From clear_lea at yahoo.com Wed Dec 10 19:20:41 2008 From: clear_lea at yahoo.com (Claire Lea) Date: Wed, 10 Dec 2008 16:20:41 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] Eco-Tourism Project and School Project in Guinea need your help! Message-ID: <881581.28720.qm@web53904.mail.re2.yahoo.com> FOG is getting the word out for 2 PCV Projects in Guinea!? The first is?Catherine Murtaugh?s Peace Corps Partnership Project in Guinea.? Catherine serves as a PCV doing Small Enterprise Development work.? Catherine is taking on a new Eco-Tourism and Reforestation project and needs your support. Developed out of a pressing community need, this project will be implemented by both Catherine and the primary project beneficiaries.? This project will benefit the people of the community for many years to come.? In order to implement this project, Catherine must raise $4479 from friends, family and other organizations in the United States.? Catherine and the people of the community are asking for your assistance to turn this project into a reality. The second is Samantha Levin?s Peace Corps Partnership Project in Guinea.? Samantha serves as a PCV Public Health work.? Samantha is taking on a new School Roof Repair project and needs your support. Developed out of a pressing community need, this project will be implemented by both Samantha and the primary project beneficiaries.? This project will benefit the people of the community for many years to come.? In order to implement this project, Samantha must raise $1,991 from friends, family and other organizations in the United States.? Samantha and the people of the community are asking for your assistance to turn this project into a reality. The easiest way to contribute is to go to www.peacecorps.gov/contribute and select Catherine?s project (Project Number 675-134) or Samantha?s project (Project Number 675-133) .? The web site is the safest and quickest way to make a donation.? You can also make a check payable to Peace Corps Partnership Program and send it to 1111 20th St NW, Washington DC 20526.? Be sure to indicate the project number on the check so it will be applied to the correct project.? Also, check with your employer to see if they provide matching gifts as many will match your gift dollar for dollar!??Your gift supporting either of these projects is tax-deductible -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From erinmcarlson at gmail.com Thu Dec 11 21:43:18 2008 From: erinmcarlson at gmail.com (Erin Carlson) Date: Thu, 11 Dec 2008 18:43:18 -0800 Subject: [Guinea-list] Job Opening at Peace Corps, Seattle: Public Affairs Specialist Message-ID: If you know of anyone interested in being a Public Affairs Specialist for Peace Corps, there's an opening at my office: PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST ? SEATTLE, WA Position available with the Peace Corps Regional Recruitment Office in Seattle. Duties: provide marketing, advertising and public affairs support for Peace Corps recruitment operations in a 5-state region. Salary: $49,244?$72,565. Deadline: January 2, 2009. For more details and a description of qualifications, visit www.peacecorps.gov/jobs or click on https://www.avuedigitalservices.com/casting/central/control/selectVacancy;jsessionid=a13a53e530d6eb612d3fec6f4cf0bd8ab7e561d340ae.e38PaN8TbNaTaO0LahaNc3iMaO0?vacancyIds=348562637,348562646,348562637 . *** Pass the info along and let me know if anyone plans to apply so I can put in a good word- Erin Carlson Regional Recruiter RPCV Guinea, West Africa, 2005-2007 Peace Corps - Seattle Regional Office 1601 5th Ave., Suite 605 Seattle, WA 98101 direct phone 206.239.6606 office phone 206.553.5490 toll-free 1.800.424.8580, option 1 fax 206.553.2343 ecarlson at peacecorps.gov Apply Now Join our Mailing List Come to an Event Get our Screensaver Q *Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail* -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From erinmcarlson at gmail.com Mon Dec 15 19:04:03 2008 From: erinmcarlson at gmail.com (Erin Carlson) Date: Mon, 15 Dec 2008 16:04:03 -0800 Subject: [Guinea-list] Fwd: Holiday greetings from School-to-School International In-Reply-To: <20081215224454.26D382008109@grays.collegenet.com> References: <20081215224454.26D382008109@grays.collegenet.com> Message-ID: Friends of Guinea may be interested in learning more about the group below- Erin Carlson RPCV Guinea, 2005-2007 ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Date: Mon, Dec 15, 2008 at 2:44 PM Subject: Holiday greetings from School-to-School International To: Dear friends of School-to-School International, 2008 has been quite a year. In the US, it has been one of new political possibilities and, at the same time, unprecedented economic uncertainty. For many people in developing countries, it was yet another year of increasing difficulty. In Guinea, for example, wages continued to fall, and the price of food and fuel continued to rise. In October, life became so unbearable that many courageous people took to the streets. Sadly, they were met by the military who, as has happened over the last several years, stopped them, arrested some and killed others. Through all of this, STS has continued to support schools and commuinities throughout coastal Guinea. Now in our 6th year there, we were able to accomplish the following in 2008: - *provide small grants *to 8 communities to build wells and latrines and acquire medical kits for their schools, - *chip away at dangerous myths *about malaria