Behind the Screen
The opinions, views, and insights stated within this Monologue are my own. The facts, fallacies, and errors, however, belong to someone else (see disclaimer).
Thursday, August 29, 2002
At the swearing in ceremony of the GUY 10 trainees on August 16, volunteer Justin Long wrote and read a great poem on our behalf. Here it is:
Swearing In August 16, 2002
We began this journey in the busy Miami heat;
None of us knowing exactly who we'd meet.
Some of us nervous, some of us bold;
Most of us glad to be leaving that darn northern cold.
A couple days later, again, we exit the plane;
Guyana sending the first wave of real heat, and the puddle of freshly dropped rain.
As we're waiting for customs, the sweat starts to pour;
While dragging overstuffed bags, two men walk thru the door.
"I am Claudius Prince" and "Call me Kitty" they say;
"We're with the Peace Corps, so follow us, we'll lead the way."
Soon after, twenty-three Americans pile the bus and drive thru the night;
Talking, gaffing, laughing, watching the people and staring at Georgetown lights.
Arriving at Ocean View, we are treated to a feast;
The juice, the veggies, the hot sauce, and oh yes the Guyanese love their meats.
Upon filling our bellies and meeting volunteers and staff, all of us are in high hopes;
For tomorrow we start training and begin to learn the ropes.
As the scorching sun rises and the palms sway in the breeze;
We meet our fearless facilitators: Ken, Colin, Fiona, Greg, Akeel and Marcia.
Along to meet our technical trainers we finally go;
To work with Hazel, Russell, Pam, and Sir Basdeo.
We made it through the long process to get where we are and now we're all pleased;
Yet some of us are nervous to meet our host families.
We ask "will they like me?" and "how's it going to be be?"
But from the moment we meet, they make us feel welcome and free.
We're learning to cook and to clean like Guyanese;
And attempting to understand and speak a bit of (some of us not so well);
Complimenting our hosts comes the experience of Monar and Angie;
Teaching us traditions of a que-que and Jhandie.
Health educators, teachers and IT profs we'll hopefully be;
Thanks to our patient tech trainers who work with us ah so wonderfully.
We've tried a bit of dancing, swimming, boating and singing;
There's pictures of the soca, cricket, labba, and the sounds of saltfish and boom-boom buses that keep our ears ringing.
The past two months have seemed to fly by;
With images of _Mocha, Grove, South and Georgetown now engrained in our eye.
The days at St.Cuthberts, Diamond Community Center and GNBC we are left to ponder;
As we now head to our sites here, there and some way over yonder.
The joy we feel to get out and serve these up coming two years;
Overshadows the thought of washing and cooking and other silly fears.
With all we have learned from the Guyanese in their land;
Keeping us healthy and free from Dengue;
Nurse Jean and Sheridan give us the shots and help us on our way.
Then there's the people who keep Peace Corps running smoothly;
Allison, Rita, Michelle, Sasha and James, our over-achieving admin crew.
Claudius, Machu and Kitty, three peas in a pod
Julie, Julie our volunteer coordinator;
When there's communication between us and staff, she's our fabulous mediator.
For all your hard work on behalf of us lowly trainees, we do applaud;
There's Earl and Terrance, the men in charge;
Finding our sites, giving advice, and letting us know our impact here can be large.
These ten weeks have had their share of blood, sweat and tears;
Yet we've learned about an amazing culture, how to make a positive difference, and even some about Banks beers.
We hope to give back with our time, skills, resources and our hands;
So from each and every one of us here in Guy 10;
We say thanks for everything and we look forward to seeing you all soon again!
(We'd like all the staff, trainers, host families, and counterparts to stand. Thank you all so much for your time, effort and support on our behalf.)
Yesterday's email to friends back in Guyana...
--- "Jason.Pearce.net" wrote:
Date: Wed, 28 Aug 2002 12:55:01 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Jason.Pearce.net"
Subject: Miss you already
To: guyana@jasonpearce.comPeace Corps Friends,
I just wanted to say thank you for all of the support and friendship that you have given me during my difficult ordeal. It was greatly appreciated.
Since returning to North Carolina and moving in with the folks, I've spent the last few days catching up on rest and playing Xbox games (hard to do both) to relieve some of the stress that built up over the last few weeks. As you might imagine, both activities have been WONDERFUL.
There is much for me to consider regarding my early close of service. Do I appeal? Do I reapply in hopes of getting assigned somewhere else? Or do I just give up on the Peace Corps and go back to the working world?
As you might imagine, I've got lots on my mind. I also spend a lot of time thinking about you, and what your next two years will be like. I don't want to make any hasty actions, so taking a little bit of time to cool off will likely be wise. I will, however, keep you all informed in regards to what actions I might take with the Peace Corps.
I did leave a message on Tuesday with the Peace Corps' Office of Placement saying that I would like to be assigned a new site since Guyana was unable to provide me a counterpart. This doesn't mean that I have decided to reapply. I'm just getting that option started, since we all know how slow things work in DC. Regardless, I'll keep you posted. I'd also like to hear about anything that you guys might be doing, for I'm still concerned.
I do miss you guys and look forward to hearing about your ongoing adventures. You can easily hear from me by visiting the Monologue section of my website at anytime. Here is the address:
LOCATION: http://net.jasonpearce.com/monologue/
I'll send the username and password via a separate email.
I'll also invite you all to join my personal (and now private) listserve at jasonpearce@yahoogroups.com. I use this and my Monologue to communicate with my friends and family; and since you are now a part of both, I'd like to have you join.
I hope all is well with you. Thanks again for all of the support you have offered me. It was/is greatly appreciated.
