1. Topless dancing girls and naked boys running on the beach:
the Peace Corps experience of Gary DeBoer

2. Welcome Dance

3. The Ugly American by Lederer and Burdick, 1958

4. Peace Corps began under Kennedy in 1961
"And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.
To those people in the huts and villages of half the globe struggling to break the bonds of mass misery, we pledge our best efforts to help them help themselves..."
— President John F. Kennedy
See video of announcment

5. "The spirit of the Peace Corps springs from the deepest wells in our culture, from the reasoned and strongly felt impulses of our people to share with their neighbors their caring and their labor." — President Jimmy Carter
"Each one of us is responsible for building the society we want. Peace Corps volunteers do that with people-to-people exchanges, using their energy, their spirit, and their creativity to solve problems. This is the American way. Once we see a need, we want to serve — even when the neighbor we reach out to help is halfway around the world." — President Ronald Reagan

6. PC Goals Provide appropriate technical support for host country.
Allow other countries to get to know Americans and learn about American culture.
Bring back the international experience to the US, through talks like this one, so that Americans can learn of other cultures.

7. My Peace Corps Adventure
Applied during senior year
Took summer job while awaiting result
Was accepted as a volunteer
Was offered an invitation to Kiribati
Went to the library to find where Kiribati was…
Accepted invitation
Had wisdom teeth removed

22. Greetings by Dance
Dancing Girls

25. Greetings by Dance
Dancing Boys

119. Common Misconceptions
Kiribati people are not starving
Fish, crab, lobster, papaya, breadfruit, toddy…
Kiribati people have homes
Homes are appropriate for the geography
Kiribati people have Jesus
Protestants, catholics, bahai, mormons most recently
4. Kiribati people have health care
Free to citizens and aliens
5. No rabies, no malaria, no hurricanes, no unadopted orphaned children, no nursing homes….
Can you say all that for the US?

120. Areas for development…
Education – only 10-20% go to high school
Population related
Family planning
Urban planning in Tarawa
Outer island planning to relieve population pressure in Tarawa
Fresh water and waste water system
Resource development
Fisheries, seaweed, copra, limited tourism
These are the needs Kiribati have identified for themselves

121. Lessons Learned Differences in Customs
English language
Girls wear pants
Eat potato
Family car
Children mature and leave home
Boys hold hands of girls
Never say a man’s wife is fat
Kiribati language
Girls wear skirts
Eat coconut
Family canoe
Extended families are the norm
Girls hold hands of girls
A fat wife means a man is a good provider

122. Lessons Learned Differences in Values, less observable
Independence
Outstander, aggressive
Initiative
Punctuality
Youth and energy
Technology is the answer
Tradition is a road block
Visitors are to be put up with
Low context
Community
Fit in (don’t beat your opponent too much) cooperate
Consultation
Patience
Age and wisdom
Community policy is the answer
Tradition is the glue that holds community together
Visitors are an opportunity to demonstrate your values
High context

123. Lessons Language Te taetae ni Kiribati
Greetings
Jim:  
Hello!
John:  
How are you?
Thank you, I'm fine. And you, how are you?
I'm fine also, thank you.
Te Kamauri
Tim:  
Ko na mauri !
Tiaon:  
Mauri !
Ko uara?
Ko rab'a, I marurung. Ao ngkoe, ko uara?
I marurung naba, ko rab'a.

124. The mission of Peace Corps parallels incarnational ministry
spiritually mature
Relational
culturally engaged
missional
transformational
Pay Mays, Christian Ministry, LeTourneau University

126. Appropriate Technology:
Culturally engaged
Uses local resources
Sustainable

129. For more information on the Peace Corps or Kiribati try the links below:
CIA Factbook Kiribati related links Trip to Fanning Island (video) Dancing Girl (video) More Dancing Girl (video) Contemporary Dancing Group (video) Kiribati Future (video) More Kiribati Future (video) Kiribati Evacuation (video)