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Serving our community. Engaging the world.
NEWSLETTER
March 2011
Vol. 31, Issue 3 www.crpca.org
It’s the 50th Anniversary of Peace Corps! Volunteer during the exhibit! CRPCA is organizing the speaker programs during the Oregon Historical Society's Peace Corps exhibit. We still need volunteers for the following events.
Saturday, March 19: Family Day, 11am-3pm. Volunteers needed to help run trash-into-art projects with kids/families.
Sunday, April 10: Sports, 1pm-3pm. RPCVs needed to show pictures of their work with sports in country, or be available to discuss experience playing sports during their service.
Sunday, April 17: Earth Day, 1pm-3pm. RPCVs needed who worked on environmental or sustainability projects.
Sunday, May 22: Service Day, 1pm-3pm. RPCVs needed to give a 10 minute presentation about a topic of their choice, related to their service.
Contact: Laura Kutner, [email protected] or 503-250-0997, today to volunteer for any of the these events.
Insidep. 2, Regional and National Peace Corps Events p. 3, 50 Years of PC, as Reflected in CRPCA p. 3, March-May CRPCA Events p. 5, CRPCA Activity Group Updates p. 6, Volunteers Needed to go “Around the World” p. 6, Habitat for Humanity Build p. 7, PSU Speaker Series p. 8, Highlights of CRPCA’s February Events
p. 8, Two Portland Colleges Top Ranks from PC p. 9, Bringing the World Back Home / Passport Club p. 9, From Pre-Med to Acupuncture p. 10, Letters to the Editor p. 11, 3rd Annual Local Campout p. 12, Tune in to Think Out Loud, March 1 p. 12, Seeking Great New People for CRPCA Board p. 12, PSU Highlights CRPCA Member
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Regional Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Events From our sister Pacific Northwest RPCV groups. See pages 3-5 for CRPCA’s March-May events.
Global House Parties March 1 house parties will be held in Eugene, Hood River (3/13), Portland, Salem, West Linn. Those are just the Oregon locations. See NPCA’s Global House Party page for the worldwide list of house parties. Tuesday, March 1
• Boise, ID: Grand opening of “Idaho Celebrates 50 Years of Peace Corps,” an exhibit which will run March 1 to May 1. Open by invitation 6:30-8:30pm at Idaho State Historical Society Museum, 610 N Julia Davis Dr, Boise ID. Contact [email protected] if you’d like an invitation.
• Eugene, OR: Peace Corps 50 in Eugene. Rally at noon at Broadway Plaza, Broadway & Willamette, to celebrate and commemorate, to the music of Samba Ja. Gather again that evening at 7 pm at Cozmic Pizza, 199 W 8th Ave ($10 entry) and enjoy the music of Casera and Macaco Velho.
• Moscow, ID: Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Kickoff, organized by Inland Northwest PCA. Potluck 6-8pm at the 1912 Center, 412 East Third St between Adams & Van Buren. RSVP to [email protected] for what to bring. Thursday, March 3
• Boise, ID: Public opening of “Idaho Celebrates 50 Years of Peace Corps.” Reception 5-9pm (admission by donation) at Idaho State Historical Society Museum, 610 N Julia Davis Dr, Boise ID.
• Grants Pass, OR: Celebrate Peace Corps’ 50th, organized by State of Jefferson RPCVs. No host reception 5:30-7:30pm at Taprock NW Grill, 971 SE 6th St, Grants Pass OR. Contact Amy 541-218-7085, [email protected].
Friday, March 4
• Spokane, WA: Peace Corps 50th Anniversary Kickoff, organized by Inland Northwest PCA. In conjunction with the Downtown First Friday Art Walk 5-8pm at Express Employment Professionals, 331 West Main, Spokane WA Saturday, March 6
• Ashland, OR: Celebrate Peace Corps’ 50th, organized by State of Jefferson RPCVs. No host, open-mike reception (“50 years of stories”) 5:30-7:30pm at Standing Stone Brewery, 101 Oak St, Ashland OR. Contact Leslie 541-488-4208, [email protected]. Tuesday, March 15
• Eugene, OR: Opening of “Peace Corps 50 Years: Local and Global Connections,” a 3+ month exhibit at the Knight Library on the University of Oregon campus. Sunday, March 20
• Seattle, WA: Peace Corps: 50 Years of Promoting Service and Global Understanding. A 2:00-4:30pm event sponsored by SEAPAX at the Seattle Public Library, 1000 4th Ave, Seattle WA. There will be workshops 2:15-2:55pm on Joining the Peace Corps at Any Age, Bringing the World to the Classroom, Peace Corps in Perspective, and a Book Group discussion of Little Bee. Then there will be a reception 3:00-4:30 pm. Upcoming Regional/National RPCV Events--We’re Invited!
