topless dancing girls and naked boys running on the beach: the peace corps experience of gary deboer
TRANSCRIPT
Topless dancing girls and naked boys running on the beach:
the Peace Corps experience of Gary DeBoer
The Ugly Americanby Lederer and Burdick, 1958
Peace Corps began under Kennedy in 1961
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
To those people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves..."
— President John F. Kennedy
See video of announcment
"The spirit of the Peace Corps springs from the deepest wells in our culture, from the reasoned and strongly felt impulses of our people to share with their neighbors their caring and their labor." — President Jimmy Carter
"Each one of us is responsible for building the
society we want. Peace Corps volunteers do that with people-to-people exchanges, using their energy, their spirit, and their creativity to solve problems. This is the American way. Once we see a need, we want to serve — even when the neighbor we reach out to help is halfway around the world." — President Ronald Reagan
PC Goals
1. Provide appropriate technical support for host country.
2. Allow other countries to get to know Americans and learn about American culture.
3. Bring back the international experience to the US, through talks like this one, so that Americans can learn of other cultures.
My Peace Corps Adventure
• Applied during senior year• Took summer job while awaiting result• Was accepted as a volunteer• Was offered an invitation to Kiribati
Went to the library to find where Kiribati was…
Accepted invitation
Had wisdom teeth removed
Common Misconceptions1. Kiribati people are not starving
• Fish, crab, lobster, papaya, breadfruit, toddy…
2. Kiribati people have homes• Homes are appropriate for the geography
3. Kiribati people have Jesus• Protestants, catholics, bahai, mormons most recently
4. Kiribati people have health care• Free to citizens and aliens
5. No rabies, no malaria, no hurricanes, no unadopted orphaned children, no nursing homes….
Can you say all that for the US?
Areas for development…1. Education – only 10-20% go to high
school
2. Population related• Family planning• Urban planning in Tarawa• Outer island planning to relieve population
pressure in Tarawa• Fresh water and waste water system
3. Resource development• Fisheries, seaweed, copra, limited tourism
These are the needs Kiribati have identified for themselves
Lessons LearnedDifferences in Customs
• English language• Girls wear pants• Eat potato• Family car• Children mature and
leave home• Boys hold hands of
girls• Never say a man’s wife
is fat
• Kiribati language• Girls wear skirts• Eat coconut• Family canoe• Extended families are the
norm• Girls hold hands of girls• A fat wife means a man
is a good provider
Lessons Learned Differences in Values, less observable
• Independence• Outstander, aggressive• Initiative• Punctuality• Youth and energy• Technology is the answer• Tradition is a road block• Visitors are to be put up with• Low context
• Community• Fit in (don’t beat your opponent too
much) cooperate• Consultation• Patience• Age and wisdom• Community policy is the answer• Tradition is the glue that holds
community together• Visitors are an opportunity to
demonstrate your values• High context
Lessons LanguageTe taetae ni Kiribati
Greetings
Jim: Hello!
John: Hello!
Jim: How are you?
John: Thank you, I'm fine. And you, how are you?
Jim: I'm fine also, thank you.
Te Kamauri
Tim: Ko na mauri !
Tiaon: Mauri !
Tim: Ko uara?
Tiaon: Ko rab'a, I marurung. Ao ngkoe, ko uara?
Tim: I marurung naba, ko rab'a.
The mission of Peace Corps parallelsincarnational ministry
• spiritually mature• Relational• culturally engaged• missional• transformational
Pay Mays, Christian Ministry, LeTourneau University
Appropriate Technology:
1. Culturally engaged
2. Uses local resources
3. Sustainable
www.peacecorps.govCIA Factbook
Kiribati related linksTrip to Fanning Island (video)
Dancing Girl (video)More Dancing Girl (video)
Contemporary Dancing Group (video) Kiribati Future (video)
More Kiribati Future (video)Kiribati Evacuation (video)
For more information on the Peace Corps or Kiribati try the links below: