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The logo seen here has an
interesting history. The first Peace Corps Director, Sarge
Shriver, sent small lapel pins to those PCVs who served during his
directorship. The stylized hands in the design we have used were inspired by
that pin. C Leigh (Purvis) Gerber designed the logo on this website from the
original Shriver pin. |
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Bill and Annelise
Schroeder designed our new website. |
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FON Wants Articles on Nigeria [1/27/08] 10/27/09 11/11/09 An Appeal
to the Well-Connected 12/23/2011 |
1/25/2010 9/2/2010 9/11/2010 11/5/2010 11/5/2010 12/23/2011 |
FON News
FON Wants Articles on Nigeria
Have you access to
interesting articles about Nigeria that most of us can't get? FON would like to
know about them for use in our newsletter or on the website. We plan to prepare
an annotated listing of such articles and even print some or all of some. Contact
Warren Keller, editor, at warrendkk@yahoo.com.
Return to top
WikiFON
Friends of Nigeria is launching
a project using the same tool that has changed encyclopedias from musty volumes
in the library to the interactive, reader driven tool called Wikipedia. Browse
to www.wikifon.org and see what a test
group of users have recorded. The sign up for a userid and record the
history of your own group.
Translate the lore of our Peace Corps experiences many years ago into a
narrative that can be read by ourselves, our families,
our kids, grandkids, historians….
This new effort started as a history project suggested by Peter Hansen:
‘I envision the chapters as containing not
only "the facts" -- places, names, dates, etc. -- but also the
delightful anecdotes and Peace Corps lore that we re-tell whenever we come
together at reunions and other gatherings.’
Ultimately, we would like to
have the project result in a book. But
before we have a book, we need stories, information, and we need some smart
eyes to fill in blanks, sharpen facts, and bundle the project into a cohesive
narrative. Various people suggested
using a wiki as this first step, a community information collection tool. We have tested the concept using a free site,
and we are rolling WikiFON out on a professional
site.
What is a wiki, and what do
we want to collect on our wiki? Here is
how Wikipedia describes a wiki:
‘A wiki is software
that allows users to create, edit, and link web
pages easily. Wikis are often used to create collaborative
websites and
to power community websites. They are being installed by businesses to provide
affordable and effective Intranets and for Knowledge Management. Ward
Cunningham, developer of the first wiki, WikiWikiWeb, originally described it as "the simplest
online database that could possibly work". One of the best known wikis is Wikipedia.’
One
of the key ideas about a wiki is that any authorized user can contribute to any
topic. So, if someone says your group
trained in Kalamazoo, and you know for a fact that your group trained in Ann
Arbor, you can make the correction and provide additional information as
appropriate. Generally, there is an
overall editor to prevent disputes from getting out of hand or users with an ax
to grind disrupting the information collection process. The editor can also strive to provide
consistent formatting and style. We have several excellent professional editors
in our FON community who have volunteered to help us sharpen our narrative,
culminating, perhaps, in an actual printed book we can sit by the fire and
read. Authors Bob Veatch (05) and Sarah Medvitz (27)
have already volunteered, but if you would like to add your editing skills,
please feel free to volunteer.
The
goal of WikiFON is twofold. First, we would like to gather information
about individual training groups. Where they trained, if there were in-country gatherings, any recent
reunions. Second, each of us has anecdotes or recollections that could
capture the flavor of Peace Corps service in Nigeria. That box of letters and photos up in the
attic your mother saved 40 years ago could be the source of some great stories. As each of us presents our stories, they may
spark recollections by others and evoke material none of us knew was there.
We
have chosen to make WikiFON updateable only by people
to whom we have assigned user IDs and a password. This way we can track the usage and prevent
malicious entries. But what we create
can be viewed by anybody on the internet.
Please sign up to be a WikiFON
contributor. Then you can review what
other people have entered already, enter your own material, and interact with
others on the site. We hope to hear from
you soon.
Access wikifon at www.wikifon.org. Contact Greg Jones at gregory.j@comcast.net or Chris Collman at chris.collman@gmail.com to get a user ID. Then you are good to go! Thanks in advance for your efforts.
FON Google Group
Many of you
automatically receive messages posted to the FON GoogleGroup.