and HIV/AIDS by training 200 teachers to help 10,000 kids learn about hand washing, avoid sexual predators, and identify the causes of major diseases, - *improve kids' math scores by 10% *by training teachers in active instructional techniques to address kids' biggest problems in math, and - *open the world to 150 students *in the US and Guinea who now know one another through pen pal exchanges. In 2009, STS will continue to make children's educational futures a little brighter in Guinea. With support from Metropolitan Learning Center in Portland,Oregon and the Alcoa Foundation in Guinea, we will be reinforcing our work in 24 schools while expanding to 8 new ones. We will also be rebuilding the school pictured at the right and providing reading materials and training so that children remain enthusiastic about learning, even when conditions aren't ideal. As you enter this holiday season and the New Year, you are probably thinking about how to make the world a better place, even while you are trying to make ends meet. A school that STS is rebuilding in Guinea [image: Photo of aA school that STS is rebuilding in Guinea] A contribution to STS is one powerful way to do this: with a modest donation of just $50, you can provide reading materials for children in Grades 1 and 2, or provide training for more teachers, or contribute to building wells or latrines in schools that have never had them before. Most importantly, your support can be a sign to our friends in Guinea that someone cares about them, and that their children's future is brighter because of your help. If you would like additional information about our work, or ways in which you can help, please go to ourwebsite at www.sts-international.org. On behalf of our friends and colleagues in Guinea and throughout the world, STS would like to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Sincerely, Dr. Mark Lynd, President and Founder School-to-School International -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kristinop at yahoo.com Fri Dec 19 13:56:05 2008 From: kristinop at yahoo.com (Kristin O'Planick) Date: Fri, 19 Dec 2008 10:56:05 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] Looking for recent info on FGM orgs in Guinea Message-ID: <525542.57446.qm@web111416.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Let me know if you have any?info about current players in the fight against female genital mutilation (aside from TOSTAN). Thanks! Kristin O'Planick Siguiri (00-02) ?"The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time." - Abraham Lincoln -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From alantauber at yahoo.com Sat Dec 20 12:32:12 2008 From: alantauber at yahoo.com (Alan Tauber) Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:32:12 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 4 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <451778.49006.qm@web50903.mail.re2.yahoo.com> I don't know of any that are active now. Alan Alan Tauber
The DrumConnection
http://www.drumconnection.com
alan at drumconnection.com
781-316-8068 --- On Sat, 12/20/08, guinea-list-request at klatha.com wrote: > From: guinea-list-request at klatha.com > Subject: Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 4 > To: guinea-list at klatha.com > Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 12:15 PM > Send Guinea-list mailing list submissions to > guinea-list at klatha.com > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > or, via email, send a message with subject or body > 'help' to > guinea-list-request at klatha.com > > You can reach the person managing the list at > guinea-list-owner at klatha.com > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more > specific > than "Re: Contents of Guinea-list digest..." > Today's Topics: > > 1. Looking for recent info on FGM orgs in Guinea > (Kristin O'Planick) > Let me know if you have any?info about current players in > the fight against female genital mutilation (aside from > TOSTAN). > > Thanks! > > Kristin O'Planick > Siguiri (00-02) > ?"The best thing about the future is that it only > comes one day at a time." - Abraham Lincoln > > > _______________________________________________ > Guinea-list mailing list > Guinea-list at klatha.com > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list From micahschaffer at yahoo.com Sat Dec 20 13:08:46 2008 From: micahschaffer at yahoo.com (Micah Schaffer) Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:08:46 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] Sending Money to Guinea Message-ID: <742856.43835.qm@web55003.mail.re4.yahoo.com> Hello, Does anyone know a good way to send money to Guinea? Western Union gives a terrible exchange rate. I was using a service that paid out in dollars but it's been discontinued. Thanks. Micah From sperlingas at yahoo.com Mon Dec 22 12:30:57 2008 From: sperlingas at yahoo.com (Stacey Sperlingas) Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 09:30:57 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 5 In-Reply-To: Message-ID: <245504.19392.qm@web52101.mail.re2.yahoo.com> I've heard that people use Money Gram and that seems to work. I was told that they do not tell you how much the receiver will be paid, but I don't know if that is true because I have not tried it. Good luck. Stacey Sperlingas Kantoumanina 98-00 --- On Sun, 12/21/08, guinea-list-request at klatha.com wrote: > From: guinea-list-request at klatha.com > Subject: Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 