Your Pearce Corps Friend,
Jason.Pearce.net
Earlier this week, one of my buddies told me that two of his friends had also had offline problems with their online blogs ("web Log" to "weblog" to "we blog" to "blog"); or in my case, my Monologue. He said that one of them lost his job and the other had to meet with the human resources department. Seems I'm not alone.
In fact, I found a great Newsweek article called "Living in the Blog-osphere." It addresses many of the issues that I'm facing with the Peace Corps: intellectual-property complications, privacy implications, global accessibility of personal thoughts and opinions, and the intruding of real life on the Blog-osphere.
Here are the excerpts from the story that I thought were most relevant. If you like to read it in its entirety, click here.
Living in the Blog-osphere
By Steven Levy of NewsweekWelcome to the world of a half million (and counting) Weblogs, where anyone can instantly publish his passions and favorite Weblinks. And the fun's just begun.
Indeed, with a new " " joining the crowd every 40 seconds, Weblogs are officially the explosion du jour on the Net. Most estimates peg the current number at a half a million Weblogs, depending on how you define the term, but ?my suspicion is that there are even more," says Cameron Marlow, an MIT graduate student who's studying the phenomenon.
"It's a way for anybody with anything to say, to say it," says Rebecca Blood, author of "The Weblog Handbook." Often a blog is a way to keep families and friends informed. "In the future, everyone will be famous to 15 people on the Web," says David Weinberger, author of "Small Pieces Loosely Joined," an incisive book about the Net.
The blogging boom is more of a realization of unfulfilled promise than a new idea. In the early days of the Web, commentators gushed at the prospect of a billion people's broadcasting their respective essences on personal Web pages. But Web sites can be difficult to construct, and the tools never became easy enough for the technically challenged to let feelings fly.
But as of 1999, Weblogs were measured by the dozen. The breakthrough came with a small software company called released Blogger on the Web, free. By early 2000, thousands were using the new software. Setting up a Weblog was a no-brainer, a simple walk-through that ended with your blog, live, on the Web. In minutes you could have a site that potentially packed the same wallop as a six-figure, months-in-the-making consultant-created extravaganza.
When high-speed wireless connections become pervasive, we may see bloggers supplementing their daily dispatches with audio and video. The mind boggles at the intellectual-property complications (who owns images snatched from the world at large?). Not to mention the privacy implications.
Privacy worries, in fact, are a lurking presence behind the Weblog explosion. Blogging is an intimate process; the format seduces participants into sharing personal thoughts and opinions. But, of course, when you blog, your words reach not just your trusted cluster, but anyone with a Web browser. With search engines and Internet archives, a bright beam can illuminate the deepest corners of the Net and intimate thoughts suddenly come to the attention of unwanted readers. Real life, sometimes intrudes on the Blog-osphere. One day there may not be a difference.
Wednesday, August 28, 2002
I would like to publicly thank all of those who have taken the time to show their support via email, phone, letters, or in person. I was fortunate to arrive to Guyana with the enthusiasm of many lifelong friends, and even more privileged to gain the admiration of the 22 colleagues who were in training with me. Your combined words, thoughts, wisdom, and actions have helped make a difficult disappointment more bearable.
I thought that some of you might enjoy reading a few excerpts taken from emails or letters that I have received. I also wanted to archive them here for future reference. Naturally, I have removed the names of the authors for privacy purposes.
The first batch of excerpts is taken from letters or emails that I received from Guyana Peace Corps volunteers and trainees. While I may have known my colleagues only a short while, their impact on me was immense. They will be missed.
As you can see, I was fortunate to have a great deal of support from the many new friends that I made while in Guyana. I am looking forward to keeping in touch with all of them and sharing their adventures with you.I am really flustered writing this. I can't believe you won't be here. I am astounded at the decision and think it's wrong, just wrong.
Over the last ten weeks I have come to respect you a lot. While I am from California, you are maybe the third "dot com" person I have known and I am very impressed with your personality, experience in life, and vision. I honestly feel the people of Guyana are losing a great opportunity with your passing. While others may disagree, I see your heart is in the right place to be here and to help others.
I wish you luck in your future endeavors and hope to connect with you again sometime in the future. I can only hope to be as well off as you are in life by the time I am 30. Your travel experiences make for great stories and you are a wonderful storyteller. You self-assurance and self-awareness are marks of a mature and able man who guides himself in life, not just reacting to circumstances around. Your gadget addiction and embrace of technology inspire others and definitely make you a valuable resource.
Be well, keep hacking, and don't forget how to gaff. While your stay was short, your impact was large. You will not be forgotten.
I can only imagine how emotionally and mentally wrenching your ordeal here in Guyana was. My head is still spinning about what "could have" been done given the CD's rather unpredictable temperament. I think he has many volunteers now worried that he's just going to randomly send someone home for no justifiable reason. I wish you were here because there definitely is more than enough web development work to be done. Regardless of what you decide, just know that I have nothing but admiration for the way you handled this whole situation. Most people would have gone completely ballistic.
I cannot get over this whole ridiculous ordeal. I'm really sorry you've been singled out. By far Guyana is going to lose out on a very talented person and we're going to miss you terribly! Do keep in touch and I'll never forget your smile and fabulous laugh.
I just wanted to tell you that I was shocked and confused at Earl's decision to remove you from Peace Corps Guyana. I have never seen another volunteer show as much drive, ambition, and enthusiasm to work as you did. The program and the country has been slighted by the loss your talents. I hope that one poor decision by one short-sighted bureaucrat has not spoiled you to the Peace Corps experience.
You might like to know that VAC [Volunteer Advisory Committee] is conducting a survey among all the volunteers to put together some numbers and percentages on how many of us are dissatisfied with Earl's decisions. I'll let you know how it turns out, if you're interested. Losing you was a huge mistake. I'm sorry it happened.