If you are a member you should, in addition to receiving messages, be able to seamlessly
send messages to our more than 100 members. If you are a FON member, but not a
member of the FON GoogleGroup, email me (Mike Goodkind) for membership.
Some of you
are aware that you can also use the broader resources of our FONmember website, where among other things, past postings
are available. In order to access the website, you must register with Google. This
requires a Google password and presumably the use of the same email address
which you used to sign up for the FON group. Registering with Google is
available via links from our site, and will by the way allow you to join other
Google Groups if you wish.
(Please do
not be put off by Google's seemingly rude message that "you are not a
member of this group." You easily can be)
Use of the GoogleGroup is a fundamental perk of your FON membership, a
great way to keep in touch between newsletters, and we really want you to
become an active participant. So if you have had any difficulties getting on to
the site or receiving emails, I or a designate would be really glad to help.
Email me directly.
Detail: most of
the trouble people have encountered going to the site has occurred because the
email address used on the site is different from your current email address. In
many cases the easiest thing to do is to reregister you in the group using your
current address. Contact me if you wish to change emails. Please allow a couple
of days.
Also, you will
not be able to contact the "owner of the group," namely me from the
website, until you have registered with Google. So ... to receive emails,
you can join the group but to access the website you must have a Google
"account."
FON Donation Gift Cards
[This information was send out to FON members in a letter dated November 15, 2009.]
Are people on your gift list causing you anxiety? You have no idea what to buy them, or you just object to the orgy of consumption that the holidays have become. FON has the answer! Our new Gift Donation Cards are the perfect gift for the “difficult to buy for” person or the “already has everything” person. You may designate a gift to FON that will go directly to our Fantsuam Project or VSO Project in that person’s name, and return both you and your gift recipient to the original spirit of the holiday. Your money in Nigeria can make a real difference. Plus the cards offer a wonderful springboard to discuss your own experiences in Nigeria. FON is a 501(c)(3) organization; donations to FON are tax-deductible.
FON has created four Gift Donation Cards. On the front of each card is a photo of a Nigerian involved in a project supported by VSO or the Fantsuam Foundation, and on the back is a message explaining the work of the organization. Here (in reduced size) are images of the Gift Donation Cards:
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You choose to contribute the amount that you wish, and select the number of Gift Donation Cards you wish to receive (we request a minimum donation of $25 per card). Recognizing the common delays of holiday mail please provide us with adequate time to send you the cards.
This might also be a good time to renew your membership in Friends of Nigeria. Check the address label on your last FON Newsletter to see whether your membership has expired. If you have never been a dues-paying member of Friends of Nigeria, we encourage you to become a dues-paying member. Use the form on the back page of the newsletter to renew membership.
Thank you from the Board of FON. We look forward to helping spread cheer, good works, and making holiday giving joyful again.
Make your check to
“Friends of Nigeria” and mail to: Friends
of Nigeria
c/o Thomas Cassidy
Pocono
Pines, PA 18350
An Appeal to the Well-Connected
All those with connections in high or wealthy places, please read on. The committee investigating the Heller School-FON Scholarship program has met with 7 Nigerian students currently at the Heller School. The Heller School for Social Policy and Management is a graduate school affiliated with Brandeis University. It has programs in Sustainable Development, Nonprofit Management, Public Policy, International Health Policy, and Coexistence and Conflict. Many of the Nigerian students were there as recipients of Ford Foundation International Fellowship Scholarships. All the students had high praises for the selection process for those scholarships. “You didn’t need to have a personal connection to ‘the big man’ in order to be selected for the scholarship.” “No bribes were required.” That selection process is run by Pathfinder International. See http://www.pathfind.org/site/PageServer?pagename=Programs_Nigeria for Pathfinder’s programs in Nigeria.
I spoke with Dr Aba Nwachukwu in Abuja about the selection process. The Ford Foundation funds 2 Pathfinder staff
members to run the selection process.
They have a selection committee of Nigerians from diverse geographic areas
with connections to NGOs that have made an impact in their communities. They seek out candidates with disadvantaged
backgrounds that have a plan for making a difference in Nigeria. They give those selected a year of free
training in skills required for graduate school: writing in English, the use of
a library, performing academic research, computer skills, and what to expect
while studying in a foreign country.