• Saturday, April 30: Inland Northwest PCA will host the next West regional RPCV meeting at the home of Kay and Kevin Dixon, 619 E Martingale Ct, Spokane WA. INPCA will host a potluck at noon, with the meeting to follow. Folks will go out to an ethnic restaurant for dinner afterwards. INPCA members are willing to host out-of-towners in their homes. Contact INPCA’s Sue Bracken at [email protected] for more information.
CRPCA will be organizing transportation from Portland to the regional meeting. If you’re interested in attending, please say so at CRPCA’s March 13 or April 10 potluck gatherings.
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• Saturday, June 18: SEAPAX will have an RPCV community entry in the Fremont Summer Solstice Parade. Stay tuned to home.seapax.org for further details.
• June 30-July 4 and July 7-11: The Smithsonian Folklife Festival will have a special focus on Peace Corps on the National Mall in Washington DC. See the Smithsonian Institution website for further details.
• Monday, July 4: Ashland Fourth of July Parade. The State of Jefferson RPCVs’ entry won best in parade in 2009!
• Fri-Sun, July 22-24: SEAPAX local campout, “Whales, Camping, and Fun, Oh My!,” at Spencer Spit State Park on Lopez Island in the picturesque San Juan Islands. Stay tuned to home.seapax.org for further details.
• Thu-Mon, August 4-8: 21st Annual West Regional Peace Corps Campout, hosted by Idaho RPCVs, at Grayback Gulch Group Campground, 2 miles south of Idaho City ID. Saturday evening dinner and entertainment will be provided by Idaho RPCVs. Stay tuned to the Peace Corps Campout 2011 website for further details.
• Thu-Sun, September 22-25: Peace Corps 50th Anniversary events in Washington DC, organized by the National Peace Corps Association. Sept 22 is Advocacy Day. Sept 23 is Service Day. Sept 24 there will be a global community project competition and NPCA gala. Sept 25 there will be a parade to Arlington Cemetery and a closing ceremony. Country of service gatherings will take place throughout. RSVP, then checkout the NPCA blog for a list of hotels.
• Peace Train: A Peace Train is being organized to/from the Washington events. RPCVs will depart Portland’s Union Station on the Empire Builder Sept 19, transfer to the Capitol Limited in Chicago Sept 21, and arrive at Washington Union Station Sept 22, picking up many more RPCVs along the way. The route will be reversed Sept 26-29. See www.amtrak.com for schedules and reservations, and contact Sam Greer, [email protected] or 541-294-4143, for information on the Northwest Peace Train contingent.
50 years of Peace Corps, as reflected in CRPCA by Bill Stein, President As you surely know by now, March 1, 2011 is the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps, as JFK's executive order creating the organization so dear to our lives was signed March 1, 1961. What you may not realize is that CRPCA's membership reflects an amazing array of the first 50 years of Peace Corps.
We have among our members "PCV #4" and Peace Corps' founding anthropologist. CRPCA's Peace Corps pioneers today lead a dynamic discussion group, design new means of English instruction, and guide the local Peace Corps museum effort. We also have among our members a half dozen currently serving PCVs and a nominee who will begin Peace Corps staging on the very day the agency begins its second 50 years. CRPCA's recent returnees bring fresh enthusiasm for the Third Goal (spreading a better understanding of other peoples), and our nominees impress us with their eagerness to learn. Most of us served between these two bookends. Some underwent physical and/or psychological trials during U.S.-based training, and some also served in our country's military during the Vietnam era. Many served in Peace Corps' motorcycle era, others in the new blog and cell phone era. Peace Corps' birth owes a lot to the cold war, while today's volunteer experiences have been affected by the relatively new concern for terrorism. Many of us give back to our countries of service, through Friends-of groups, private efforts, and NGOs led by our members. Many are past, current, and/or future CRPCA board members. I want to give a particular shout-out to all who pay their dues year after year, as this keeps our organization vital and viable. My main message on this 50th anniversary is that you our members are what inspire me most as CRPCA's current President. My hope for this next year is that many more of you can meet and learn from each other at our events.
CRPCA Events: March-May March 2011 Tuesday, 3/01, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Opening of the Peace Corps: 50 Years of Service exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society, 1200 SW Park Ave in Portland, on the 50th anniversary of President John F. Kennedy's executive order establishing the Peace Corps. Free to OHS members and RPCVs who contributed to the exhibit, $10 for other guests. Special remarks by Mary Jane Dellenback, wife of former Peace Corps Director John R. Dellenback. Refreshments hosted by Andina Restaurant. RSVP to 503-306-5211 or use the on-line RSVP option.