I will miss you tons! Whatever you do, you'll be successful, no doubt. I will dearly miss getting to hang out with you playing X-Box the next two years. Good luck and please keep in touch.
I'll miss my first Peace Corps Guyana contact! All things in life serve a purpose. I'm sure your talents are needed elsewhere. God bless you!
I'll miss your laugh, your shoulder c.b. talent, and your deep dark savage body. Perhaps you can still rendezvous for a diving vacation with me. You are the king of travel. I remember hearing someone being introduced to you in Miami and you laughing and thinking; cool, that's Jason. Don't change.
I'm really sorry to hear about Earl's decision. For what it's worth, I think he's making a big mistake. Take care and good luck.
I'm so sorry about what has transpired. I'm just sick about it. I tossed and turned all night. When things weigh heavy on my mind, well, you know me I analyze and analyze and analyze. I'm a passionate person and if a friend is under attack then it might as well be an attack on me.
I'm proud of the way you are handling this entire thing; it's very honorable. Keep your chin up. We are all on your side; let us help you if we can.
I'm so sorry to hear the scoop and the run around you've been facing. It is pure ridiculous acts they are doing! I really hope they find you a site - you are a very talented person Jason and Guyana would benefit greatly from you. Keep us in the loop and let us know if we can do anything to help in this time of patient waiting.
I'm still trying to figure out how Earl can deny Guyana the most specialized, intelligent, enthusiastic volunteer of the bunch. It makes me sick. I want you to know I won't forget you or this unfair experience. I hope it fires you up. Frankly, I'm going to kick some legal ass in your honor after law school. I'm serious. I'm going to miss you a lot: Frisbee, cards, minibus rides. Please keep in touch.
Just remember that you will always be a better person that that piece of s*** Earl Brown and I commend you on the way you handled the situation, very professional. Personally, I would have gone ape s*** on that chump!
Life is never fair, so don't dwell. Move forward. Respect yourself and have fun. Now I'll never learn how to do web pages.
That stinks about the trouble you are running into. I had heard stories from several people that it was pretty hard to get beyond some of the red tape, and some people didn't feel that they made any difference after a lot of hard work. It stinks that it sometimes has to be that way, but I'm sure you will persevere. I hope you are able to enjoy at least most things with the PC stuff. Good luck!
We were so saddened to learn how things turned out for you in G'town. Not a day goes past that we don't wonder about how you are doing--and where you are doing it. Having been in similar situations several times in my life, I can really empathize with you. I really don't like being the focus of large institutions trying to work out policies on things they don't really understand. We take heart knowing that you are a resourceful and highly motivated person, so we know that you will come out on top.
Who the heck am I going to play hacky with, learn X-Box games, and fricken watch DVD's? I was looking forward to that! And even cook for ya once or twice. We'll miss you.
You are an amazing person and I am so completely disappointed that you have to leave us. I hope that you will keep in touch and I wish you all the luck in the world. You will be able to offer so much to those who have the privilege of knowing you. Thank you for the many laughs, the good conversation, and for your friendship. Peace Corps Guyana is missing out! Please know that we are all behind you on this and if you need anything, do not hesitate to ask! I will miss you!
Which leads me to my "support group" back home. During my ordeal with the country director, I was trying to come up with a solution that would permit me to communicate with my friends and family while ensuring that my letters home would only reach my intended audience (i.e. not fall into the hands of the Guyanese). One of my proposals was to have me stop posting content on my website and instead send emails directly to my personal listserve (jasonpearce@yahoogroups.com), which would then distribute my emails to the rest of you.
While I thought this was a good solution, the Peace Corps Guyana staff remained apprehensive. Their first concern was regarding the number of people who would receive my emails. When I told them that I have about 100 friends and family members who are subscribed to my personal listserve, they balked; claiming that number to be far to high and that they would consider any email that I distributed to this many people to be publishing.
Their second concern was regarding the character and profession of my 100 friends and family. Knowing that I served as an editor of a magazine for five years, the Peace Corps Guyana staff asked if I still had any friends in the publishing/communications business and, if so, were they subscribed to my listserve. They were concerned that my publishing friends would be influenced by my experiences and opinions, and would thus publish my thoughts and opinions as having come from a credible U.S. government or Peace Corps source.
Needless to say, I never expected my wealth of friends and support to lead to my demise. But leave it to the Peace Corps to find a way.
I cherish the interaction and support that I received from each of you. My email box was flooded with letters of dismay, humor, wisdom, advice, and best wishes ? all of which were greatly appreciated, so thank you. Here are a few excerpts from those emails:
I am SO sorry about what is happening to you. I am beyond words! I just cannot believe that they want to censor your site - I can't believe that anything you have posted would jeopardize any kind of national security - which would be the only reason they could do such a thing! I can't even think of anything that has been in any way negative. I just don't understand!! And I can't believe how they have treated you! Can they send you to another country - one that allows freedom of speech!?
I am sorry to hear about the closed-mindedness of the group in Guyana. One would have thought after some of the less positive press the WWF had taken during it's recent litigations with the wrestling folks, they would be elated to have any volunteer workers they could get, but even more so to have someone of your caliber.
I can't believe it!!! Because you wanted to take a modern approach to sharing your experiences, you are being sent home. I'm very disappointed in the Peace Corps. I'm sure things will work out for you, let me know if I can do anything. Have a safe trip home.
I feel how humbled you must feel over all this unfortunate circumstance, and reach out to you. Keep the faith, obey their dicta up to and at the point where you feel you can compromise any longer. I can see how the very conservative elements have to be so guarded, and note that it has been my experience in my travels, and in my foreign missionary efforts within the church. Weigh all things and try to see them from the point of view of the others, and such sensitivity will be rewarded so that your mission can continue.