5 > To: guinea-list at klatha.com > Date: Sunday, December 21, 2008, 11:15 AM > Send Guinea-list mailing list submissions to > guinea-list at klatha.com > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > or, via email, send a message with subject or body > 'help' to > guinea-list-request at klatha.com > > You can reach the person managing the list at > guinea-list-owner at klatha.com > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more > specific > than "Re: Contents of Guinea-list digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 4 (Alan Tauber) > 2. Sending Money to Guinea (Micah Schaffer) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:32:12 -0800 (PST) > From: Alan Tauber > Subject: Re: [Guinea-list] Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, > Issue 4 > To: guinea-list at klatha.com > Message-ID: > <451778.49006.qm at web50903.mail.re2.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > I don't know of any that are active now. > > Alan > > Alan Tauber
The > DrumConnection
http://www.drumconnection.com
alan at drumconnection.com
781-316-8068 > > > --- On Sat, 12/20/08, guinea-list-request at klatha.com > wrote: > > > From: guinea-list-request at klatha.com > > > Subject: Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 4 > > To: guinea-list at klatha.com > > Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 12:15 PM > > Send Guinea-list mailing list submissions to > > guinea-list at klatha.com > > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, > visit > > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body > > 'help' to > > guinea-list-request at klatha.com > > > > You can reach the person managing the list at > > guinea-list-owner at klatha.com > > > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is > more > > specific > > than "Re: Contents of Guinea-list digest..." > > Today's Topics: > > > > 1. Looking for recent info on FGM orgs in Guinea > > (Kristin O'Planick) > > Let me know if you have any?info about current players > in > > the fight against female genital mutilation (aside > from > > TOSTAN). > > > > Thanks! > > > > Kristin O'Planick > > Siguiri (00-02) > > ?"The best thing about the future is that it only > > comes one day at a time." - Abraham Lincoln > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Guinea-list mailing list > > Guinea-list at klatha.com > > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:08:46 -0800 (PST) > From: Micah Schaffer > Subject: [Guinea-list] Sending Money to Guinea > To: Guinea-list at klatha.com > Message-ID: > <742856.43835.qm at web55003.mail.re4.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > Hello, > > Does anyone know a good way to send money to Guinea? > Western Union gives a terrible exchange rate. I was > using a service that paid out in dollars but it's been > discontinued. > > Thanks. > > Micah > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Guinea-list mailing list > Guinea-list at klatha.com > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > > > End of Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 5 > ****************************************** From juliebug83 at gmail.com Mon Dec 22 12:39:04 2008 From: juliebug83 at gmail.com (Julie Raffi) Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 11:39:04 -0600 Subject: [Guinea-list] Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 5 In-Reply-To: <245504.19392.qm@web52101.mail.re2.yahoo.com> References: <245504.19392.qm@web52101.mail.re2.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <925b54a30812220939s10d1d22bxab52b1fe4593fa04@mail.gmail.com> We use MoneyGram regularly. They have an office in Conakry and charge a $10 fee (which is much lower than Western Union). It's true that they don't tell you the exchange rate - it comes up on the receipt as 1, which would suggest that the receiver will receive US dollars but they pay out in Guinean francs. The exchange rate seems to be okay, but like any money transfer service they are definitely taking their cut. Overall, we've found MoneyGram to be reliable and the best option currently available. Julie Raffi Bissikrima 04-05 On Mon, Dec 22, 2008 at 11:30 AM, Stacey Sperlingas wrote: > I've heard that people use Money Gram and that seems to work. I was told > that they do not tell you how much the receiver will be paid, but I don't > know if that is true because I have not tried it. > > Good luck. > Stacey Sperlingas > Kantoumanina 98-00 > > > --- On Sun, 12/21/08, guinea-list-request at klatha.com < > guinea-list-request at klatha.com> wrote: > > > From: guinea-list-request at klatha.com > > Subject: Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 5 > > To: guinea-list at klatha.com > > Date: Sunday, December 21, 2008, 11:15 AM > > Send Guinea-list mailing list submissions to > > guinea-list at klatha.com > > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body > > 'help' to > > guinea-list-request at klatha.com > > > > You can reach the person managing the list at > > guinea-list-owner at klatha.com > > > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more > > specific > > than "Re: Contents of Guinea-list digest..." > > > > > > Today's Topics: > > > > 1. Re: Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 4 (Alan Tauber) > > 2. Sending Money to Guinea (Micah Schaffer) > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Message: 1 > > Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 09:32:12 -0800 (PST) > > From: Alan Tauber > > Subject: Re: [Guinea-list] Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, > > Issue 4 > > To: guinea-list at klatha.com > > Message-ID: > > <451778.49006.qm at web50903.mail.re2.yahoo.com> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > > > I don't know of any that are active now. > > > > Alan > > > > Alan Tauber
