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PopRocks posted:Yeah it's pretty terrible journalism, they pretty much said in third world counties the men view white women "as prey and rape them with impunity." Well the bit you quoted was from the Council of Conservative Citizens, which is not a reputable news source anyway. I can probably echo some of Private Labels points. PC briefed us all a lot (almost to the point of exhaustion, some would say) on the the multitude of dangers even prior to serving. Every PC country is different, and one can't expect the staff in one country to handle things the same as they would in another. It's a shame things like that happen, but no one organization is perfect, and the cases that happened certainly don't appear systemic in PC as a whole.
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Jan 15, 2011 13:00
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Wow, that's some pretty lovely journalism all around. Some things that jumped out at me: quote:In some cases, victims say, the Peace Corps has ignored safety concerns and later tried to blame the women who were raped for bringing on the attacks. I highly doubt this claim, at least based on my own experience. We had lots of safety and security briefings during training, including one very specifically about sexual assault. And since the video we were shown during that session was from the 90's, I know it's not a recent addition to the curriculum. quote:"Every day we felt unsafe. And we reported everything, we just kept reporting," she said in an interview with five other former volunteers who also were rape or sexual assault victims. quote:She says the Peace Corps immediately began to cover up what happened to her, fearful, she says, of offending officials in Bangladesh. All of this says one of three things to me; it's either not true or exaggerated, there was a breakdown in communication at the country office, or the Safety and Security Coordinator in that country was incompetent or corrupt. Not that there was some organizational conspiracy to cover it up, because those of us who have been volunteers know that's just not how Peace Corps works. Also there's this from the site PopRocks linked: quote:This entry was posted on Friday, January 14th, 2011 at 2:55 am and is filed under Anti-White, Crime, Foreign Aid
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Jan 15, 2011 15:53
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So I'm finally an invitee  .I'm going to Asia in Early April, they mailed out my packet yesterday so I'll know where specifically next week.
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Jan 15, 2011 16:11
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Grimson posted:Well the bit you quoted was from the Council of Conservative Citizens, which is not a reputable news source anyway. The reason they grouped Africa and Haiti together is because your source is the CofCC (as I'm quoting here). Just so we're clear about who you are using as a source here, the CofCC is the renamed "White Citizen's Councils" of the 1960s and are listed as a white nationalist/supremacist group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-files/groups/council-of-conservative-citizens So no, this isn't "terrible journalism." It's a press release from the Klan.
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Jan 15, 2011 19:25
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RIP  Sargent Shriverhttp://www.cnn.com/2011/US/01/16/obit.sargent.shriver/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1
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Jan 18, 2011 23:50
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Private Label posted:RIP For all it's ups and downs, he certainly helped create something unique. Was Peace Corps the first volunteer-abroad agency?
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Jan 19, 2011 04:06
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There's the Voluntary Services Overseas which started in 1958, and supposedly Peace Corps was modeled after. Then right after Peace Corps started the Canadian University Services Overseas was founded. But VSO and CUSO are both non-profits. It was a lot harder to start a service corps through the government, and Shriver was had to work hard as hell to push it through all the roadblocks. At the end of the day, no matter how frustrated I am with Peace Corps, I can say that I'm living abroad in service of the poor with the backing of my government, and all that's required of me is to fill out a VRF three times a year. It's an exciting thought that for two years, you're essentially on your own, for better or worse.
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Jan 20, 2011 14:56
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I got my invitation packet in the mail. I'm going to Indonesia on April 4th to teach english. Thank you to everyone for helping me through all the steps to get here, I'm gonna take it.
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Jan 20, 2011 19:11
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RagnarokAngel posted:I got my invitation packet in the mail. I'm going to Indonesia on April 4th to teach english. Neat, I didn't even know that the Indonesia program was up. I was in Cambodia when Hilary Clinton was in Indonesia talking about bringing in Peace Corps.
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Jan 20, 2011 20:56
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The website says it was setup in 2010 so yeah very recent. Kinda cool.
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Jan 20, 2011 21:48
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After 6 months of hell, I finally got medically cleared!
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Jan 23, 2011 13:22
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I'm still in the application process. I got a little behind on my medical stuff because of the Christmas work season, and trouble with my doctor. I'm nearly done with my medical paperwork (this round atleast) but I recently got an email saying my application went into inactive. I'm going to end the stuff regardless, but I wanted to know how fuckled I am.
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Jan 31, 2011 23:36
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Pocket DeSade posted:I'm going to end the stuff regardless, but I wanted to know how fuckled I am. You should be fine. E-mail someone, like your medical contact. On a similar note, I got my dental and medical poo poo qualified (letter and everything), but myToolkit still says that they are still reviewing my information. Actually, it says my dental is complete, but my medical is still being reviewed. Is this normal? Does the toolkit even matter? Also, should I preemptively contact someone at the placement office to see if they need anything from me (i.e. tell them I am alive, still interested, and hope this gets the ball rolling?) or should I just play the waiting game?