I find it outrageous and ridiculous that your service was cut short because you were utilizing the skills you were recruited to share in the first place. I'm sure you're in the process of getting back in the States and getting settled. I was thinking about you, rooting for you and with you all the way.
I for one am glad you are coming home. I have read in the "independent press" that the Peace Corps is not all it's cracked up to be. Or rather, it's more than it's supposed to be and in the wrong direction. The standard thing: a good idea gone awry, controlled by big bucks and big politics. I believe it was an article in Mother Jones: one of the very few national magazines that is not owned by the five media giants that own about 99% of all American media. Maybe Jason needs to start another one! Seriously / it might make a good article for one of the independent publications. Newsweek or Time wouldn't touch it.
I have known you since our early teenage years and have always known you to be of sound judgment and impeccable character. I also know you to make sound decisions based on integrity and high morals. I personally think in today's world your web page is the most outstanding way to spread the positive impact of your journeys and experiences in life to include your assignments with the Peace Corps. I personally enjoy reading about your adventures.
I hope they send you home. They don't deserve someone of your caliber. Small minded people disgust me.
I hope you can stomach the games being played concerning your appointment. I am disappointed with WWF, an organization I support with gifts for dropping you. Keep your chin up and be a brother of courage.
I just read through your site, and I'm amazed. I really enjoyed reading about your times in Guyana, and you definitely have web-dev talent. I'm also shocked that they dismissed you so easily given that you seemed willing to comply with their rules. If your sites are password protected and given out only to friends and family and if names/addresses aren't mentioned, I don't see the harm.
I will admit that if I was the host family, I might object to someone posting my daily family activities. You seem like a totally open person, but many people may object to your "reality tv" approach to life. I suspect it was the comment about the naked overweight child that tipped the scales. There is likely a hidden political agenda as well. It's too bad they didn't put you in front of a panel of "judges" so that you could explain yourself, make changes, and come to an agreement before they terminated your service. It definitely doesn't seem just.
I'd say you'd have a chance with the O'Reilly Factor on FoxNews (oreilly@foxnews.com) --that exposure could lead to top pro-bono legal counsel. Your situation is quite interesting and will no doubt occur with others as more and more people learn how to communicate via the web. Might be worth the fight if you're in for a long haul.
I know this is a big disappointment to you, as I know how much you wanted to help your country and the Guyanese people. I pray that the Peace Corps will reconsider. I do not think you have said anything that will embarrass them or the government of Guyana. In fact it has made me mindful of the sacrifices that Peace Corps volunteers make. It has also made me think that maybe I should consider Peace Corps service when I retire.
I thought I would save my note until the conclusion of this mess. From an observer's standpoint, I can't tell you how baffled/amazed/disappointed I am in the outcome. In the global environment we are faced with, I would think that the PC would take advantage of talent when they had it and meet in the middle with you on the issues they had with the monologue. My thoughts go out to you bro. Long live the 1st amendment.
I've been following along, quietly, throughout this entire ride you've had. I've enjoyed looking at the pictures, reading your stories, and learning about the entire experience. All I can say is that I am in disbelief that all this could come from your Web site. If there ever was a motivated and talented individual, that is you, and it is quite upsetting to know you're down in a foreign country needing to deal with this when all you want to do is help. Needless to say, I hope this is resolved quickly and you can get on with your work. I am with you, brother, and best of luck.
I've been thinking about you and hope that he swears you in. He's nuts if he doesn't! I admire that you are standing up for what you believe in.
Just wanted you to know I was thinking of you in these difficult times. I am sure you are finding a way to deal with this as you always have with tough situations.
My view is that you probably haven't done anything wrong in terms of the content you've placed on your web site. I think the Peace Corps has totally overreacted to something that could be a significant benefit to recruitment and the spread of information about the Peace Corps, as well as something that could further your and your fellow volunteers' experience in Guyana. I have really enjoyed reading your monologue and hope that it will be back up and running soon!
Perhaps the answer to your dilemma is to comply with all the Peace Corps requests and to assure them that you will work within their guidelines and do all you can to maintain open communication with them throughout your service. Then, as you get to know them and have a chance to build up trust over a period of months, you can endeavor to deal with the question of freedom of speech, etc. Remember that the Peace Corps is not representative of "corporate America", but a volunteer agency. Greatly simplified........."where do you want to end up?" and "what is the shortest distance between 2 points?" Other facets of the situation can be dealt with later.
Some people make it really hard to want to help them, eh? Good luck Jason. I think the folks over there could use a person with your talents and personality. Keep fighting the good fight.
Sorry to hear that you are running into logistical/political problems regarding your website. I find your site to be a very useful tool in helping me understand what you are doing. I also have learned much about what the Peace Corps does, and its mission and vision. Anyhow, I hope you stick to your principles, and I hope the Peace Corps can see your commitment to their goals, and the good your "free-speech" can do for their mission.
Sounds like a load of crap to me. You try to volunteer two years of your life to something and this is what you get, amazing.
Thanks for continuing to share your story. I am sad that the country director has been so difficult in relation to your website, etc. Please know that I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that he will grant you the ability to continue. How unfortunate to find someone that is willing to volunteer time and energy and to turn this down due to such trivial issues. Thanks for representing the USA so proudly.
We are thoroughly pissed off on your behalf. We can't believe it. They are clearly colossal idiots!!!! Have a safe flight and we hope to hear from you soon.
We are very sorry about how everything turned out and the disappointment and frustration that you have experienced. But we are very proud of you for standing up for your freedom of speech. There are times in life when you have to pull together everything you have been taught and what you believe in. We feel that this was one of those times for you and we are proud of the way you responded. We love you and know that you will learn from this difficult experience and are a better person for it.