Nigeria received half of the Ford Foundation scholarships, which amounted
to 28 scholarships per year.
Unfortunately, the Ford Foundation has decided to terminate
their sponsorship of the International Fellowship Scholars program. Last year was the last year they were
accepting applications. The program will
continue for a while, as many students require several years to put together
the resources required to take advantage of the program. So the Pathfinder International process for
advertising the availability of the scholarships, seeking out worthy
applicants, screening and selecting the applications, and preparing the
students for graduate school will come to an end. Unless an alternate funding mechanism can be
found. That’s where the well-connected
among you come in. Whoever has contacts
in wealthy places should exercise them to see if a funding source is interested
in keeping a very worthy process for selecting and educating Nigerian students
alive. It will only take several million
dollars per year, but your wealthy friends probably need more places to spend
their money. Those of you with
connections to the Ford Foundation might inquire why they are choosing to close
off this program. I’d be interested in
finding out why. Certainly the students
we interviewed were very energetic, thoughtful, and motivated. It would be a shame to close off an avenue
that injects such people back into Nigerian society with a robust graduate
school education. Greg Jones
General Announcements
[All general announcements were deemed
obsolete as of 6/9/09. If you have any
general announcements, please send them to Greg Jones
Opportunities
in Africa with Encore! Service Corps International
Encore has
several opportunities in Africa, including one in Nigeria. Link
towww.encoreservicecorps.org
for details. The Nigeria position is interim executive director for
United Way Nigeria, located in Lagos. You can become a member of Encore and
enter your skills, so when positions become available they can contact you if
you have the required qualifications.
Founded in 1979 and headquartered in
Washington, D.C., the National Peace Corps Association is the
nation’s leading 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps
community through networking and mentoring to help guide former volunteers
through their continued service back home. The organization encompasses a
network of over 30,000 individuals and more than 140 member groups. It is also
the longest-standing advocate for an independent and robust Peace Corps and its
values. It is not a part of the United States Peace Corps, which is a federal
agency. To
learn more, visit http://www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org
What We Do
NETWORKING AND SUPPORT
The National Peace Corps Association
(NPCA) provides Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and the Peace Corps
Community with opportunities for networking, including mentoring support for
RPCVs
transitioning from their Peace
Corps service.
NEWS AND ADVOCACY
NPCA provides the latest news on the
Peace Corps and former Volunteers so that interested members can stay informed.
Through meetings on Capitol Hill with key congressional members and staffers,
NPCA advocates for an independent and robust Peace Corps and supports issues
most important to its members. The organization is spearheading many
initiatives to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Peace Corps in 2011.
With more resources and relationships
with Peace Corps member groups than any other organization of its kind, NPCA is
leading the way in helping Returned Peace Corps Volunteers continue making a
difference and helping others.
As the leading nonprofit supporting
former Volunteers and the Peace Corps community, NPCA is helping to extend the
values and legacy of the Peace Corps.
When you join NPCA, you’ll start
receiving WorldView magazine and stay current on events
and accomplishments happening in the Peace Corps community. You’ll also be
connected to and a part of the largest group of RPCVs in the world.
There are different levels of membership
and ways to get involved and we invite everyone (not just RPCVs) to join us and
our member groups.
How to Join NPCA
Visit http://www.PeaceCorpsConnect.org
and click on “Join Now”
Irene Abdou
Photography
Recently Irene Abdou, a Niger RPCV (1995-9) contacted the FON Board to say she has Nigerian pictures available for sale. There is an impressive array of pictures from many different parts of the country. The human interest can be seen in the photo below of children in the Durumi area of Abuja waving multi-colored bottle caps responding to the photographer. More can be found at her website ireneabdouphotography.com or at a site dedicated to Nigerian photographs, stockarchive.photoshelter.com/gallery/Nigeria
More recently Irene has presented a
multi-media presentation on the Fulani in Burkina Faso. Click here: When
darkness falls - Spirit of Humanity
The Pulaku Project
Two young
journalists plan to traverse West Africa, following the path of nomadic Fulani
herders to share the stories of a population daunted by development and climate
change. We invite you to support this endeavor. By ordering a printed
photograph you enable the Pulaku Project to yield a new cultural insight from
the remote camps of Fulani herders.
