Living Abroad and Bringing Peace Home
-Former Peace Corps volunteers reflect on their service
At first it seemed like an uncanny coincidence: So many of New American Dream's staff and members happened to be returned volunteers from the Peace Corps and similar programs. Time and time again we found ourselves involved in animated conversations about life and work in some of the most remote and impoverished areas of the planet, and the deep rewards that come from transcultural connections.
Then we realized it was no coincidence. Peace Corps volunteers have a unique perspective on American consumption after living for two years without many Western "conveniences," learning different traditions that often value closer ties to nature and community, and then returning home to the material abundance of the United States.
We asked former Peace Corps volunteers to weigh in on their experiences and tell us in their own words how their service has influenced their lives and perspectives. We're pleased to be able to share some of their stories.
- Jennifer Errick
Jennie Curtis and Members of Her Volunteer Group, Thailand, 1985-1987
By coincidence, one week after being asked to comment on how my international service influenced my attitudes and values around consumerism and materialism, I attended my 20-year Peace Corps reunion. What a great opportunity to engage some of my Peace Corps buddies in a dialogue about consumption, what we learned in Thailand, and how it influenced our growth and beliefs in the past two decades!
There were 40 volunteers in my group, of whom seven were men. While most of us were fresh out of college, a handful of us were in our 30s and three were seniors. Today, we pretty much cover the geographic map of the USA. Our professional identities include: six doctors, nine public health specialists, one lawyer, seven nonprofit or public service senior managers, six teachers, one retired teacher, and a real estate agent.
We generally agreed that while most of us were quite young in 1985, we still shared a level of consciousness that was quite progressive; while our Peace Corps service enhanced our values about consumerism and materialism, it did not necessarily serve as the foundation for how we now walk in the world.
However, some things in Thailand made us more acutely aware of how consumerism can go awry. For instance, the use of plastic bags in Thailand was over the top - vendors would pour sodas from glass bottles into plastic baggies that were then discarded arbitrarily on the ground. We all hated seeing so much plastic garbage and litter! On the other hand, Thai country homes were barely furnished but still comfortable. Food was seldom wasted. Usually if there was any television at all it was in only the odd home that was open to the neighbors. And fresh produce and food were almost exclusively produced locally and at village markets that were accessible and open daily. These were very positive and influential experiences.
Reflections from a few of my fellow volunteers:
Beverly Peterson, Missouri - I grew up on a farm and knew how to live simply, so life in Thailand was not a hardship... If anything, my experience in Thailand reinforced that the simplicity of my childhood made sense.
Sean Cleary, Maryland - Thais never threw anything away and I still think about that now. I try to fix things before just tossing them and replacing them. Our throw-away society is such a disappointment!
Debbie Travers, California - My husband and I live in cooperative housing in California which includes four other returned Peace Corps families. We don't have to drive and we share resources such as the washer and dryer, childcare, cooking, and communal area maintenance. It reminds me of Thai village living where everyone pitched in and cared about what their neighbors' needs were as much as their own.
Judy Ungerleider, California - I was a nutrition volunteer based at an Agriculture station. I became so aware of the pesticides that were put on various crops and how poorly villagers were trained to use them. As a result of my Thailand experience, I think about food and truly appreciate where it comes from. I also prefer to be in sync with nature. For me and my family that means eating as organically as possible.
In addition, my husband and I volunteered for more than two years as physicians in a Navajo Hospital. We wanted take our kids out of high-pressure schools and provide a cultural experience that could help them appreciate other ways of seeing the world and the environment. It was very much about living close to the earth and we spent lots of time outdoors. That was our entertainment - catching frogs and horney toads and hiking in canyons and going to Indian festivals. I so appreciate that simple things can make the kids happy - chasing balloons or rafting down a lazy river for hours.
Nancy Wimett, Virginia - In Thailand, I learned that there was a lot of stuff that I could do without; for instance, I had only a one burner stove and it was fine. I also appreciated where water and electricity came from and even now I hate waste associated with these natural resources. Even though I live in Virginia where it can get pretty steamy, I must turn off my air conditioner at night - for two reasons, one I want fresh air and that connection to nature every day and second to conserve some energy. I remember my Thai friends used to get concerned that if I opened my window at night that it would allow evil spirits to enter my room. But it never happened - only the fresh air visited me!