Wow, totally did not expect to get this e-mail. We have a bet going on how short your country director is. What 5'2"? 5'4"? 3'8"? It has to be a Napoleon complex ... he's jealous of your height ... that's the only possible explanation.
Tuesday, August 27, 2002
Had a chance to catch up on some email and web browsing today now that I'm back in the states. On August 19, 2002, the Guyana Chronicle's front page featured a photo of the 23 new Peace Corps Volunteers (including me, although I was not sworn in) and a story reporting on the ceremony. Here is the story:
Peace Corps can help Guyana reclaim excellence in education
--U.S. Ambassador GodardUNITED States Ambassador to Guyana, Mr. Ronald Godard has said that the Peace Corps can help Guyana reclaim its tradition of excellence in education.
And although technological advances have changed the environment for learning at an unbelievably rapid pace, for Guyana to recognize its human potential it must harness the needed tools to the best of its advantage.
Mr. Godard was speaking at Friday's swearing in ceremony for 23 new Peace Corps volunteers at the National Cultural Centre. The Ambassador said that like every other country in the world, Guyana needs to adjust and make new innovations if it wants change.
However, he noted that keeping up with any field of endeavor requires constant effort. Peace Corps volunteers can help give Guyanese the skills they need today in order to excel in the information age, the Ambassador added.
The batch of volunteers comprises persons who underwent a ten-week training period designed to prepare them for working in Guyana. They would be deployed within the Ministries of Health and Education, and will also work with various Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Volunteers would be posted to work at institutions within the ten administrative regions of Guyana for a period of two years.
Ambassador Godard noted that in many countries of the developing world there is a profound uneasiness about the forces of change, a sentiment President Bharrat Jagdeo expressed in his recent speech to the Jamacian Parliament.
President Jagdeo had "put in very stark terms" the idea that globalization poses a serious threat to the way of life of people in the Caribbean and in other parts of the developing world, Godard said.
"That expresses the sentiments of most Guyanese, I think, right now...globalization is a bad word right now, and like others in the Caribbean, Guyanese view globalization as a threat to their livelihood. They see changing trade patterns as an introduction of unfair competition -- the big guys, who under-sell and drive them out of business."
Mr. Godard also noted that the increasing free movement between nations has resulted in the loss of the country's human resources including nurses and teachers. The growth of international entertainment industry and the explosion of telecommunication as well, have caused dramatic changes, he said.
The Ambassador pointed out that in the Caribbean there are small and fragile states, and the changing trends in the world are often very unkind. As a result, the small nation states fear they would get lost on the shuffle.
He noted that these countries are competing on a world stage with others that are many times larger than they are, so they have joined together to better defend their interests by forming a single market and economy to more effectively compete on the world stage.
"This small place that has limited ability to influence the forces of change that are going to inevitably impact people's personal lives in positive and negative ways for every person in Guyana," he predicted.
Mr Godard said that, too often, particularly in developing countries, which have many problems to resolve, the response to change is to ignore it and hope that with the benefit of time it will go away.
The Ambassador said that from the beginning, the Peace Corps have been taking a proactive approach towards change. He said the important part of their mission as volunteers is to help the people of Guyana take charge of their destiny rather than become the victims of change.
He pointed out that over the years, political and social changes in Guyana undermined the educational system, which had given the country one of the most literate and cultured populations in the region.
Mr Godard also noted that for many years, the private sector in Guyana languished in a state-controlled economy, and is now still trying to catch up. In the meantime, all professional business pursuits have been changed irreversibly by the tremendous advances in information and other business technologies.
Guyanese can now master the necessary technology and the information technology skills through the Peace Corps volunteers, who will help them to compete on more equal terms with the rest of the world.
Mr. Godard noted that despite other disadvantages, Guyana in one way is very fortunate because it has been spared the great disasters of its Caribbean sister states. But the challenges to good health for a tropical climate are ever changing and keeping the people healthy is one of the country's, highest priorities.
He also noted that the country is under siege by HIV/AIDS, one of the most relentless killers in human history, with the instance of infections being estimated at five to seven per cent of the population, second only to Haiti. Unfortunately, he said, there are still many people in Guyana who believe that HIV/AIDS has nothing to do with them.
The American envoy said that unless effective measures are being adopted to deal with this scourge and to arrest this disease, Guyana like some parts of Africa would become a wasteland.
Mr. Godard told the volunteers that he hopes they will use their training to help eliminate those remaining centers of ignorance about HIV/AIDS. He said that could be one of their most gratifying contributions to this country.
The Ambassador said that after living here for more than 18 months, he believes that the Guyanese way of life is worth preserving and added that he also believes Guyanese can achieve greater prosperity. The Government of the United States will stand ready to help this country secure its unique place in a world of rapid change, and protect its cultural identity, he stated.
Peace Corps Country Director Mr Earl Browne in his remarks at the ceremony noted that over 40 years more than 165,000 Americans have been working as Peace Corps volunteers in 95 countries. Currently, 72 of those countries are in the developing world.
He said the idea of the Peace Corps has captured the imagination of the entire nation and in taking on the challenge, volunteers will be able to open their talents, energies and commitment to serve the people of Guyana.
Browne told the volunteers that as they begin to accept the challenge of working in a developing country, they should simply look on and observe the community in which they would be placed to work with the people.
He added that they should focus on assisting the people in making incremental and positive changes towards achieving their development efforts.
"Respect the culture, traditions and values of the people you serve. Recognize that you cannot do all things at once and learn to live with whatever limitations you may have. Recognize the things you cannot change and have the wisdom to know the difference," he charged.
Browne also advised the volunteers that they should learn to grow from every experience and challenge they encounter during the two years, and ensure that there is a positive contribution to change, human understanding and building peace where possible. (Jaime Hall)
Here is an interesting article on Lariam, which I had to take -- and still will for the next month -- while serving in Guyana.
