Neocolonialism and Peace Corps Teaching in the Philippines Jeflrey Ayala Milligan Teaching has long been seen as simultaneously a practical and a fun- damentally moral enterprise (Dewey 1909, 2). Also, we only help in ways needed. In fact, even though the previous problems of colonialism don’t line up with the Peace Corps mission at all, this one seems particularly inconceivable as a consequence of the Peace Corps working in foreign nations. And especially that last paragraph. That naturally feels like neo-colonialism. *I use the pronoun “we” here, not because I or any of my relatives were ever actively involved in colonialism in the traditional sense, but because I, by virtue of my appearance, culture, and nationality, am still benefiting from the colonialism of the past and from imbalances remaining in the “post-colonial world.” If you fit this description, and the use of “we” makes you uncomfortable, I recommend reflecting on your privileges and thinking about what you can do to undo these structures and empower others. I don't think we, as volunteers, are particularly neocolonial, but things like teaching English stems from post colonialism-- I mean, take Zambia. Represent responsibly the people, cultures, values, and traditions of your host country and community to people in the United States both during and following your service. I know some excellent volunteers, but honestly I saw many do more harm than good. They actually wanted me to just show up to the health centre so people could look at me. Volunteers are expected to live in the same conditions as those they are serving and to become a part of that community. We are not forcing ourselves on anyone for our own gain. I'd be lying if I didn't say this was a concern I think about a lot, especially when I was trying to decide whether or not to apply. As a volunteer from the U.S., Can we, as Americans, actually be able to step away from western epistemologies and pedagogies so we can fully serve and learn from other cultures?? Obviously, I could use this blog to paint an Orientalist picture of Mozambique, but the Peace Corps discourages it. A lot of these questions are nearly impossible to find clear answers to, which makes it even more difficult to determine if Peace Corps is actually an aid organization or just a soft power mining operation. Regardless of whether people think the Peace Corps is neocolonial (and its definitely way better than a lot of aid organizations out there) I do think it is somewhat complicit/part of a neocolonial aid system that is intended to benefit the donor countries more than the countries they believe they are supposed to be helping. They wanted me to write grants to get them more money for tangible things. Countries remain open to volunteers, but sites change. This exactly. Césaire, Aimé. While I’m not an expert in all of the programs the Peace Corps facilitates like economic development and healthcare, to name a few, as far as I can tell the organization is working for the opposite of this. Joseph Nye coined the phrase soft power in 1990 (or somewhere in there), and it really shook up the field of IR because of its accuracy in many international relations phenomena. Césaire expands on this point as well: “The proof is that at present it is the indigenous peoples of Africa and Asia who are demanding schools, and colonialist Europe which refuses them; that it is Africa who is asking for ports and roads, and colonialist Europe which is niggardly on this score; that it is the colonized man who wants to move forward, and the colonizer who wants to hold things back. While the individual Peace Corps volunteer’s attitude isn’t relevant here, the organization itself is. Is long-term Peace Corps presence associated with increases in American imports, technology, or media? You’re right that was a long blog! The critiques of the Peace Corps are associated with this idea of building lasting soft power rather than sustainable aid: Americans take volunteer positions that could go to in-country actors, perpetuating the idea that the country needs us; new posts will open, but very rarely close; our presence in countries with long-lasting posts has made American presence a comfortable assumption, rather than temporary aid, etc. Whether it was sugar in the Spanish colonies of the Caribbean, ivory in the Belgian Congo, or rubber in French controlled Vietnam, the colonizer always found ways to profit from these ventures through the use of slavery, cheap labor, or the exploitation of natural resources. While this isn’t meant to be an extensive investigation on the problems with colonialism, there are five things that immediately come to mind that I’d like to point out. I don’t think pulling aid and programs like Peace Corps is very beneficial to either party either. This would not be possible in there was any segregation in the community. The answer lies in the core expectations that they have for all of their volunteers: These expectations, especially 3, 4, and 6, demonstrate the Peace Corps commitment to avoid any form of segregation or separation between their volunteers and the people they’re serving. (46)”. The similarities between the people all over the world were ignored in favor of showing just the differences. I think it is critical to the success of the program and for each volunteer to really think critically about this argument, and I believe it undermines the program to some extent when people do not engage with it. Is there a true benefit to a country speaking English, or is that an invention of American soft power influence? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts, https://www.npr.org/2011/03/02/134194082/the-nation-a-radical-alternative-to-peace-corps. First off, I think it will be easier to avoid Orientalism because that colonial power dynamic will not exist. They didn’t need to be “civilized,” they didn’t want to be “civilized,” and our actions in the name of “civilizing” made us act more like barbarians. Country directors are aware of that and keep that in mind. Can the host country begin to exert influence on the US? We actually had thunderstorms and a ton of rain today. They claim the Peace Corps paints itself as a service-minded development agency, but it is actually an ineffectual foreign enterprise founded on the problematic premises of American exceptionalism, white saviorism, neocolonialism, and American imperialism. Decolonizing Peace Corps uses these terms frequently and purposefully. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 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