The Peace Corps, in one of the many ways they test the commitment of future volunteers, ask that you submit a statement of specific strategies and goals for your work in the assigned country. This is the shortened versions of my "Aspiration Statement".
In the months leading up to when I began the application process for the Peace Corps, I had been traveling through southeast Asia. I was doing what I usually do when I travel; writing about my experiences and political, historical, and physical landscapes through which I passed. In the past 4 years, I have been lucky enough to put enough into my savings to satiate my budget-travel addiction and also complete a major stage of my education. Increasingly, I was getting extremely frustrated with the impermanence of my visits, and the reality that I was able only to stay long enough to observe the some of the varied problems of developing nations, but never fully digest their causes, or identify ways I could employ my skills toward ameliorating them.
My trips were of average length—usually between one and two months—long enough to gain a sense of perspective when returning to the United States. I would return to Washington, my university studies, and work with a loose sense of purpose; I knew there was a lot I wanted to accomplish and that, for the most part, I needed to study hard, be active, and get my hands dirty in the professional world in order to begin. When I started applying for what most people would call “real jobs” during my senior year, I encountered very positive returns. It was satisfying to know that my resume was marketable and even attractive in Washington.
Running parallel to my job search was a methodical execution of the steps in the Peace Corps application and clearance processes. I would schedule appointments, send in forms, research possible assignments and read volunteer stories with regularity, almost as if it were a function of some involuntary organ. In August of 2007, I spoke with my medical clearance officer and he mentioned that the program I had been nominated for was filling up fast, and I was yet to receive my medical clearance. I remember a feeling of panic, like I was missing out on something important, something I would regret not being a part of. I remember that weekend I didn’t answer my cell phone, I carved out a cave in the basement of American University’s library and evaluated my prospects—professional, academic, personal—for post-graduation. I also took a look at my goals, who I wanted to be by the time I was 25, 30, 50, and what else I could do for two years. I made countless hilarious diagrams and lists, like my father the engineer used to do when tackling a major task.
The most significant realization I came to during this ridiculous exercise was that I was happy in my life and very proud of some of the things I have done. Also, those things that contributed most to my happiness, and of which I was most proud, were congruent with two of the goals originally laid out in the Peace Corps Act. I always have derived great joy from learning about things very different from what I am used to, things which defy my American conventions. I also have felt very good about representing my country in foreign countries, even though my presence is mostly insignificant and passing. In this small way, I have been a cultural ambassador by trying to tell people of the great place I come from and asking about this wonderful place they are from. Asking questions and answering them, extending a smile and receiving an invitation for tea, identifying the ways I am so profoundly different from the very poor local guy I am surfing next to, but appreciating more how amazing a surfer he is, and connecting with him.
Still, most of my travels have done little to improve the lot of the people I met. Though I am a firm believer in supporting local tourism economies, money is all I contributed. I believe my knowledge, skills, and abilities can do much more for underserved people if given an appropriate venue. I am confident the Peace Corps is the appropriate venue, and that I want to work toward the three goals.
My expectations for the Peace Corps are probably similar to many; presumptive and inaccurate. What I do expect from the Peace Corps experience is that it is not going to be a vacation, which is what my previous travels have essentially been. I expect to find true what I have been told by many volunteers, that I will find patience and understanding much more valuable than fervor for accomplishment and progress. When I think about my approach to my assigned project, I envision spending a lot of time building relationships and credibility among my community. I think (I’m not sure) that Moroccan workplace culture will depend much more on hierarchical respect and proper conduct then American-style competition and under-dogging. I have heard that those who depend greatly on athletic outlets for entertainment find parts of daily life difficult, so I expect to try to find the best way to get around that to make myself happy. Also, I expect to find whatever athletic outlet I discover will allow me to open more doors to my community. I once heard of a volunteer who was able to develop a baseball program in Moldova, I thought that was amazing, I hope to be able to accomplish something like that within cultural bounds and norms.
While living in Hong Kong, I found the best strategy for adapting to new cultures is to dive in. By doing this, you are able to quickly identify things that may bother you about the culture, and develop ways to make sure it doesn’t poison your experience. For example, in China the approach to table manners is very different. I was raised to attach great importance to table conduct, and I found it very bothersome at first. I made sure that I explored the reasons why people ate, well, differently, and I found that even some of the most disgusting noises can many times be construed as respectful in Chinese culture. This was something I would remember everytime I would begin to be bothered, and I learned to accept and even kind of enjoy these practices.
My personal goals for Peace Corps are many, but the biggest goals for me concern my ability to persevere and find ways to keep myself happy. I sincerely hope there are fun, outdoor-oriented things to do at my site, but I realize there may not be. I hope that I leave my Peace Corps service with a high tolerance for slow pace.
My professional goals center around my ability to identify goals and find the most effective methods to achieving them. I hope to develop best-practice models that will translate for community members in dealing with problems in the future. Also, I hope I find ways to make my services most useful. I hope I am able to find side projects that will boost my status in the community. I have a few ideas for this, but I fully realize that I will not be able to identify an appropriate project until I am very familiar with the realities and sensitivities of my site, its people, its culture, and its resources.
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