UPDATE ON LARIAM AND THE PEACE CORPS
Scores of Peace Corps volunteers are coming forward saying that over the past 12 years they suffered crippling paranoia, anxiety, hallucinations, memory loss, suicidal behavior and physical ailments from seizures to vision difficulty because of the drug handed out by government doctors to prevent malaria.
Many of those affected were medically evacuated and some were hospitalized because of problems volunteers said were caused by Lariam, also called mefloquine. Others risked contracting malaria when they secretly violated Peace Corps rules and quit taking the drug because side effects bothered them so much. Some say that debilitating problems that began when they started taking the drug have continued for years after they stopped.
"This has been the big story among Peace Corps volunteers for 12 years," said Allen Hoppes, a volunteer in Mali, West Africa, in 1992. That was three years after the Peace Corps began using Lariam, which continues to be the Peace Corps' drug of choice.
"The Peace Corps told us if we did not want to take mefloquine, we did not want to be Peace Corps volunteers," Hoppes said. Read the story at:
http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1008684.html
In a related story, a domestic violence expert who advises the Pentagon said on August 8 that the military should look into whether Lariam, an anti-malaria drug associated with aggression and suicidal thinking, could have triggered any of the recent incidents in which four Fort Bragg soldiers are suspected of killing their wives and, in two of the cases, also killed themselves.
http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1008826.html
Read our continuing coverage of the Lariam controversy, decide for yourself if the health concerns of Lariam's side-effects have been overstated, and leave your opinion at:
http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1008129.html
Monday, August 26, 2002
I realized that some of you did not get my email on Thursday, August 22, saying that I was heading home. So here it is:
-----Original Message-----
From: jasonpearce
Sent: Thursday, August 22, 2002 11:04 AM
To: jasonpearce@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [jasonpearce] Close of Peace Corps ServiceFriends and Family,
Well, I am being sent home and will be leaving at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. I will have to update you all on the conditions of my departure once I arrive to Raleigh in a few days.
--Jason
As you might imagine, my Thursday was a very busy day. I had tons of government Peace Corps forms to fill out, several medical tests to complete, had to close my account at the bank, visit the post office, and meet with just about every Peace Corps Guyana department. I also had to (and wanted to) tell as may friends (Guyanese and Peace Corps) as I could goodbye. I was lucky to have a lot of support.
Friday was just as crazy. Peace Corps picked me and some of the GUY8 volunteers up at 2:30 a.m. We then had an hour drive to the airport and made it in time to catch our 5:30 a.m. flight. The rest of my day was spent hoping from one airport to the other: Georgetown to Barbados to Miami to Atlanta to Raleigh.
So I'm sorry that I wasn't able to update you all via my Monologue the last few days. But I hope this helps you get caught up. I'm sure I'll provide you many more details regarding my last few weeks as a Peace Corps trainee shortly. Thanks again for all of your support.
I arrived back to Raleigh, NC, safe and sound this past Friday. It was a long trip after a very draining two weeks, which is why I spent most of the weekend relaxing and trying to unwind. Here is my new contact information:
Jason Pearce
3809 Midlakes Dr
Raleigh, NC 27612
(919) 787-4142
jason@pearce.netI'll be spending much of this week organizing information regarding the early termination of my Peace Corps service in Guyana for purposes of appealing the country director's decision. I haven't decided if I will appeal his decision yet or not, but I should at least get started on organizing all of the information that might be useful for my case.
I will also have to decide if I want to seek a new assignment with the Peace Corps, or just give up on the whole idea. I'll likely reapply sometime this week, for we all know how long it takes them to process applications. This way, if I am offered a new assignment, I can just decide then if I want to take it or not.
In the meantime, I'll likely begin my job search. So if you know anyone, anywhere in the world, that needs a web developer, please let me know.
Thanks again for all of the kind emails, letters, and phone calls of support that I have received from my friends and family. Your support is very comforting and is appreciated.
Wednesday, August 21, 2002
This is a quick update regarding my status as a Peace Corps Trainee.
- I did not meet with the country director at 3:00 p.m. yesterday for he was out of the office. The meeting was rescheduled for 8:00 a.m. today (Wednesday, August 21, 2002).
- The country director said that after meeting with my counterpart from the World Wildlife Fund (my assignment) on Monday to discuss why I was not sworn in, the WWF rescinded their invitation to have me serve as a volunteer.
- Since I no longer have a site assignment, the Peace Corps will have to find me a new assignment.
- If they cannot find me an assignment, the Peace Corps will send me home.
Also, they want me to move into a hotel today. I'm currently living with a host family in Grove (an hour away from Georgetown) and was scheduled to move in to my new home in Georgetown tomorrow. So I have to head back to Grove to pack. They pick me up at 2:30 p.m. today.
Sunday, August 18, 2002
Dear Friends and Family,
On Friday, August 16, 2002, I was supposed to be sworn in as a Peace Corps volunteer with 22 other GUY10 trainees. While my 22 colleagues were sworn in on Friday and have already left for their respective sites throughout the country, I was not given the invitation to swear in and currently remain a trainee.
Naturally, not getting sworn in (and all of the issues leading to the country director?s decision not to swear me in) has been very stressful, tiring, and frustrating.
The Peace Corps Guyana staff believes that I am not aware of, or have been sensitive to, the impact that my personal comments posted on my personal website at http://net.jasonpearce.com and personal Yahoo Groups listserve/community at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jasonpearce/ might have on myself, my co-workers, and the Peace Corps worldwide.