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Feb 1, 2011 01:41
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I'm also having some application trouble. Everything was going fine and dandy, until I got a call from the Seattle office saying that I haven't submitted a recommendation from a volunteer supervisor. The problem is that I don't have any volunteer experience. Am I boned?
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Feb 1, 2011 02:20
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NeekBerm posted:I'm also having some application trouble. Everything was going fine and dandy, until I got a call from the Seattle office saying that I haven't submitted a recommendation from a volunteer supervisor. The problem is that I don't have any volunteer experience. Am I boned? So go out and get some! You need 30 hours of volunteer experience in the field that you are going for, be it English education, health, etc. They should have told you this at some point in your application. If you are going for English education, call up the local schools and see if they have any accelerated English courses for kids of immigrants. That's what I did and I got my 30 hours done in about 5 days.
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Feb 1, 2011 02:26
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Moon Slayer posted:So go out and get some! You need 30 hours of volunteer experience in the field that you are going for, be it English education, health, etc. They should have told you this at some point in your application. While I'm not opposed to volunteering, I was kinda hoping that my year teaching English would be enough. I also tutored ESL students through college. I was paid a $100 stipend for the tutoring, so do you think I could pass this off as volunteering? *note: It's not that I don't want to volunteer (I may just do it anyway), but I just want to get this application ball 'a rolling. NeekBerm fucked around with this message at 02:42 on Feb 1, 2011 |
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Feb 1, 2011 02:40
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NeekBerm posted:While I'm not opposed to volunteering, I was kinda hoping that my year teaching English would be enough. I also tutored ESL students through college. I was paid a $100 stipend for the tutoring, so do you think I could pass this off as volunteering? Call up your recruiter and ask.
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Feb 1, 2011 02:56
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Odd, I didnt send one (I couldnt reach any of them) and the application let me replace one of the 3 recommendations (friend, job, volunteer) with a professor so I did. But I did have volunteer experience LISTED so maybe that's why they didnt bug me, so yeah try seeing if that will count.
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Feb 1, 2011 09:08
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Has anyone here served in China? I studied abroad and interned in China for like 8 months in 2008 and really want to go back. I know I can just find a place that's hiring English teachers and go that way, but I feel like there might be some benefit to going with the Peace Corps instead. Anyone have any info on the pros/cons of getting a job as an English teacher in a place as opposed to going through the Peace Corps?
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Feb 2, 2011 02:57
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I have four years of Mandarin and educational experience and was told unless I had certification I was not going to China as they're really only looking for college-level teachers from the Peace Corps.
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Feb 2, 2011 03:10
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Barracuda Bang! posted:Has anyone here served in China? I served in China; it's a large program and the volunteer experience can be very different depending on your site. I think it's potentially much more rewarding than just being another English teacher, but it depends on what you want. If you do want to do some kind of humanitarian or volunteer work, it's much easier to do projects with your school/community as a volunteer since you have Peace Corps support and prior volunteers' work to build off of; besides whatever projects you do on your own initiative there's a summer project that's a teaching seminar for Chinese primary/secondary school teachers of English with other volunteers in your province. PCVs in China were sent to 4 provinces when I was there: Gansu, Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guizhou. I believe they've added Yunan since I left. Life in southwest China for a foreigner is a lot different than in coastal cities, so if you don't think you can handle being gawked at constantly for two years then don't do Peace Corps. Additionally, if you want to improve your Chinese it's great to live in a small place with few English speakers, but the dialects in these areas can be way different than standard Mandarin, so if that's your only focus then teaching in the northeast would be better. I think the biggest benefit to being a PCV rather than just a foreign teacher is that most universities that PC sends people to are really appreciative of the volunteers and take great care of them. For the most part, these universities can't afford to get qualified foreign teachers, so a volunteer can really help some programs. Of course, there are schools that treat volunteers like poo poo and schools that can afford 50 foreign teachers, but they're the exception rather than the rule. You're getting paid a tenth of what you could make as a contract teacher, but the perks and the cultural integration make up for it (or at least they did for me) Those are just some quick thoughts, if you have any other questions I'd be happy to answer.
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Feb 2, 2011 04:04
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Iwate posted:You should be fine. E-mail someone, like your medical contact. Stupid question, but how do I find out who my medical contact is?
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Feb 2, 2011 20:18
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Pocket DeSade posted:Stupid question, but how do I find out who my medical contact is? There should have been a person listed on a piece of paper (of which there are many, i know) in your medical packet thing. The sheet for me looked like it was photocopied. I don't have a copy here, or I would scan it to show you. If I recall correctly, it was on the bottom right of the page with a name, e-mail and phone number. I e-mailed my medical contact about myToolkit thing, she said it should be updated, but it isn't. :-( She said to let her know when it does though. My only panic is that it might be correlated with placement possibly not knowing I am medically qualified. I think I am just panicking for no reason, but I want this poo poo to be done with already. gimme my invite, god damnit! Sorry for the rant.