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Wednesday, 3/02, 9:30 am to 11:00 am - Job Search Support Group. Location at Green Beans Coffee and Tea, 2327 E Burnside St in Portland. Informal gathering of CRPCA members and friends who are seeking new work. We'll be doing some brainstorming and resource sharing regarding our respective job searches. Contact Jenny Dempsey Stein, [email protected] or 503-830-0846, for more information. Monday, 3/07, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Writers' Group. Location at the home of Barbara Pugh, 8211 SW Canyon Lane in Portland. It's not too late to join! You are welcome to bring a writing sample and snacks to share. Please route any questions to our Writers' Group coordinators, Gabriella Maertens and Mike Waite, at [email protected]. Wednesday, 3/09, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Book Club. Location at the home of Richard Rystrom, 3501 Division Ave in Vancouver, WA. The book to read is Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia by Uzbekistan RPCV Tom Bissell (2004). See our Book Club page for more information. Feel free to bring snacks to share. Sunday, 3/13, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Potluck Gathering. Location at the home of Anne Kimberly, 4261 SE Alder St in Portland. All are welcome to the 5pm CRPCA business meeting (stay tuned for the agenda), 6pm dinner (please bring a dish to share), and 7pm program: Zoom Uganda, which tells the story of twelve orphaned girls through their photographs and journals. Their images and words, authentically revealed, bring a distant community into sharp focus. Matale, a community devastated by HIV/AIDS, is in the Rakai district of southern Uganda. More than half of Matale's children have lost one or both parents to the disease. RPCV Julie Resnick, Ugandan colleague Thomas Lwebuga, his daughter Noela, recount the experience and the impact of creating this program. Tuesday, 3/15, 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm - Service Activity at the Oregon Food Bank, 7900 NE 33rd Drive in Portland. RSVP to CRPCA's Service Coordinator, Tom DeMeo ([email protected], 503-267-3943) by Friday, 3/11. See our Service page for more information. Friday, 3/18, 6:00 pm - Dinner Gathering. MEJOR Communities, one of CRPCA's grant recipients, invites us to learn more about their work and about Peru. Dinner will include a traditional celebration meal called "Pachamanca", which is an aromatic blend of meats, potatoes, yams, beans, sweet tamales, and herbs. The dinner will be hosted by
Katie and Roberto Masferrer at 5248 SW Baird St in Portland. Katie and Roberto are both CRPCA members, and directors of MEJOR Communities. There is only space for ten individuals (note this event is also offered 5/20), so RSVP and direct any questions to [email protected]. All food allergies, vegetarians and vegans can be catered to with prior notice. Suggested donation of $20 per person. Tuesday, 3/22, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Storytelling Group. Location at the home of Jerry Gabay, 4238 SE Ash St in Portland. Feel free to bring snacks to share. Please contact Marta Wicke ([email protected] or 480-747-3875) to volunteer to tell a 10-12 minute practice story. Monday, 3/28, 6:30 pm - Soirée. An informal gathering at the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland. This is a great way to link up with other RPCVs, hear interesting stories from around the world, and grab a beer and a bite to eat among good company. You can usually find us in the front room. Kids welcome until 9pm.
April 2011 Sunday, 4/03, 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Portland Regional Peace Corps Expo. The biggest Peace Corps event of the year in Portland. A celebration of Peace Corps' 50th anniversary planned by CRPCA, the National Peace Corps Association, Peace Corps, and Portland State University. Location at Portland State University, Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom (room 355), 1825 SW Broadway in Portland. Tuesday, 4/05, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Writers' Group. Location at the home of Mike Waite, 7008 Kansas St in Vancouver, WA (360-314-4117). It's not too late to join! You are welcome to bring a writing sample and snacks to share. Please route any questions to our Writers' Group coordinators, Gabriella Maertens and Mike Waite, at [email protected]. Sunday, 4/10, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Potluck Gathering. Location at the home of Katie and Roberto Masferrer, 5248 SW Baird St in Portland. All are welcome to the 5pm CRPCA business meeting (where we will elect our 2011-2012 board members), 6pm dinner (please bring a dish to share), and 7pm program: Brief presentations from several of our past grant recipients (Global Student Outreach, Makindu Children's Program, MEJOR Communities, Safe Passage to Motherhood, and Schools for Salone) on what they have accomplished with CRPCA's assistance.
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Saturday, 4/16, 8:00 am to 3:30 pm - CRPCA's 50th Anniversary Permanent Legacy Service Project: Building a Habitat for Humanity Home. Please see our Habitat page for information on how to become one of our 15 volunteers. Monday, 4/18, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Book Club. Location at the home of Linda Centurion, 3940 SE 47th Ave in Portland. The book to read is Cultural Frontiers of the Peace Corps, edited by Robert B. Textor (1966). Prepare to discuss the book's themes with the editor! See our Book Club page for more information. Feel free to bring snacks to share. Monday, 4/25, 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm - International Development Happy Hour. Co-hosted by CRPCA, Development Salon, Global Sistergoods, Jubilee Oregon, and the Portland Area Global AIDS Coalition. An informal gathering to share information, resources and network and just plain chat over food and beer. Location at the Lucky Labrador Tap Room in North Portland, 1700 N Killingsworth St. Note the location and time change from our usual Soirée venue.