See www.pulaku.com
Project Description
The Pulaku Project
arose through the friendship of an American Peace Corps volunteer and an
exceptional young Fulani. Travelling modestly and staying in Fulani
encampments, Christoph Herby and Guida Belco will give voice to a culture
facing a diminishing frontier for survival. The two combine an aptitude for
media and photography with the savvy of a proud educated Fulani. Their unique
partnership enables intimate engagement with this flamboyant, yet reticent,
culture.
Fulani herders
survive today amidst the scrubby vegetation of the Sahel much as they have for
over a millennium. Squeezed between the desert and agricultural development,
they face daunting environmental, political, and cultural forces. This
unprecedented project invites global participation through an interactive
website, www.pulaku.com. On this site, documentary vignettes merge still photography
with high-quality audio and video.
Though their origin
remains one of the mysteries of African history, twenty-seven million Fulani
occupy a unique niche at the periphery of human settlement from Cameroon to
Senegal. Fulani traditions vary widely from region to region, but their
diversity is linked by a common thread: a strong sense of self and firm
adhesion to tradition. The word “pulaku” represents the pride, stoicism, and
cultural identity of the Fulani people. The Comité Fulfulde, a council of Fulani elders in Benin, has endorsed the
Pulaku Project as a valuable contribution to the preservation of Fulani
culture.
The Fulani
exemplify the plight of poor populations who suffer disproportionately from the
industrial development of rich nations. While development projects pour
millions of dollars into an array of struggling countries and ethnicities, the
nomadic Fulani still have few dedicated schools and limited economic resources.
Climate change accelerates the growth of the Sahara desert and Fulani herders
often travel hundreds of kilometers in search of better pastureland.
In January 2011
Herby and Belco will depart from northern Benin. The tentative route will
traverse Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali, Guinea, the Gambia, and
Senegal. Travelling by motorcycle to remote camps in each region, they will
visit community leaders and sleep among these nomadic people. As such, the
principal supporters of this endeavor will be the Fulani people who act as
hosts and guides throughout the journey.
Herby and Belco are
uniquely poised to shine a light on Fulani culture through deep reporting and
rare intimacy. Rather than presenting an anthropological examination, this
project emphasizes individual vignettes representing the stories of the Fulani
people. Staying in Fulani camps and exchanging stories in their native tongue,
this endeavor promises a new cultural insight. Additionally, the motorcycle journey
itself promises adventure and access to remote regions that could not be
documented via traditional media.
We invite you to support this project by pre-ordering a printed image. By ordering in advance, you contribute to the effort to share the unique lifestyle and challenges of the Fulani in a changing world. Upon completion of the project we will mail you the image of your choice, framed in a beautiful ebony frame. These frames are handmade by local artisans in Benin. We are counting on your contribution to fulfill our vision of promoting cultural understanding through storytelling.
Language Interpreters Wanted
Kate
Kate Marden
Lionbridge Federal
1101
14th Street, NW, Suite 200
Washington,
DC, 20005
Tel:
202-741-3968
Toll
Free: 888-241-9149 Ext:3968
Fax:
202-289-4677
http://interpretation.lionbridge.com/
Nigerian Linguists Needed
Diplomatic
Language Services is a 25-year old company based in the Washington, DC metro
area that provides language and cultural training and related language services
to US government and commercial clients. We are currently in need of
translators of Nigerian languages, including Hausa and Yoruba, for both
immediate and future openings, in both the DC area and other parts of the
country.
Translators
will provide one or more of the following support services:
*Translate
target language media into English
*Gist,
analyze, categorize and report on foreign language media
*Translate
English text into the target language
*Align
translated material with source material using software provided by the client
Qualified
candidates must meet the following requirements:
*US
Citizenship
*Possession
of a Secret or Top Secret security clearance with the Federal government, or
having held one in the last 5 years (this is highly preferred, not necessarily required)
*Ability
to pass a proficiency test in the target language(s) and English
*Ability
to pass a background check
*Work
experience similar in scope to this position
All
work on this program is based on acceptance by the customer.
Kate
Marden
Recruiter
Diplomatic
Language Services
703-243-4855,
ext. 157