Paul Kaiser The Gambia, 1998-2001
Is it true that time is money? Two Mauritanian Moors once asked me this question while we were in a dugout canoe fording a small river in the rural landscapes of West Africa.
It seems that anything in the world can be purchased in the United States. What my experience in The Gambia, West Africa taught me was that you can't buy security, freedom, and a decent quality of life. "Yeah, duh!" you're thinking. But when I "stepped off the boat," our American pastime of consumerism and accumulation assaulted and sickened me. I longed for the wealth of community, the embrace of friendships, and the importance of working towards the good of the community. This American obsession with stuff left me feeling impoverished.
After only three years in a village of five families, I was utterly incapable of adapting back to the way of life I had known for 25 years prior to Peace Corps. Four years later, I still don't own a TV. I have a new-found pleasure in purchasing locally produced foods and crafts from the makers themselves. In fact, I have joined their ranks as a custom furniture maker using locally salvaged and sustainably harvested woods.
The community where I lived taught me that quality of life depends on nurturing our connection to people and the land. Without an understanding of where our products come from, our fast-paced life of jobs, consumerism, and debt becomes a meaningless treadmill of environmental and societal destruction for selective economic benefit. This shift in my perceptions and beliefs has led to the complete reorganization of my life and goals. My entire view of money and what makes me happy has shifted away from material possessions and having the latest everything and towards a connection to community, people, and land... and I feel immensely wealthier for it!
Anita and Doug Weisburger, Papua New Guinea, 1992-1994
Our two years of Peace Corps service in the highlands of Papua New Guinea helped develop a deep appreciation of New American Dream's mission, revealed in the short vignettes below.
* We'll never forget our friend Hanezu, who rarely enjoyed meals with sufficient protein, and painstakingly removed every single piece of meat from his chicken carcass. It seemed that he even sucked the marrow from the larger bones. He also showed enormous generosity sharing greens from his garden on a weekly basis. The juxtaposition of the two behaviors was almost bewildering from a Western perspective. He and so many others showed us the meaning of community.
* We snorkeled on a beautiful coral reef off the coast of Rabaul and sat on a pristine beach devouring a freshly picked pineapple. The beauty of and connection to the natural world overwhelmed us with feelings of respect, humility, and peace.
* We shared a photo of New York City skyscrapers and told our friends that there were people on the street begging for food, with no home, job, or support system. Astonished, they clicked their tongues in response, we thought, to all the buildings. Then one of them said, in effect: "We're saddened by this phenomenon of homelessness. Perhaps we can write to your government and let the leaders know that we will provide these poor individuals with land so that they can grow food to sustain themselves."
Collectively, these and many other experiences during the course of two years changed our worldview fundamentally. It helped us to understand that a sustainable society is grounded in morality, that we risk becoming dehumanized if we lose our physical and spiritual connection to our environment and community.
While we still have a long way to go in translating this worldview into a truly sustainable lifestyle, our experience has guided us through some major decisions and choices particularly related to our professional and material ambitions, charitable giving, where we live, what and how we drive, what we eat, what we buy (or don't buy), and how we spend our free time. It has been an invaluable gift!
Jennifer LeMahieu Haiti, 2002-2004
One large suitcase, one medium duffel bag, and one small backpack were all I packed for two years in Haiti. I had packed too much. The list of "what to bring" was useless. Without electricity, curling irons, hair dryers, and similar items were out of the question. Couch potatoes were not a problem in my village - I had neither television nor couch. Instead of watching television, my neighbors and I talked, visited other neighbors, and played games. Community and relationships were important. What I brought was not.
Since my return to the States I am still overwhelmed by all the products advertised for the "simple" life. Do we even know what the simple life is? People go shopping for the sake of buying something not needed. We invest time and energy on things that do not matter and often forget what is important: family, friends, and community.
Old habits are hard to break, and I still find myself thinking about buying more clothes, even with a closet bursting with them, instead of thanking God for what I do enjoy. My friend has a bumper sticker that states, "Live simply, so others may simply live." How true is this statement! Lately, I try to buy only what I need and when I do buy something, I look for locally made or fair trade products. The money I save is spent on time with my niece, nephews, and friends.