This post was inspired by a book I recently read written by Bill Mahner, titled When You Ride Alone You Ride with Bin Laden: What the Government Should Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism.
I hear people ask, is Peace Corps really making a difference? Are Peace Corps volunteers needed? Can't we put the money to better us? But I say, yes we are needed and we do make a difference. We are truly Peace soldiers.
The second and third goals of PC are, help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served and helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
In our global village this is needed, now more than ever. We have reached a point in American life, where people are clueless about foreign affairs, we don't understand nor take the time to understand other countries or cultures. We are just concerned about us and us alone not caring about others. We (PC volunteers) can be a great tool an asset in fighting the war on terror, because we are learning about others, their countries cultures and beliefs and taking that back to the American People.
John Powers of LA Weekely once said, "They hate us because we don't know why they hate us." So this is a time when we need to learn about others and stop being such a greedy society, we need to know why others have come to hate us much, why we are not liked and ITS NOT just the Muslim world.
Theretofore as Peace Corps volunteers, we are going out there, learning about others, getting a better understanding of cultures and understanding why there is soo much hatred for Americans. We are following a call of time in which we are not asking what our country can do for us but what we can do for it. A time like World War II, when young men and women easily gave up their life for the cause. A time when rich boys like George HW Bush, Jack Kenndy gave up their future to serve for their country.
As PC volunteers, we are doing what other countries need of us, to learn about them, care about them and just show that we care. Show them that we are not just occupied by our big fancy cars, fashion.
Being here sitting with these people, talking to them, sharing our stories, hearing their stories, we are making connections about why we are not so liked around the world. Why using so much oil is fueling terrorist, how buying big diamonds support the bad guys. We create peace.
So as Peace Corps volunteers, we are making a difference, caring about others, those people that are so different from us. Making the connections and making America less hated. We are showing people that as Ameicans we care about something more; not just about who we have to step over to get that next dollar. And as we go back home we show America, not everybody is a terrorist and not every Muslim believes Osama.
At least that's how I see it!!
Check out the book if you get a chance