May 2011 Monday, 5/02, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Writers' Group. Location at the home of Gabriella Maertens, 13302 NE Sacramento Dr in Portland (503-254-5161). It's not too late to join! You are welcome to bring a writing sample and snacks to share. Please route any questions to our Writers' Group coordinators, Gabriella Maertens and Mike Waite, at [email protected]. Sunday, 5/15, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Potluck Gathering. Location at the home of Linda Centurion, 3940 SE 47th Ave in Portland. All are welcome to the 5pm CRPCA business meeting, 6pm dinner (please bring a dish to share), and 7pm program (Anna Garwood, Executive Director of Green Empowerment, on Green Empowerment: Renewable Energy, Water and Sustainable Solutions). Wednesday, 5/18, 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm - Book Club. Location at the home of Marta Wicke, 15032 SE Pinegrove Loop in Clackamas. The book to read is The Ponds of Kalambayi: An African Sojourn by Congo RPCV Mike Tidwell (1996). See our Book Club page for more information. Feel free to bring snacks to share. Friday, 5/20, 6:00 pm - Dinner Gathering. MEJOR Communities, one of CRPCA's grant recipients, invites us to learn more about their work and about
Peru. This event is also offered 3/18; please see above for more information. Monday, 5/23, 6:30 pm - Soirée. An informal gathering at the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd in Portland. This is a great way to link up with other RPCVs, hear interesting stories from around the world, and grab a beer and a bite to eat among good company. You can usually find us in the front room. Kids welcome until 9pm. Note the date change from our usual last Monday.
CRPCA Activity Group Updates Job Search Support Group The inaugural gathering of CRPCA’s Job Search Support Group will be Wednesday, March 2 at 9:30 am at Green Beans Coffee and Tea, 2327 E Burnside St in Portland. It has been clear for some time that our members seeking employment could benefit from informal resource sharing. If you’re free Wednesday morning, come join us! Contact Jenny Dempsey Stein, [email protected] or 503-830-0846, for more information. Storytelling Group CRPCA’s Storytelling Group is intended as a skills-building workshop that’s also fun. Members sharing a story will get constructive information on how to make more compelling our Peace Corps and other stories. This should serve us well as we share our stories with various audiences. Our next Storytelling gathering will be Tuesday, March 22, 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the home of Jerry Gabay, 4238 SE Ash St in Portland. All with an interest in perfecting your storytelling are welcome! Writers’ Group The second monthly meeting of the CRPCA Writers' Group took place on Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at the home of Gabriella Maertens. Six RPCVs were in attendance.
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We plan to meet monthly 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm in members' homes. We want to write our memories and/or engage our imaginations--whether for family and friends or for a larger audience. After the check in, each person read something they had written for the monthly meeting. We hope having a monthly meeting deadline will be a great motivator to actually writing. After each reading there was time for constructive criticism, feedback and encouragement. Our next meeting will be Monday, March 7th at Barbara Pugh's home in SW Portland. It is not too late to join our writers' group! Just contact Co-Coordinators Gabriella Maertens and Mike Waite at [email protected] and, if you like, bring your first writing to the next meeting. Book Club New on CRPCA's Book Club page:
• Links to every local library system that has copies of our past, present, and future book selections. Direct links to the books are provided for Multnomah and Washington counties. Direct links aren't possible for Clackamas County and Fort Vancouver, but those library systems do have the books wherever listed.
• How to get your paws on our April book, Cultural Frontiers of the Peace Corps.
• First notice of our October and November books, Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide and The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific.
We're still seeking hosts for our September and December Book Club gatherings. If you're interested in hosting 6-12 on a weeknight, please contact Bill Stein, [email protected], for the available dates and book choices.
Volunteers Needed to Go "Around the World!" On Sunday, April 3rd, CRPCA will be partnering with the National Peace Corps Association to host a 50th Anniversary Expo at Portland State University. Details are still emerging; here’s what we know at this point: It’s going to be from 2pm – 5pm with the idea of 2-3 pm being different workshops, 3-4 pm being more of a formal program with a nomination party element for recently nominated/invited
applicants, and 4-5 pm being an Around the World display. One of the sessions is going to be “Recruiter Chat.” We will need 3-5 panelists representing different regions/jobs to assist with the Recruiter Chat. For the "Around the World" display, we are looking for volunteers from a variety of regions to put together a display table about their country of service and discuss the details of their service and host country. Dressing in host country garb, as well as bringing in photos and any artifacts (if you haven't loaned them all to the historical society!) is encouraged. To volunteer, or for more information, email Erin Gettling at [email protected].