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Feb 3, 2011 03:46
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I really hate the rainy season...
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Feb 3, 2011 06:21
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Moon Slayer posted:So go out and get some! You need 30 hours of volunteer experience in the field that you are going for, be it English education, health, etc. They should have told you this at some point in your application. Does it matter what age these English students will be?
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Feb 9, 2011 11:24
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Ronald Spiers posted:Does it matter what age these English students will be? Has to be high school or adult.
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Feb 9, 2011 15:42
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RagnarokAngel posted:Has to be high school or adult. Hmm, I volunteered in a middle school and it was fine with Peace Corps. So I would ask your recruiter again. EDIT: And by "you," I mean Ronald Spiers. Moon Slayer fucked around with this message at 17:59 on Feb 9, 2011 |
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Feb 9, 2011 16:39
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Pocket DeSade posted:Stupid question, but how do I find out who my medical contact is? Your recruiter should have your up to date information. So, apparently I have a phone interview scheduled for Friday to discuss my qualifications and the open programs they'll have in the next few months. Anything I should know going into this or what to expect?
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Feb 9, 2011 20:47
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I tried committing suicide my freshman year of undergrad, and I've since gotten therapy and don't consider myself a risk. Will I ever have a chance of joining?
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Feb 9, 2011 21:11
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Omar al-Bishie posted:I tried committing suicide my freshman year of undergrad, and I've since gotten therapy and don't consider myself a risk. Will I ever have a chance of joining? I think it's unlikely, but there's no harm in talking to a recruiter and giving it a shot. I imagine if you've got critical skills that'd help your chances.
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Feb 9, 2011 22:26
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Fuschia tude posted:Your recruiter should have your up to date information. Push to get any particular placement you'd like, but stipulate it by saying that you'd be willing to go anywhere if that's what they need. Showing you're flexible is important.
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Feb 9, 2011 22:29
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Rush Limbaugh #1! posted:Showing you're flexible is important. And patient! In fact, just start telling yourself "I am patient and flexible" over and over again right now.
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Feb 9, 2011 22:58
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Omar al-Bishie posted:I tried committing suicide my freshman year of undergrad, and I've since gotten therapy and don't consider myself a risk. Will I ever have a chance of joining? If you do, be forewarned that they're going to require a lot of documentation from medical and psychological professionals to go on record that you are not and will not in the future be at risk. Moon Slayer posted:And patient! Sure thing. I was nominated for a CS/IT position in Latin America leaving end of May, so they've had me studying Spanish, but I know that's still potentially subject to change until I'm officially placed in a program and I sign off on it.
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Feb 9, 2011 23:30
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Omar al-Bishie posted:I tried committing suicide my freshman year of undergrad, and I've since gotten therapy and don't consider myself a risk. Will I ever have a chance of joining? I know a lot of people just kinda keep their mouth shut about this. Since your physician probably knows nothing about it s/he won't bring it up on the medical examination so they're unlikely to figure it out. You probably won't be disqualified but it means more hassle.
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Feb 10, 2011 01:09
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If you get sent to be peace corps in Chongqing you will be working side by side with paid non PCV english teachers (like me) but making 1/5 of the salary we make while being held to a much higher standard. There's pretty much zero reason that Chongqing should be on the peace corps list. There is one school here with like 100 foreign teachers and they also have peace corps volunteers working there. If you're in an expensive city like Chongqing and making the reduced salary, it really kind of sucks. I'm not peace corps but I'm just echoing what I've heard from them.
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Feb 10, 2011 05:12
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I think don't this has been posted yet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-wDq17zyN0 Currently in service and I find this hilarious. Of course, it represents the extremes, but I think every PCV (with a strong enough internet connection) and RPCV can relate.
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Feb 13, 2011 19:50
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Pieter de Hooch posted:I think don't this has been posted yet: It was posted a page or so ago, but continues to be funny. And hit a little close to home on some things.
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Feb 13, 2011 19:56
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Fuschia tude posted:So, apparently I have a phone interview scheduled for Friday to discuss my qualifications and the open programs they'll have in the next few months. Anything I should know going into this or what to expect? All right, I just got my packet in the mail. I'll be going to Ethiopia in May to be a Health Information Communications Technology Advisor. Whatever that means, heh. Reading the duties, it seems to involve anything from setting up computers and installing basic programs to teaching how to use Excel and Access to converting from paper- to computer-based systems, and apparently I'll be situated at a hospital or other health organization. Definitely going to be interesting.
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Feb 17, 2011 03:27
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Cool! I didn't know Peace Corps was in Ethiopia. Guess I'm behind the times.
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Feb 17, 2011 04:46
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Moon Slayer posted:Cool! I didn't know Peace Corps was in Ethiopia. Guess I'm behind the times. Yeah, this is only their third year there. They were one of the first PC programs, running until the Communists took power in 1978, then another program from 1995-1999 until political instability shut it down again.
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Feb 17, 2011 06:54
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