Jason Pearce

The Guyana Peace Corps now hires armed vehicles to escort Peace Corps vehicles to the airport as an extra precautionary measure. While I never felt like a target in Guyana, other than for petty crimes like pick pocketing, I’m glad that the Peace Corps is taking the extra step to further ensure the safety of the volunteers.

Although I have many disappointments regarding the Peace Corps, I must commend their security officer. He makes a valiant effort to ensure volunteer safety among an increasingly volatile and uncertain environment.

Someone in the press, let’s call her a friend of a friend, recently emailed a friend of mine sharing her disgust of how the Peace Corps has treated me. While I have not made an effort to make my case public (http://net.jasonpearce.com/peacecorps/cos/ is not a publicly accessible link), it’s nice to hear that some members of the press might be interested in my story.

While tempting, there are a few reasons I haven’t made my story public:

• I’m waiting for reassignment from the Peace Corps. Making my case public would likely prevent me from getting another invitation to serve.
  
• If I don’t get a reassignment, I’ll likely appeal the Peace Corps’ decision to send me home. Again, I don’t want to jeopardize that opportunity.
  
• I’m also looking for a full-time job. Sharing my story could scare potential employers away.
  
• While I think I was mistreated, I still believe the Peace Corps does more good than harm. I haven’t finished weighing my need for retribution against the possible harm that such a retribution might do to the Peace Corps.

Any rate, I have lots to think about. Here’s an excerpt from the email that I was referring to:

I would hope that the Peace Corps would have fewer jerks than the rest of the government, but apparently not so. Sounds to me as if Guyana is a VERY difficult place to work because of the crime and poor conditions anyway. The last thing Peace Corps volunteers need is bureaucratic idiocy piled on top.

When you have young, dedicated men and women serving their country–in more danger than soldiers because they have no weapons–being treated in an appalling way, it’s beyond the pale.

I’m glad some of his colleagues called it to another administrator’s attention, but with all the war rattles going on, Peace Corps matters may get short shrift.

I’d be tempted to send a blistering letter (by snail mail) to the head of the Peace Corps and ask some leading questions–

• I thought the job of administrators was to provide support, not sabotage. (Oh come on, you can’t be that naive. Why not? So you think it’s “naive” to expect decent treatment as a Corps volunteer???)
  
• How do you expect to accomplish your mission if you treat volunteers in such a an irresponsible way?
  
• How will you recruit if word spreads?–and word will spread. Etc.

Sadly, two Guyana Peace Corps volunteers will be leaving in the next week. One will be leaving this Friday and the other will be giving the office notice early next week.

Both are leaving on the own accord, claiming that the crime situation has exceeded their comfort levels.

While I am happy that they are excited to be coming home and will soon be enjoying the benefits and security found here (relatively speaking, since here we have had some recent sniper activity), I’m sure they will be missed by both their fellow volunteers and the Guyanese.

Welcome home. I support you both all the way.

A story from Today’s Stabroek News, one of Guyana’s largest newspapers:

Wednesday October 9, 2002
http://www.stabroeknews.com/ (full story here)

Crime shutdown set for today
Govt warns public servants not to stay away
By Miranda La Rose

Fed up with the approach of the government and the opposition to the tide of violent crime that has swept the country, a group of citizens is today set to embark on a shutdown of Guyana to send a strong appeal for urgent action.

Opposed to the planned action, the government yesterday issued a stern warning to public servants to turn up for work or face disciplinary action.

The shutdown call has been issued by a group of businessmen and a group called Unite Guyana. No-one in either group has acquiesced to being publicly identified with the campaign.

At a press briefing yesterday afternoon, Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford advised public servants that her ministry has not given them any permission to stay away from work today. All public servants will be required to be on duty from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Failure to do so, she said will result in disciplinary action.

Asked how she will deal with those public servants who may be affected due to the unavailability of public transportation, she said unfortunately, she did not call the briefing “to debate or for questions to be asked” adding that when those issues arise they will be solved. There were provisions within the public service for dealing with those “if and when they should arise”, she said.

Dr Westford also pleaded with the politicians, especially those who were elected to parliament to come together to ensure that the crime problem was solved.

She urged those committing the rash of crimes to allow citizens to live in peace.

To the business community she said “you need to come up with a concise and comprehensive plan in trying to assist with this problem that you are having. I don’t know if you feel that shutting down for one day or two days will solve this problem. I don’t think so.”

Permanent Secretary in the Public Service Ministry Dr NK Gopaul said in a circular that any person who failed to report for duty today will have their salary deducted accordingly.

It’s nice to know I’m still missed. For those of you still in Guyana, I miss you too. In fact I played cards this weekend for the first time since returning to the states and it just wasn’t the same. But how could it be? After all, the cards weren’t sticking to my fingers due to the Diet (insect repellant), a few rounds of Banks beers weren’t scattered over the table, strangers weren’t coming up to us asking for money or giving us advice on how to play our hand, and the stereo wasn’t at full volume. Oh, I almost forgot, I wasn’t sweating my b*lls off in a plastic lawn chair.

Thanks for the great email.

Date: Sat, 5 Oct 2002 21:31:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: “hidden”
Subject: Gone but not forgotten, Guy 10.1
To: jason@pearce.net

Just tonight, some of us had a chance to get together. Of course your name got brought up and we again rehashed the circumstances surrounding this unfathomable situation. This is my first time at a computer since swearing in, and by the time you reply, I’ll be back in the bush, and won’t see a computer again for at least six weeks.

I wish this whole thing didn’t happen, and I peruse all the information on your website with the same level of shock and dismay I had when I first found out you were sent home (I found out about a week after you left the country… information doesn’t get to me very quickly). I just remember our discussion over Chinese food (remember? It was like we were seniors who had just graduated from high school, still hanging out in town… :) ) thinking that we’ll all enjoy a nice chuckle over this many times over the next two years, and beyond.

I hate knowing that you are missing everything going on here because of Earl the SOB (he hasn’t been winning many friends since you’ve left anyway, from what I hear) and his unilateral decision to deprive you of a really great experience. It’s so frustrating to have to be nice to him, just so I stay off the “radar”. I just want to tell him to f- off every time I see him, and I don’t even see him all that often.

On another note, the crime situation in Georgetown and on the East Coast is horrifying so you should feel a bit lucky to be where it’s safe. The rate of violent crimes here is truly fearsome… Four people were shot on one volunteer’s street about two weeks back. The volunteers in G-town don’t feel very safe here, and I am feeling very lucky that I don’t live here in town.

Well, I’m getting along in the bush just fine. The school is an absolute zoo (the students don’t learn and the teachers don’t teach). Hey, if it were a good school, I wouldn’t be there, right? :) One volunteer near me got dengue fever, but is now OK; although he and another volunteer were robbed just a few weeks ago, but I suppose they are both OK now.

I hate to sound so somber, because I am guessing that you are getting over this, but I just wanted to tell you that the folks down here aren’t going to forget you any time soon. I might sound like an old man (or as the Guyanese say a “Big” man) but please don’t forget that everything happens for a reason.