This letter written by former PCN Director Donovan Russell.
Dear President Obama:
On Saturday of this week there will be a rally at Freedom Plaza in Washington in support of a proposed appropriation for the Peace Corps in the amount of 450 million dollars. The intent is to promote resources sufficient to our President’s vision for the Peace Corps. I am in strong support of this appropriation. Having worked as a Country Director of the Peace Corps in two countries, it seems to me that if a comparative cost benefit analysis of all government departments and agencies were done, it would turn out that the Peace Corps has no rivals.
Allow me to speak to one nearly failed country (Nepal), to demonstrate how very vital the Peace Corps can be to development, peace and human survival. There is no doubt that the Peace Corps is needed in Nepal more than ever.
The Peace Corps is a vital and proven tool that should be urgently re-established in Nepal. Now that a long war has subsided in that country, peace has no doubt opened the door, ever so slightly, for humanitarian relief and for the rebuilding of individual confidence, family cohesiveness, community cooperation, government services, national infrastructure, businesses and employment. Peace will not automatically eliminate lingering grievances and without the skillful repair of fundamental conditions, things will eventually come apart again or at least not work very well. The end of war in Nepal leaves social marginalization, economic disparity, gender discrimination, illiteracy, disease, landlessness, malnourishment, orphan-hood and homelessness intact. Somehow people’s fear and distrust, caused by both sides when kidnapping, property destruction, killing, torture and detention were practiced, will need to be addressed if neighbors will ever be able to face each other and communities work together again.
Several governments and international agencies will no doubt move to help the people of Nepal. Multi year, sector wide projects, farmed out to international companies and costing millions, will be designed. Complicated programs costing even more and designed to work through broken host government departments, will be put into place. Donor motives will be honorable and the potential for considerable good, will obtain. But much of what is done in this way will not be internalized and will eventually run off. Large donors will understandably have objectives like 24,000 classrooms repaired, 15,000 wells opened, 500 clinics stocked, 4000 teachers trained, 300 miles of freight path restored, and so on – all worthy and needed. The thing of it is, displaced and disenfranchised people, together with alienated communities, will first need to be brought together as part of the repair and redevelopment of Nepal. Wind will have to be breathed into the body all over again. Otherwise accomplishments will be shallow, partial and temporary. The Peace Corps is good at this and before war caused it to leave Nepal, had built significant credibility with the people through many years of successful service.
The Peace Corps is a respected organization that works hand and hand with local people as they are ready, depending on them to decide what needs to be done and relying on them to bring about needed change with its help. While it has always worked in this fashion, this is especially critical at a time when an abundance of cynicism, fear and fatalism has accumulated and makes any “lay it on approach” suspect. Peace Corps personnel work shoulder to shoulder with individuals, project groups, cooperatives, local NGO’s and communities, trusting and respecting their insights and integrity. Development objectives are based on locally identified needs and desires.
The Peace Corps has learned that the ownership which comes from participation is necessary to the sustainability of any accomplishment. Efforts are not limited to any sector but rather take on whatever is needed as a group or community progresses. Development is understood as a continuous problem solving process. Interventions are not seen as stand alone but as building blocks. Attention is given to the needs of whole families and communities, knowing that progress and motivation are interrelated. There is willingness to engage in every element of an endeavor, e.g. cooperative planning and decision making, group or community organization, advocacy with government offices, fund raising, training, child care, family nutrition and so on as needed. Each local success is seen as putting understandings and skills into place which make higher order accomplishments possible. The satisfaction of aspirations induces further ambitions. Surely the work of large donor organizations is important and productive in places like Nepal. However, the thoughtful approach used by the Peace Corps can increase impact considerably while providing opportunity for the development of relationships which are so important in times like these.
The Peace Corps is a vital instrument of the American people. It needs to be used as widely as possible. The Peace Corps is highly cost effective and in addition, is an unequaled graduate school for young Americans. Thank you Mr. President for having the vision that you do for the Peace Corps.
Yours sincerely,
Donovan Russell
Former Country Director
The US Peace Corps
Nepal, South Asia and
Lesotho, Southern Africa
