WorldView Magazine - Summer 2009 - (Page 7)
Readers Write LANGUAGE AND ThE PEACE CORPS A lthough I enjoy all issues of Worldview, the Spring 2009 Special Issue was truly special for more reasons than the wonderful inaugural coverage. I was especially interested in the “Language and the Peace Corps” series of articles. This series was quite timely, as it arrived the weekend before NorCal Peace Corps Association partnered with the prestigious Commonwealth Club of California on “The Rosetta Project: Documenting All Human Language for the Next 10,000 Years.” It is estimated that 90% of the existing human languages will become lost or endangered in the next century. The Long Now Foundation is sponsoring the Rosetta Project to collect and archive the world’s languages on the web, and etch them into metal to last for millennia to come. The Worldview articles speak well of acquiring lingual skill in order to have a truly fulfilling Peace Corps experience. Since Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) all would hopefully learn the local language, and some serve in areas where languages are endangered, why not help the Rosetta Project document these languages–especially since funding to continue this remarkable project has stopped. Why doesn’t Peace Corps develop such linguistic programs to offer countries of service in order to enable them to preserve these precious cultural jewels? Peace Corps could easily recruit volunteers from colleges/universities whose graduate students in linguistics want/need to do field work for their degrees. Such a collaborative effort might interest grantors to continue funding this amazing project. As I am not an expert in this area, I hope that RPCV writers such as Dr. Carol Benson, who wrote “Peace Corps and the Value of Local Languages,” and Dr. David Zorc, who wrote “A Life Linguistic,” would C M Y K contact the Dr. Laura Welcher of the Rosetta Project in San Francisco to work with Peace Corps in broadening its program offerings as we enter our Worldview_Winter next 50 years of service. 08_SPA-proof.pdf Karen Keefer Nigeria & Liberia Staff/HQ Program Coordinator International Relations Forum 10/27/08 1:33:55 PM The Commonwealth Club of California Top-ranked in the Nation – U.S. News & World Report Consistently among top three producers of Presidential Management Fellows (2006, 2007, 2008) Internationally renowned faculty Ideas into action, action into service. CM MY CY CMY American University has a long tradition of supporting Peace Corps volunteers. Visit our website or contact an admissions representative today to learn more about our graduate programs. Graduate degrees offered: EO/AA University and Employer Application fee waived for Peace Corps volunteers. 202-885-6230 spagrad@american.edu www.spa.american.edu WorldView
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of WorldView Magazine - Summer 2009
WorldView Magazine - Summer 2009
Contents
More Peace Corps Campaign: Better and Bolder!
Africa Rural Connect
Readers Write
You Too Can Be Bill Gates
Taking Peace Corps Back into the Field
Come for the Information, Stay for the Dancing
A “Green” Community Rising
Microfinance Pioneer Receives 2009 Shriver Award
The Colombia Project
A Voice for the Unheard
Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Microfinance Podcasts
Selected Microfinance Resources
Bicycle! Bamenda! Orange!
Luck and Fame
A Step in the Right Direction
Bringing What She Loves
Letter from Botswana: First Tongues of the Kalahari
Letter from Tanzania: Homo Sapien in Africa
In the Beginning (There Was John)
The Peace Corps Community Making a Difference
Community News
Advertiser Index
WorldView Magazine - Summer 2009
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