Beyond the nature of the work, length of stay and living conditions, there is a key fundamental difference which sets Peace Corps Volunteers apart from other in-country foreigners, be it tourists, travelers or foreign residents.
Where tourists tend to come to a country as a destination, coming to know it through its places, Peace Corps Volunteers come to know a country, first and foremost, through its people.
People not places. Ideally this should strike you as glaringly obvious. However, its significance, although both profound and far reaching, quite often is taken for granted.
By no means are the two, people and places, mutually exclusive. More often than not, they go hand in hand. However, to focus our efforts on people, the who we are working with rather than the where we are working, provides a subtle yet genuine shift in the intention and direction of our work.
People not places. The Peace Corps is designed as a people oriented organization which seeks to put people first. Fair enough. But how does principle become practice. This article looks to bring the idea of people once again back to the fore and help us remain conscious of their preeminence throughout our service.
Part One: TRAINING
Peace Corps Trainees the world over cannot be faulted for feeling overwhelmed and at times self absorbed. The nonstop ten week linguistic, technical and cultural bombardment leaves little time for self reflection and the able to put our presence here in country into perspective.
There is a natural sense a relief when sites are assigned. For at last, there is a destination, something to hold on to, a tangible answer to provide to anyone who asks. This is all well and good but misses the mark. “Where I am going and what I am doing” should be immaterial in comparison to “With whom I am going to be living and working.”
Trainees do not just receive a site assignment, they are to be earned.
In effect, a site assignment is a confirmation of a Trainee’s commitment to Peace Corps Service. Without question, making a commitment to serve, faithfully and whole heartedly for two years, is a major life decision. However, it truly has nothing to do with the Trainee. Rather, it has everything to do with the host country nationals.
Can I live in Paraguayans must be reframed Can I, will I, live and work with Paraguayans.
If the answer is no, for whatever reason, have the courage to make the call before swearing in. Your timing for service is not right, and that is okay. If your answer is yes, then Paraguayans, the everyday ordinary, not just Paraguay needs you and they need you now.
Part Two: SERVICE
Two years is a long time that goes by fast. The principle goal of a Volunteer in regards to where they live should be of how to move from a feeling of site, to a feeling of community and finally to a feeling of home. Simply put it can be done in three steps: be there, be ready and be you.
There are a million terrific and valid reasons to be out of site. Recognize this and pare then down to only the most essential. What good is it to come the world over, just to tell some one that you have to leave again? Although you will judge yourself by your intentions, the community members around you will judge you by your actions.
No matter what the reason and how well it is articulated, climbing on a bus and going away, even for a day or a weekend, is a decisive and noticeable action.
The beauty and challenge of their reality is that most community members are not going anywhere. Make it a habit of being there along side them.
Part Three: COS
The often stated aphorism “Home is where the heart is” underscores the fact that more than a sense of geographic place, home is people. After two years gone of dedicated Peace Corps service, reentry into the United States can be a daunting and disjointed affair.
The feelings of what is normal and what is foreign play a deceptive game of transposition. However, friends and family are designated as such for a reason. After two years abroad, we as Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have the wonderful opportunity to reintroduce ourselves to the people of our lives, the people of our home. Two years is a lot of living done by a lot of people where all involved have grown in some form or fashion. Allow yourself the time to listen to those around you and who they have become while learning how to communicate to them, yes in your native tongue, the new person you have become.
Peace Corps is a profoundly human endeavor. Peace Corps is a profoundly personal experience. Embrace it as such and our work will be put into a much deeper context where a handshake, a smile and a relationship formed, both home and abroad, will become that much more meaningful. People not places. Even if the world has been mapped so accurately over the last few centuries, it is high time we returned to truly meet the inhabitants of where we all live.
