Jean Margaritis speaks

US Peace Corps. volunteer, Jean Margaritis, at Tsepong Clinic in Leribe, Lesotho speaks of her experience coming to terms with Africa.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Peace
• Corps
• Lesotho
• Africa
• health
• HIV/AIDS
• Food
• reality
• gardens
• school
• development

[syrakhan]

As a fellow RPCV, I can say that this is applicable to a lot of places, not just Africa. Most developing countries that the Peace Corps and other humanitarian development agencies work in encounter the same culture shock in regards to development and what it really means. Changing according to what they want and need is hard to grasp for most people when you go in with a set task of changing what you think needs to be fixed.

[shippynippy]

@laman012 is it worth it? worth some of the damage that that million might mean?

[farazars]

@impatboy i'd agree with you only if you 1) can articulate why exactly "we" are in a position to tell someone else what to do, 2) will let "them" tell us what "we" need to do (eg, eat less fast food as a nation), 3) share with them why you feel it is objectively wrong instead of "ending it" (as it seems, by force), and 4) leave them be if they all feel they still want to stick to the practice. [just to be sure, i detest the practice of FGM]

[farazars]

"stopping and listening, and finding .. what people wanted.. you shouldn't..attempt to control it ..rather, participate in it" -- well said. lemme suggest another level of insight? when we interact with another people, equal participation is important but we are never really equal. if we travel to someone else's house/village, they open their doors/lives to us, and share their problems/stories with us, we should be thankful for them "volunteering" to teach us! they come out as the helpers.

[farazars]

"stopping and listening, and finding .. what people wanted.. you shouldn't..attempt to control it ..rather, participate in it" -- well said. lemme suggest another level of insight? when we interact with another people, equal participation is important but we are never really equal. if we travel to someone else's house/village, they open their doors/lives to us, and share their problems/stories with us, we should be thankful for them "volunteering" to teach us! they come out as the helpers.

[laman012]

she fucking gets it. one in a million. hearing this makes all those other of thousands of peace corps volunteers who go and try to "save" the savages worth it--one open mind is worth it.

[impatboy]

Female Genital Mutilation is sort of a counter-point to her argument. We can objectively say that that is wrong and we can, through the use of international organizations or even the Peace Corps help to end it.

[lelandrb]

Eloquent and eye-opening. Thank you.

[ericdstahl]

An acquaintance recommended this video to me. I work in Southeast Asia with people in the global shipping and security communities. Listening, respecting, and letting go are just as effective in my world for getting things done. This is one of the most beautiful accountsof ahimsa that I've heard.

[dbritton101]

Thanks for this video.