Habitat for Humanity Build: Saturday, April 16, 2011 CRPCA credits the National Peace Corps Association for the great idea to leave something tangible in our community as an integral part of our local commemoration of Peace Corps' 50th anniversary. To this end, we have arranged for our first-ever group build of a Habitat for Humanity home, on Saturday, April 16, 2011 (8:00 am to 3:30 pm).
Our build will be at Rivergate Commons, 4737 N Lombard St in Portland. See http://www.crpca.org/Habitat_Rivergate.pdf for full details on the build site, what to wear/bring, rules (no volunteers under 16), and schedule. Be Among our 15 Volunteers Want to be among our lucky volunteers? We are currently collecting member names for our 4/16 volunteers, and when we reach 15 we'll start our alternate list. Volunteer today (only 3 slots left!) by contacting Tom DeMeo, [email protected] or 503-267-3943.
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Each volunteer will be expected to donate or fundraise $50 toward our required $750 contribution to Habitat. Once we have the list of 15 names, they will appear at http://www.crpca.org/habitat.html with "Support Me" buttons for you, your family and friends to make tax-deductible contributions. We'll also gladly accept checks mailed to our P.O. box and cash/checks handed to a CRPCA board member at one of our events. All funds collected will go to Habitat for Humanity/MetroEast. Signed Up So Far (as of 2/25)
1. Linda Centurion 2. Grace DeMeo 3. Tom DeMeo 4. Kevin Gummer 5. Laura Kutner 6. Katie Masferrer 7. Chuck McConnell 8. Tara O'Connor 9. Franz Rad 10. Joel Salter 11. Phyllis Shelton 12. Bill Stein
International Sustainable Community Development 2011 Speaker Series
This is the inaugural International Sustainable Community Development speaker series of the PSU School of Urban Studies & Planning highlighting community development programs and initiatives that underscore Portland State University’s sustainability mission. This year’s speakers bring an incredible breadth and depth of experience to share.
All sessions are free and open to the public. All sessions will be at 2pm in Room 270 of the Urban Center, 506 SW Mill St. All sessions will be repeated at 7pm in the PSU Multicultural Center, room 228 of the Smith Center, 1825 SW Broadway.
Thursday March 17: Yamileth Perez, Esperanza En Accion, Managua, Nicaragua
Yamileth Perez is Esperanza en Accion’s Artisan Program Director. She lives in one of the poorest and most dangerous barrios in Managua, near La Chureca, the vast city landfill where people live and work, digging through mountains of trash and filth to collect recyclables. Yamileth, who now lives in a cinderblock house, spent many years working in the dump living in a shack made of plastic and cardboard has served as a monitor in the dump for the International Program to Eliminate Child Labor.. She teaches in Esperanza’s Economic Justice
Education Center and is responsible for the Fair Trade store. Yamileth also is a health promoter, providing a base house for malaria prevention and care in her barrio; coordinates a soccer league for at-risk youth; and is a community organizer for the Nicaraguan Community Movement. She has also worked in the areas of infant survival and reproductive health, teaching in the community about the importance of vaccinations, pre-natal care, birth control and human sexuality.
Thursday April 21: Prathima Manohar, Founder of The Urban Vision
Prathima Manohar is an architect, critic, writer and a TV Journalist; a contributing columnist on architecture, urban development and design with India’s leading news daily – The Times of India. She has also written for the International Herald Tribune and the Architectural Record. A former correspondent with French TV news channels France24 and TF1, Prathima did news reports, interviews and documentaries on Indian economy, developmental and cultural issues. Prathima is the founder of the Urbanism think tank The Urban Vision which focuses on solutions-driven research; advocates best practices in policy and design; and facilitates public dialogue on policy choices.
Thursday May 19: Sarah Khanakwa, Entebbe Director, The AIDS Support Organization - TASO
The AIDS Support Organization (TASO) was founded in 1987 by Noerine Kaleeba and 15 other colleagues who were either infected with HIV or whose close family members were infected. Some have now passed away due to AIDS. They were unified by common experiences of high stigma, ignorance and discrimination regarding HIV/AIDS. The met informally in homes and offices to provide mutual psychological and social support and used their time and resources to visit AIDS patients, take them to the hospital, and frequently provide basic material and counseling support. Today TASO is the largest indigenous NGO providing HIV/AIDS services in Uganda and Africa, having supported over 200,000 individuals since 1987. TASO has 11 service centers across Uganda, with 22 "mini-TASOs" and Community Based Organizations in other parts of the country that have provided over 23,000 clients ARVs including 1000 children since they introduced Antiretroviral Therapy in June 2004.
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Thursday June 9: John Haines, Director, MercyCorps Northwest
John Haines leads one of the most successful and innovative microfinance institutions in America. Mercy Corps Northwest helps low-income entrepreneurs in the Portland metro area by offering loans, financial education and a variety of technical-assistance programs. Mercy Corps works all across the world, but at MC Northwest, the focus is on micro-financing and education efforts to support small business owners in the community. For example, the New American Agricultural Project, which helps recent immigrants establish sustainable farm businesses and the LIFE Project, that supports incarcerated individuals with the tools and education they need to effectively transition back into society.