The > > DrumConnection
http://www.drumconnection.com
> alan at drumconnection.com
781-316-8068 > > > > > > --- On Sat, 12/20/08, guinea-list-request at klatha.com > > wrote: > > > > > From: guinea-list-request at klatha.com > > > > > Subject: Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 4 > > > To: guinea-list at klatha.com > > > Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 12:15 PM > > > Send Guinea-list mailing list submissions to > > > guinea-list at klatha.com > > > > > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, > > visit > > > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > > > or, via email, send a message with subject or body > > > 'help' to > > > guinea-list-request at klatha.com > > > > > > You can reach the person managing the list at > > > guinea-list-owner at klatha.com > > > > > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is > > more > > > specific > > > than "Re: Contents of Guinea-list digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > > > > > 1. Looking for recent info on FGM orgs in Guinea > > > (Kristin O'Planick) > > > Let me know if you have any?info about current players > > in > > > the fight against female genital mutilation (aside > > from > > > TOSTAN). > > > > > > Thanks! > > > > > > Kristin O'Planick > > > Siguiri (00-02) > > > ?"The best thing about the future is that it only > > > comes one day at a time." - Abraham Lincoln > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Guinea-list mailing list > > > Guinea-list at klatha.com > > > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > > Message: 2 > > Date: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 10:08:46 -0800 (PST) > > From: Micah Schaffer > > Subject: [Guinea-list] Sending Money to Guinea > > To: Guinea-list at klatha.com > > Message-ID: > > <742856.43835.qm at web55003.mail.re4.yahoo.com> > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > > > Hello, > > > > Does anyone know a good way to send money to Guinea? > > Western Union gives a terrible exchange rate. I was > > using a service that paid out in dollars but it's been > > discontinued. > > > > Thanks. > > > > Micah > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------ > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Guinea-list mailing list > > Guinea-list at klatha.com > > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > > > > > > End of Guinea-list Digest, Vol 49, Issue 5 > > ****************************************** > > > > ********************************************* > Guinea-list mailing list > To Post to List: Guinea-list at klatha.com > List Owner: fogwebmaster at yahoo.com > Unsubscribe: > http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list > -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From jeremyeggleton at yahoo.com Mon Dec 22 21:42:03 2008 From: jeremyeggleton at yahoo.com (Jeremy Eggleton) Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2008 18:42:03 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] Lansana Conte Dies Message-ID: <781162.38557.qm@web34702.mail.mud.yahoo.com> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7796741.stm From paulfrisoli at gmail.com Tue Dec 23 08:09:05 2008 From: paulfrisoli at gmail.com (Paul Frisoli) Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:09:05 -0500 Subject: [Guinea-list] A Rocky Situation in Guinea In-Reply-To: <781162.38557.qm@web34702.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <781162.38557.qm@web34702.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <4950E2F1.4060709@gmail.com> An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From toothpickrose at yahoo.com Tue Dec 23 10:34:37 2008 From: toothpickrose at yahoo.com (Jeff Rose) Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:34:37 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] Conte's death In-Reply-To: <925b54a30812220939s10d1d22bxab52b1fe4593fa04@mail.gmail.com> Message-ID: <358789.84563.qm@web50301.mail.re2.yahoo.com> This is the only video that I've seen so far on what's going on in Guinea. ? ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=102AGFbmsRA&eurl=http://www.google.com/nwshp?tab=wn&ned=us&topic=w&feature=player_embedded -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From riggmail-guinea at yahoo.com Tue Dec 23 11:14:58 2008 From: riggmail-guinea at yahoo.com (riggmail-guinea at yahoo.com) Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 08:14:58 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] A Rocky Situation in Guinea Message-ID: <406848.37731.qm@web30802.mail.mud.yahoo.com> You can also follow the latest headlines on the AllAfrica news feed on the http://friendsofguinea.org/ website. Does anybody know anything about the PCVs in Guinea? Here's hoping for a peaceful transition and the safety of those we know in-country. This is a hopeful time, but a dangerous one too. Stephanie On Dec 23, 2008, at 6:09 am, Paul Frisoli wrote: This is the top news story on bbcnews.com: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7796902.stm ********************************************* Guinea-list mailing list To Post to List: Guinea-list at klatha.com List Owner: fogwebmaster at yahoo.com