The Foreign Service Journal, November 2008

stereotypes some foreign nationals have about Americans, both positive and negative, or at least to try to explain them. Another benefit has been the incentive to develop coping mecha- nisms, such as staying in touch with family and friends back home. It was in the Peace Corps that I first started using e-mail on a regular basis. And it was during my first assignment in the Foreign Service that I started using instant messaging and web- cams. Finding new and more effec- tive ways to communicate across many miles and time zones has helped me to overcome bouts of loneliness and frustration. On the other hand, forming new friendships was equally important, if not more so. I have found that the friendships I formed as a Peace Corps Volunteer have been some of the most significant in my life. This is proving to be equally true in the Foreign Service. I am continually amazed by all the bright and interest- ing people I have the opportunity to meet. Whether getting to know my FS colleagues, local staff, neighbors or expats at post, it is always an enriching experience. The diversity of people I had the privilege to meet and know in the Peace Corps was enriching and gave me a taste for what life in the Foreign Service would be like and, so far, has been. Marcia S. Anglarill Vice Consul Consulate General Monterrey T HE V ALUE OF “G OING N ATIVE ” The single most important insight from my Peace Corps service in Senegal (1966-1968) that I’ve applied to my Foreign Service career is also the most obvious: Most of the world is not American. In Senegal, I lived with two nation- als. I spoke their language, met their families, befriended their friends, and learned about their (very different) values and religion. For two years, I rarely saw another American, or even another Westerner. Before joining the Peace Corps just out of college, I had wanted to be a lawyer. Afterward, I knew I wanted an international career. The Foreign Service was always part of the plan (or the hope), but it took me a while to get there. I was sworn in as a junior FSO in 2001 at the age of 58. Critics of the Foreign Service often complain that we “go native,” identi- fying more with the countries in which we serve than with the United States. Balderdash! The most effec- tive Foreign Service employees are precisely those who appreciate the extent to which foreign nationals have a different perspective. FSOs do not have to agree with that mindset, but if they do not understand it, their attempts at diplomacy will fail. Craig Olson FSO, retired Arlington, Va. T HE “R EVERSE P EACE C ORPS ” Unlike so many others who went from the Peace Corps to the Foreign Service, you could say I did the reverse. When I moved to New Delhi to accompany my wife on her first tour as a Foreign Service officer, I found a great job in the embassy helping coordinate efforts to fight human trafficking. The job was a nice fit with my experience, and India was a life- changing experience. While there, I developed the idea of bringing nonprofit leaders from the developing world to the U.S. on a one-year fellowship — what some people have called a “reverse Peace Corps.” For 47 years Americans have had the opportunity to volunteer abroad, but overseas leaders have not had access to the same experience. (Interestingly, the founders of the Peace Corps intended for overseas leaders to volunteer in the U.S., but after two years the funding for that was cut.) Due to the expense and visa restrictions, it is difficult for someone from the developing world to volun- teer in the United States. While many people I know took their knowledge from the Peace Corps to make them better employ- ees of State, I took my experiences at State to launch a new kind of Peace Corps. I learned about J-1 visas from the consular section and picked up best practices from the public affairs section about the International Visitor Leadership Program. I also borrowed an idea from AmeriCorps, where host organizations (U.S. non- profits where fellows are placed for one year) cover about 50 percent of the expenses. After New Delhi, we moved to Bogota. There, after two years of working for State, I launched Atlas Corps (www.atlascorps.org ), incorpo- rated it as a nonprofit, and got the Department of Homeland Security to certify it under the Student and Exchange Visitor Program. I found funding from host organizations, foundations, corporations, individuals and even the Colombian government — all despite my mediocre Spanish- language skills. Last year we launched the pro- gram with two fellows from India and four from Colombia, placing them at organizations like Ashoka and the Grameen Foundation. We have now doubled the size of the program, to 12 fellows. Scott Beale Founder & Executive Director Atlas Service Corps, Inc. Washington, D.C. 58 F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 8