Highlights of CRPCA’s February events The most popular of CRPCA’s eight February events were mid-month. At our February 13 potluck, 31 of us welcomed Noah Siegel for a terrific presentation on his experiences in Yemen. We also made grant awards to the American Iranian Friendship Council (USA), African Children’s Libraries (Liberia), Sokal’ Rayon Association for the Disabled (Ukraine), and French Books for Village Children (Vanuatu); see our Grant page for more information.
At our February 14 book club gathering, 24 RPCVs and PSU students/faculty showed up on Valentine’s Day to meet with author Peter Hessler to discuss River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze at the Portland State University Library. Peter began by sharing how he came to join the Peace Corps in
China and write his PC memoir. Our questions elicited more information about his frequent travels to China, which led to his more recent books, Oracle Bones and Country Driving, and his work as a senior writer at The New Yorker. This photo was taken just before Peter arrived.
Two Portland Universities Earn Top Spots on 2011 Peace Corps Top Colleges Rankings
PORTLAND, Ore. – Both Lewis & Clark College and University of Portland (UP) rank No. 3 on Peace Corps’ 2011 rankings of colleges and universities in the small category (less than 5,000 undergraduates).
Lewis & Clark jumped nine spots from No. 12 last year. There are currently 23 undergraduate alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers, up from 17 alumni in 2010. This is the highest spot Lewis & Clark has ever had on the Peace Corps Top College rankings.
UP moved up from last year’s debut on the rankings at No. 4. There are currently 23 undergraduate alumni serving as Peace Corps volunteers, up from 20 alumni in 2010.
Since 1961, 352 Lewis & Clark alumni and 190 UP alumni have served as Peace Corps volunteers.
Other Oregon universities that placed on the 2011 Top Colleges rankings are University of Oregon in
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Eugene (No. 19 in large category), Oregon State University in Corvallis (No. 25 in large category), and Willamette University in Salem (No. 13 in small category).
You can see the full list of today's PCV's undergraduate and graduate colleges at http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/stats/schools2011.pdf .
Bringing the World Back Home – Goal Three of the Peace Corps Mission As a RPCV from Cameroon, 1985-87, I frequently wondered about how I could contribute to Goal Three of the Peace Corps Mission: Bringing the
World Back Home. For decades, none of the ideas that I had seen advertised motivated me to take action. Recently, I discovered a program called, “The Passport Club,” that has allowed me to do my part to fulfill this goal at my sons’ Portland Public school. The program is basically a
self-directed, study at home, sequential geography program. Each month students take home maps to study and they are tested in the school library by volunteers. The program was designed by a grade school teacher in Olympia, Washington in 1994 with 400 students. Since then more than 130 schools in fifteen states are using the program. The Passport Club has also been used at American schools in China, Malaysia, and Mexico. Students in grades 1st - 8th participate in the program. Students receive a “passport” at the beginning of the year and they bring it monthly to the library on test day. They earn stamps to glue into their passport corresponding to the number of countries they correctly identified on a blank world map. In addition to rote memorization of geography, each month a country is featured to expose students to world cultures. The World Affairs Council has a tremendous lending library of “culture boxes” which are filled with music, clothing, maps, books, pottery, kitchen utensils, money and other assorted treasures. These culture boxes are borrowed so students may try on traditional clothes, listen to music and explore other unique artifacts. The
volunteer testers wear traditional dress. Oftentimes, country nationals volunteer to write the students’ names in their native language or teach the children to do a craft.
This program has reignited my interest in sharing these vibrant world cultures with young students. If you are interested in learning more about this program, feel free to contact Lisa Lyon ([email protected]). http://csspassport.wordpress.com/ - Creative Science School’s Passport Club Website http://www.thepassportclub.net/index.html - Passport Club Creator’s Website – Information for ordering materials and starting a club Telephone: (360) 438-2259 E-mail: [email protected]
From Pre-med to Acupuncture…Thank You Peace Corps! We have probably all heard it before, and most of us likely agree, but I would like to share with you how Peace Corps changed my life. I had been accepted to medical school and the Peace Corps at roughly the same time. I decided that it would be better to do Peace Corps first return and reapply to medical school because I knew that if I went to medical school first I would find myself with too many excuses or commitments to enter the Peace Corps later. I was thrilled to serve as a rural health volunteer. My motivation for going to medical school was so that eventually I could become a “bush doctor”. My dream was to fly to remote villages and administer medical care. So there I was, in a remote town in rural Andean Peru working in healthcare. It was
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heaven for me except for one glaring detail; the people did not understand or trust the doctors in the neighboring village. They would not follow his instructions and had to practically be forced or bribed to visit him. However, they had local healers who knew about herbs or massage and they would follow their instructions to the letter even though I thought them infinitely more complex.
