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bers of our group. Our RPCV/Peru membership in
Amigos hovers around 100 right now. Within the next year, I
am hoping that we can double that number!
One
possibility involves dividing the present Amigos membership who served in Peru
by U.S. time zones. A small two-to-four person "think
tank/task force" within each time zone will get in touch with
all of the members and gather up-to-date information so that
members can easily maintain contact with each other. In
addition, on my wish list, is the hope that, through contact
with our current members, we will be able to find "lost"
Peru RPCVs who can be persuaded to add something to our
efforts.
What I will be expecting from them is
feedback, information, ideas, and news that will stimulate
activities to support programs to benefit
Peru.
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By working through Amigos we benefit from the existing non-profit
organizational status. We can work with the Amigos Board under the umbrella of the
Kantuta Fund which has already been established by
Amigos to assist both Peruvian and Bolivian projects.
In this way, any of our members and friends who make donations
to this fund will know that, after review of proposals, the
funds will be used wisely.
To recap, during this next
year, I will be working on ways to generate interest among
Peru/RPCV's to work within Amigos to support the new, growing Peace Corps program in
Peru.
We can use everyone: writers, translators,
economists, community development workers, agriculturists,
teachers, librarians, health workers, artists and other
talented people as well as fathers, mothers, grandfathers and
grandmothers! So count
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yourself in!
These, then, are the focal points
in the plan of action:
1. develop methods of communication
among ourselves as Amigos members either electronically, by phone, written
communication or at reunions
2. identify projects we
can support through Amigos with funds, volunteer services, or other
available means.
We will work together to encourage
people to develop their ideas and put them into action so that
we can, once again, be involved in making a positive
difference in the lives and future of "nuestro amigos, los
peruanos". Dreaming together...planning
together...acting together, we can accomplish so much. I hope
you will join our efforts.
Patt Behler
Peru 62-64, Arequipa
Community
Development
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I met Paul Kundzins and his wife Mary Ellen at the
ethnic dinner outing of the Amigos de Bolivia y
Peru at the St.
Paul conference -- the restaurant was actually in
Minneapolis.
The RPCVs I've met over the years
have been inspiring. Some have been mobi-centric (move
around from organization to organization.) Others have
hung around with the same outfit as a career.
Paul's identifying work was with an international
human rights organi |
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zation on behalf of whom they regarded as political
prisoners awaiting execution.
Mobilizing international
support in these cases does provide encouragement, especially
in the sense that such prisoners know they are not alone and
the waiting time is often drawn out. Nine of ten of
Paul's cases were executed. That's a harsh job.
Paul found out he had cancer. He and Mary Ellen
(AKA Maria) sold a
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family farm in Minnesota and moved to Mexico.
I've never been to Patzcuaro, Michoacan. I
suspect there is a simplicity and soothing of season for them
there.
They can be contacted at:
Apartado Postal 18
Patzcuaro, Michoacan
Mexico
CP6161600; pabloxuxas@yahoo.com
Ken Rustad
Bolivia 62-64
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