Peace Corps Approach to Development

As a Peace Corps volunteer, it is important to have a diplomatic, open and flexible approach to development, but also a critical and questioning approach to our work. If one is to begin with a brief history of development*, you can begin with the Marshall Plan after WWII, which brought in large-scale economic recovery, followed by modernization in 1950-60. From 1960 to 1970, there were big spikes in oil prices in countries such as the Middle East which suddenly had petrodollars. This resulted in loans from these affluent countries to developing ones, leading to a dependency on the richer countries. 1970-80 brought globalization and structural adjustment, in which development countries were forced to slash there national government budgets and to drastically reduce public health care and education. The results of structural adjustment have been catastrophic, and have essentially brought gross human rights violation to many countries, with many citizens left in dire need of basic health care and education. 1980-90 brough a basic needs approach and many non-governmental organizations emerged to meet this need. From 1990 to the present, the focus of development is mainly on human development.

For Peace Corps as an organization, the approach is people-centered. The focus is on people, not things. With Peace Corps, process equals product. The strategy is bottom-up, with people and our communities defining our development agenda. We are implored as volunteers to be reflective and to NEVER ASSUME that we know what is best. This is key– let the local community lead. They hold the knowledge and expertise of their culture, community, and local resources. Peace Corps Volunteers are meant to be in an accompaniment role, as facilitators, supports and sometimes project co-managers.

Peace Corps believes in a long-term vision approach. There are simply no quick fixes or temporary solutions. The idea is participatory and inclusive. Everyone has an equal voice and should own the process. We focus on capacity-building, believing that the greatest resource is the human one. Our main goal is sustainability – when we leave, there should be no change in the projects with which we are involved, because local leadership continues to be at the helm.

As Nancy Bacon, international development consultant and founder of Sou Digna, states, “Changing a culture (or society) in the long term requires the full and equal participation of those within that culture.” Taking a look at her development spectrum below is also helpful in defining the goals of development, and complements the Peace Corps approach to development quite well. In a University of Washington lecture, Bacon and Anita Verna Crofts discussed the development spectrum as shown below, with the goal being on long-term, transformational change. Such change takes time to implement, but it is the only way for locally-led, sustainable development to occur.

* Much of this post is based on a presentation given by Gilbert Collins, Peace Corps Namibia Country Director.