There is a little background that I should explain before continuing. I have always loved the martial arts. In fact teaching karate to the kids in our village was one of the activities that best helped me integrate into the community. My martial arts instructor had asked if I had considered acupuncture instead of medical school while I was in college. At the time I believed I would do research on acupuncture as a doctor. However, to my surprise, at 10,000 feet in remote Peru the local health promoter and one of our closest friends had some training in acupuncture and explained to me how helpful it was as a rural medicine and how well in fit with their cultural beliefs. That experience changed my life’s path. Upon returning to the United States I applied to an Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine college rather than the medical school who had previously accepted me. I am proud to say that I have now graduated from that program and am a licensed acupuncturist. As a way to show my appreciation to the Peace Corps and its roll in my life’s path I offer discounted rates for fellow RPCVs. To learn more about my clinic please visit my website www.kumoacupuncture.com. Please join me in thanking Peace Corps for the opportunity to change our lives.
Letters to the Editor: Another Peace Corps Book Published Could you let the Columbia River RPCVs know that my history of the Peace Corps, When the World Calls: The Inside Story of the Peace Corps and Its First Fifty Years, [was] published February 21 by Beacon Press of Boston. I was deputy director of the Peace Corps office of evaluation and research during the mid-1960s and followed the work of the Volunteers afterward as a foreign and diplomatic correspondent for the Los Angeles Times for thirty years. The book has received advance praise from such noted RPCVs as novelist Paul Theroux and New Yorker writer Peter Hessler. You can find out more about the book on my website, www.stanleymeisler.com, and on the Amazon website. If any of the RPCVs want to discuss the book with me, please ask them to contact me. My e-mail address is [email protected]. All my best wishes, Stan Meisler Engagement Announcement Mike Waite’s engagement and new life! I am now engaged to Jane Wright, a Head Start administrator in Corvallis, Oregon who will be living with me in Vancouver after her retirement this school year. We have not set a date for our marriage. February was also the 10th anniversary of the death of Mary Lynn Waite, the woman who lit up my life for almost 30 years. I think of her every day and her spirit is very much a part of me. Mike Waite (Liberia 1974-1975) served as Newsletter Editor, President, and was the first Web Master for CRPCA during the 90's. He and his late wife Mary Lynn put on the West African Pigout fundraisers. --------- Michael Waite, http://mikewaite.com
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3rd Annual Local Campout CRPCA's 3rd Annual Local Campout will take place July 1-4, 2011 at Beacon Rock State Park, the dramatic western entry to the Washington side of the Columbia Gorge.
Schedule
• Friday, July 1: Check-in as early as 2:30 pm. There will be a welcome potluck dinner at 6:30 pm.
• Saturday, July 2: There will be a free Kiribati Independence Day Celebration back toward the metro area in Vancouver WA. It's open to anyone interested in experiencing beautiful, local Kiribati singing and dancing. There is usually lots of food offered as well. Times and exact location TBA. Contact CRPCA's Laura Montez, [email protected] or 503-313-9421, for more information.
• Sunday, July 3: There will be another potluck dinner at 6:30 pm.
• Monday, July 4: Checkout by 1:00 pm. An entertainment option if you don't want to travel directly to Oregon and don't mind crowds is the huge Fort Vancouver fireworks show.
Activities
• Hiking: Beacon Rock and Hamilton Mountain are on-site. Table Mountain and Dog Mountain aren't far away, and of course there are lots of great Gorge hikes on the Oregon side of the Bridge of the Gods.
• Beer Run: Walking Man Brewing is in nearby Stevenson.
• If you have the equipment: Boat launch, fishing, mountain biking, rock climbing.
Amenities
• Space Galore: We can accommodate up to 100 tents and 30 RVs (no hookups). Unique to Beacon Rock, those without tents or RVs can sleep in one of two 3-sided shelters which sleep eight in bunks. Feel free to bring family and friends!
• Facilities: There are two vault toilets in the group campground. Coin-operated showers (50¢ for three minutes) are in the main campground and moorage area.
• Meals: The kitchen shelter has electricity, and there's also a picnic shelter.
Directions
• Option 1: Take I-84 to Cascade Locks (exit 40) and cross the Bridge of the Gods ($1 toll for cars, more for RVs). Then turn back west on SR 14 seven miles to the Beacon Rock park entrance at mile post 35.
• Option 2: Take SR 14 (I-205 exit 27) east to the Beacon Rock park entrance at mile post 35.
• Group Camp: Turn away from the Columbia River onto Kueffler Rd and follow the signs to the group camp. It's on the left soon after the turnoff for the equestrian trailhead.
• Park Map (pdf)
Fees and Reservations
• Adults (18+): $15 per adult by June 12, $20 per adult after June 12 or on-site. These rates apply to your entire stay, whether you're camping one, two, or all three nights.