Although one of the Peace Corps' three goals is "to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of the American people," and that the Volunteer Handbook encourages me "to share my understanding of the culture and traditions with countless family members, friends, co-workers, and community groups in the United States;" the Peace Corps Guyana staff believes that the content on my semi-private and personal website constitutes publishing and is thus a violation of their guidelines.
While I may be free to discuss my role in the Peace Corps with friends, family, or anyone else, I understand that an ill-considered statement could be used to embarrass me, the Peace Corps, the U.S., or the people of Guyana. But I also believe that the potential damage that the content on my personal website could cause must be weighed against my rights of free speech, political expression, and religious beliefs.
In an effort to reduce the possibility of my personal opinions from reaching people beyond my circle of friends and family, I made the following precautions in hopes of appeasing the country director:
- I password-protected the Monologue section of my site (http://net.jasonpearce.com/monologue/)
- I password-protected my Yahoo Groups listserve/community (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jasonpearce/)
- I password-protected my online photos at Ofoto.com
While these measures secure my content and restrict it from being viewed by people beyond my intended audience, it also makes it more difficult for you (my friends and family) to access that content. Unfortunately, it's a necessary precaution that we will all have to live with.
In addition to heightening security, I have taken additional steps to block access to my site from nearly all computers located in Guyana; as well as promising additional censorship measures that I will be willing to take.
Unfortunately, my self-censorship and heighten-security changes were not enough to permit me to be sworn in on Friday. This upcoming week will likely be another week of me trying to appease the country director in hopes that he will eventually decide to swear me in.
I believe that I have the talent and interest to help the World Wildlife Fund (my assignment), the Tourism and Hospitality Association of Guyana (a secondary-project that I?m hoping to work on), and potentially many more Guyanese organizations in their IT and web development needs. I just need to be given the chance.
If I cannot convince the country director soon that my online actions will not affect the Peace Corps or US offline, then I'll likely be sent home much sooner than expected.
Wish me luck. I'll do my best to keep you posted.
Sincerely,
Jason.Pearce.net
Sunday, August 11, 2002
We have only one more week left of training and we couldn't be more pleased. Well, actually, no more weeks left of training would be better; but I think we can all make it. After all, if there is one thing I have learned in the last nine weeks it would be patience.
This past week of training was kind of a blur. I suppose the main highlight was the reporting of our individual projects. At the beginning of training, the 23 of use were told that we should each pick a topic about Guyana that interest us, do some research, and present our findings to the rest of the group near the end of training. I chose Information Density. Here's what I presented:
From Digital Island to Global Village
In the context of developing nations, economic development is achieved when nations pass from agricultural economies to industrial ones. Assuming all countries follow the same stages of development, countries like Guyana will never be able to catch up.
However, by introducing the advantages and benefits that information technology can bring to educational, commercial, medical, and governmental activities; Guyana will be able to leapfrog this development process by moving directly to an information-driven society - if it is given the opportunity.
Developed nations in North America, Europe, and Asia have already made the "global village" a reality. Yet for Guyana and many of the world's inhabitants, many nations and economies are becoming digital islands.
An example of this seclusion can be found in the telephone:
- 83 countries still have a teledensity below 10 lines for every 100 inhabitants; Guyana being one of them
- 25 countries have a teledensity below one percent
- half of the world has neither made nor received a phone call
The situation is even worse for Internet access. Some 61 countries have less than one Internet user for every 100 citizens. Guyana has only 0.4 Internet users per 100 citizens, according to the CIA's World Fact Book.
Furthermore, the services are often prohibitive to use due to high costs:
- a call from the US to Geneva costs less than five US cents a minute, which is the same price for a call to neighboring cities in Canada
- a call to Guyana from the US, however, costs US$7.00 per minute, or 140 times more. If the price came down, Guyanese would better be able to join the international community for the cost of doing business with Guyana would be reduced
This is the reality. Countries on the hot side of the IT spectrum belong to the "global village" and gain the benefits of a larger distributed culture by taking advantage of the network effect that comes from collaboration.
Nations with too many regulatory boundaries or high costs, however, become semi-isolated digital islands and lose the intellectual advantages that come from free trade and access to the technology that drives it.
Guyana is one of those nations.
On January 28, 1991, St. Thomas-based telecom giant Atlantic Tele-Network signed an agreement with the government of Guyana to acquire 80 percent of Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company, with the government retaining the remaining 20 percent.
ATN agreed to expand and improve Guyana's telecom services. At the time, telecom service in Guyana was among the worst in the Americas:
- International Direct Dialing was restricted to only 75 lines, with most overseas calls being placed through an operator
- There was a long waiting list for telephones, some of which were more than a decade old
- There were less than two telephones per 100 people
- There was no phone directory or Internet services
ATN had nowhere to go but up. And according to a 1996 report from the International Telecommunications Union, Guyana recorded the highest growth in teledensity in the Latin American/Caribbean region; a growth of 26.5 percent.
While ATN deserves praise for these accomplishments, its 1991 agreement with Guyana is the basis of the very problem that is making Guyana a digital island.
When ATN was awarded the GT&T contract in 1991, it was granted a monopoly of varying periods - up to 40 years on a broad range of telecom services - including "national and international voice and data transmission."
Today, Guyana stands out as having one of the longest-term legal telecom monopolies granted to a private operator, anywhere in the world. I remind you, their contract is for 40 years! At a time when technology doubles in speed every 18 months, Guyana's digital island will quickly become as distant as the stars.
To bridge this digital divide and turn it into a digital opportunity, Guyana must find a way to legally rid itself of ATN's monopoly and open the telecommunications market to competition and innovation.
In September of 2001, the government of Guyana tried to do just that. It was then that it gave public notice of its intention to reform the telecommunications sector. It conducted nationwide consultations and surveys on the issues involved, including the termination of the GT&T monopoly.
