crime and drug deals, but not the rampant corruption that African nations do have.

To lump my students, parents, grandparents into that .. well that is reprehensible. There are good things in Compton and or Camden. My students are the most loyal students I have ever taught. (I have taught at affluent suburbs only a few miles away).

Please do not lump a city with only some parts. It isnt' fair to ones that are doing the right thing. In fact, I would challenge you to come to my school--to see what my students are doing and it would challenge and humble anyone. (that is what I tell others that visit)

 

[IdesOmarch]

I can't believe sierre leonne isn't on that list. There is a terrific documentary on history channel right now about the diamond trade in Africa called, originally, "blood diamonds" which is more gruesome than the hollywood movie because they are showing real footage, it is very interesting and highly disturbing. There are full blown holocausts going on there and the entire western world could care less. You never hear about any of this stuff on our news.

 

[Mickey'snewestfan]

Mariolatry,

Out of your list, the following countries do not have Peace Corps

Central African Republic
Sudan
Cote d'Ivoire
Somalia
Eritrea
Chad
Congo
Burundi
Nigeria
Tunisia
Egypt

The following do. For the first three the warning is due to specific incidences of terrorism by Al Qaeda affiliates. Of course, the U.S. has seen many more people killed by Al Qaeda than they have.

Mali
Niger
Mauritania
Kenya
Guinea