• Payment: By PayPal or credit/debit card at http://www.crpca.org/campout.html. By check mailed to P.O. Box 802, Portland OR 97207. Or by cash/check handed to Phyllis Shelton or Bill Stein at CRPCA events. If paying by any means other than the Campout webpage, please state the number of children in your party and which nights you plan to camp with us.
• No Fee: For kids (still need to RSVP, please state the number of children when you pay) or day visitors (no need to RSVP).
Questions
• About registration: Contact Phyllis Shelton, [email protected], 503-704-6298.
• About anything else: Contact Bill Stein, [email protected], 503-830-0817.
Tune in to Think Out Loud, March 1
This hasn’t been confirmed as this newsletter goes to press, but in late February Oregon Public Broadcasting made inquiries about doing their Think Out Loud radio show of March 1 on Peace Corps: the 50th anniversary exhibit, local PCVs and RPCVs, and how to join Peace Corps.
Check out http://www.opb.org/thinkoutloud/ to confirm (if the Peace Corps show airs, you’ll be able to listen to it and post to the show’s blog indefinitely), then tune in 91.5 FM at 9am Tuesday (live) or 9pm Tuesday (repeat).
Seeking Great People for the CRPCA Board All CRPCA board positions will be up for election (to terms that run May 2011 to April 2012) at our April 10 5pm business meeting. About half of our current board is willing to continue for another year. This means we seek great new people to do the fun work of leading this organization. Below are the positions for which we're recruiting nominees.
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• Secretary • Newsletter Editor • Fundraising Coordinator • Membership Coordinator • Networking Coordinator • Program Coordinator
Questions about CRPCA board positions? Please contact Bill Stein, [email protected], 503-830-0817.
PSU Highlights CRPCA Member
In honor of Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary, Portland State University has posted a great interview with CRPCA’s Tonya Turben (RPCV Paraguay) on their home page. You can view it at http://www.pdx.edu/insidepsu/peace-corps-exhibit.
In other PSU news, they now have a webpage t promoting their Masters International program, a
http://www.pdx.edu/pcmi. This is a program througwhich students accepted to both Peace Corps and one of the below-listed graduate programs could gea great Peace Corps experience and a masters degree at the same time.
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t
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
l Management
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• Social Work • Sociology • Environmenta• Non-Profit Administration
Don’t forget our members’ 50 anniversary house parties!
Tuesday, 3/01, 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm - 50th Anniversary "House" (Office) Party. A lunch-hour gathering of RPCVs who work in or near the Lloyd District. Location at the Portland State Office Building, 800 NE Oregon St in Portland. RSVP to Jessica Duke (RPCV Benin & Malawi), [email protected].
Tuesday, 3/01, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm - 50th nniversary Peace Corps House Party. For
RPCVs in the South Metro Area or those
ly.
A
wanting to make the drive, we are hosting a global Peace Corps party at our house in West Linn It will be pot-luck style and kid friendRSVP to [email protected]. Hosts: GitaCharles Howard (RPCVs Jamaica '89-'90 and Ecuador '90-92).
&
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CRP Page and get information on upcoming events in you h for Columbia River Peace Corps Association, or go to http://tiny.cc/hs4sb
CA has joined Facebook. “Like” our Facebook r news feed! Searc
2010-2011 Board Members
Office Name Country &Years of PC Service Phone Email
President Bill Stein Niger 1990-1993 503-830-0817 [email protected]
Secretary Brenda Michel Sierra Leone 1986-1988 503-408-6933 [email protected]
Treasurer Phyllis Shelton Honduras 1986-1988 503-704-6298 [email protected]
Newsletter Editors
Katie Masferrer Peru 2004-2006 503-946-8567 [email protected]
Alanna Randall Belize 2001-2003 971-340-9763 [email protected]
Webmaster Scott Eckert St. Vincent & the Grenadines 1987-1989 971-832-9695 [email protected]
Education Coordinator Laura Kutner Guatemala 2007-2010 503-250-0997 [email protected]
Events Coordinators
Amy Evans Jamaica 2000-2002 503-890-2731 [email protected]
Erin Gettling Ukraine 2003-2005 971-404-4308 [email protected]
Fundraising Coordinator Your name here?! Nominations to [email protected]
Grants Coordinator
Richard Rystrom Ukraine 2007-2009 360-993-5365 [email protected]
Membership Coordinator Marta Wicke Mozambique 2001-2003 480-747-3875 [email protected]
Networking Coordinator Your name here?! Nominations to [email protected]
Program Coordinator Your name here?! Nominations to [email protected]
Service Coordinator Tom DeMeo Ghana 1980-1982,
Botswana 1982-1984 503-267-3943 [email protected]
Social Coordinator Mitch Auerbach Guatemala 1980-1982 503-505-2160 [email protected]