Not willing to see its 1991 contract dismissed, ATN is trying to get the Inter-American Development Bank from approving a loan for the United Nations? Information Communications Technology project. If granted, the US$18 million loan would enable Guyana to modernize its technology sector and become a member of our global village.
Naturally, the real goal is not just to get more computers or more telephones into Guyana, but rather to extend access to information, to guarantee the right to communicate, and to focus on how technology can be used to achieve broader social and economic goals.
But without changes to ATN's 1991 contract with the government of Guyana, the people of this nation may very well find themselves becoming more like their Caribbean neighbors. For instead of being a nation bordered by Latin-American countries, it will become more like an island -- only this time it will be a digital one.
I also enjoyed many of the other reports that were given by fellow volunteers. Shannon reported on animal rights, finding that there are none; Dean did an interesting report on local names for various wildlife; Steve reported on sugar cane, Guyana's top export; Emily focused on slavery and plantations; Hans introduced some music of local artists; among many others.
I did receive one nice surprise that day regarding my report. During one of our breaks, Marcia Wilson (our shyest facilitator) slipped me a nice note commenting on my story about Information Density here in Guyana. It read:
Jason,
Your presentation was very interesting, let alone pertinent to all attentive ears and curious minds. It was the most thorough and factual presentation in the series of cross-cultural events.
It was very refreshing the way you delivered yourself. Of particular significance, your presentation was supported by sound legal terms upon which the contract was bound [referring to ATN's contract with Guyana's government].
The impartial stance upon which you embarked to point out how Guyana stood to lose and in the same vein careful to mention their perceived fear.
Your presentation could not have been more timely. You ought to be congratulated for a job well done.
Thanks Marcia. Your comments on my presentation were thoughtful.
Friday, August 02, 2002
This afternoon, a few things seemed to have fallen into place. This week, we have all be visiting our newly assigned sites, working with our counterparts, becoming familiar with a new territory, and learning more about what we will be doing for the next two years.
For the six of us who will be working in Georgetown, however, we have had a frustrating week. While I spent less than 30 minutes with my counterpart from the World Wildlife Fund, I have been exchanging several helpful emails with Edith McClintock. Edith is a Peace Corps volunteer serving in Suriname and has been managing the WWF's website for all of the Guianas for the last two years.
--- Edith Mc Clintock wrote:
Hi Jason,I hear you are going to be working in the Guyana WWF office. I am the old PCV working in the WWF office here in Suriname and on my way out at the end of August. We should start talking though as soon as possible. I am excited to see you have all that web experience. I had none but have been doing our web page. I have a feeling whoever they hire to replace me (hopefully someone local) will also have no experience and need some training. But in the meantime I will feel really great handing over my baby to you. Got to run, but am excited that you will be working with WWF in Guyana.
Edith
Edith McClintock
Communications & Environmental Education Officer
WWF Guianas ProgramGravenstraat 63, .O. Box 15353, Paramaribo, Suriname
Phone: 597/42 23 57, Fax: 597/42 23 49
Visit our website! http://www.wwfguianas.org/So thanks Edith for all if the great emails this week. I'm feeling pretty happy with my assignment and some of the duties will come along with it.
I also made a few calls today in an effort to line up a few secondary projects. The one that excites me the most is the prospect of me helping the Tourism & Hospitality Association of Guyana (THAG) improve their website. It's a perfect project combines my interest in travel and that of web development. So it was nice to be able to speak with THAG and have them agree to use my services.
The most important aspect of today was that I have found my housing. All week, the six volunteers who are stationed in Georgetown have been given the runaround by Peace Corps staff regarding our housing options here in Georgetown. Most of this week, the six of us spent our time in the volunteer lounge waiting for someone from staff to show us the six housing options they have arranged for us. It wasn't until 3:00 p.m. on Friday that someone finally drove us around so that we could see where we might be living for the next two years.
The bad news is that we were shown only two places (reminder, there are six of us). The good news is that one of the places -- the one that we all liked -- can only be filled by a male volunteer due to its proximity to a rum shop across the street (not safe for a woman). And since I'm the only male out of the six of us, it looks like this will be my place.
Matt Wookie is the current volunteer living there and will be leaving the Peace Corps shortly after our swearing in. The house is on stilts and has a gated yard. Inside, there are two bedrooms; only one of which is available for the landlord is using the other for storage. It has wooden floors and an average-sized kitchen, but no stove and a very old fridge. The place will come semi-furnished. Best of all, it is located only a few blocks away from the World Wildlife Fund's office (about 1/4 to 1/2 mile away), so I'll be able to walk to work -- saving me the hassle of riding in those uncomfortable mini-busses.
So I'm now feeling much better about my future for the next two years. Now I just have to complete two more weeks of training and get sworn in on August 16.
For those of you who haven't visited my site in a few weeks or so, here is a nice collection of photos and audio clips from my time spent as a Peace Corps volunteer in training.
Hans Anderson's Photo Gallery
Here you will find some of my photos and video clippings, as well as photos taken by other volunteers. Hans is a volunteer in training in the education sector, but knows more about computers than all of the Information Volunteers combined.Jason Pearce's B&W Photos
I have been using a very simple digital camera that is attached to my Palm Pilot. Since I didn't know how often I'd be able to sync to a computer, I have been taken low resolution b&w photos. But at least you get to see something.Megan's Photos
Megan is a volunteer in training who has been taking a lot of great digital photos. Please visit this link to see her photos.Patrick Joyces' Photos
Another volunteer in training, here are some more photos.Jason's WGUY MP3 Audio Updates
Each month, I intend on recording and posting a 10 minute MP3 audio broadcast of my experiences here in Guyana as a Peace Corps volunteer. I hope that it will be a great addition to the text postings found in the Monologue section of my website.