Unsubscribe: http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/guinea-list From hoaglane at JWSeligman.com Tue Dec 23 12:42:51 2008 From: hoaglane at JWSeligman.com (Hoagland, Eleanor) Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 12:42:51 -0500 Subject: [Guinea-list] Calm Reported in Guinea today In-Reply-To: References: Message-ID: So far reports from the PCVs around the country are that things are calm. Obviously, all are watching developments very closely. Eleanor (parent G-15) ________________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System. ________________________________________________________________________ CONFIDENTIALITY NOTE: The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to whom or which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, retransmission, dissemination or other use of this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you receive this in error, please delete this material immediately. Please be advised that someone other than the intended recipients, including a third-party in the Seligman organization and government agencies, may review all electronic communications to and from this address. J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated, Seligman Advisors, Inc., Seligman Services, Inc. 100 Park Avenue New York, New York 10017 (212) 850-1864 ________________________________________________________________________ This email has been scanned for all viruses by the MessageLabs Email Security System. From fogcommunications at yahoo.com Tue Dec 23 13:51:34 2008 From: fogcommunications at yahoo.com (Communications FOG) Date: Tue, 23 Dec 2008 10:51:34 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] =?iso-8859-1?q?Events_in_Guinea_following_Lansana_C?= =?iso-8859-1?q?ont=E9=27s_death?= Message-ID: <24500.55518.qm@web111303.mail.gq1.yahoo.com> Dear Friends of Guinea, I'm sure many of you are following with interest events in Guinea in the wake of the death of Gen. Lansana Cont? and the apparent military takeover of power. I will try to update the Friends of Guinea blog (friendsofguinea.blogspot.com) on a daily basis to cover developing events. Perhaps more often if events require and time (it being the holidays) permits. ? Those of you who want to follow the events more closely and can read French are encouraged to check out Guin?enews (www.guineenews.org). The site is a bit slow in loading today, presumably due to heavy traffic, however it is, as always, the most comprehensive and regularly updated site on Guinean news. ? For those of you who don't speak French, your best bet is the BBC's Africa page (news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/default.stm). ? You can also check out AllAfrica.com's Guinea page (allafrica.com/guinea). Or you can go to Yahoo News (news.yahoo.com) or Google News (news.google.com) and search the keyword 'Conakry'. (This works better than using 'Guinea' as a keyword because nearly all stories about Guinea are filed from Conakry or mention the capital in the story and it excludes stories related to Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea and Papua New Guinea.) ? Brian Farenell RPCV Beindou '95-97 FOG?communications director and blogmeister?-- friendsofguinea.blogspot..com -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From riggmail-guinea at yahoo.com Fri Dec 26 11:10:54 2008 From: riggmail-guinea at yahoo.com (riggmail-guinea at yahoo.com) Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2008 08:10:54 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] PCVs in Guinea are safe Message-ID: <250605.45686.qm@web30806.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Here is the official announcement from Washington, as of Dec 23. Peace Corps Volunteers in Guinea are Safe December 23, 2008 WASHINGTON, D.C., December 23, 2008 - Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter announced today that all Volunteers serving in Guinea are accounted for and safe. There are 87 Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Guinea. All of the Peace Corps Volunteers in Guinea are on stand-fast mode, requiring that they remain in their communities and remain in regular contact with the Peace Corps/Guinea staff. This action follows the announcement that Guinean President Lansana Conte has passed away, and that a "Consultative Council" made up of "military and civilian people" has come into power. The Guinean constitution has temporarily been suspended, and those now in power have asked people in Guinea to remain calm. Peace Corps staff in Guinea are working closely with the U.S. Embassy and are constantly and carefully monitoring this situation. They will, if necessary, take appropriate actions under the Peace Corps/Guinea Emergency Action Plan. The safety and security of Volunteers and Volunteer-trainees is the number one priority of the Peace Corps. Over 1,241 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Guinea since the program was established in 1962. The program was briefly closed from 1966 to 1969, and again from 1971 to 1985. Upon re-opening in 1985, Volunteers in this West African nation have worked in the areas of education, environment, small enterprise development, and public health and HIV/AIDS awareness. Each Peace Corps program has an Emergency Action Plan specific to that country and developed in cooperation with Peace Corps Washington and the local U.S. Embassy. The plans are evaluated and tested frequently and information is updated constantly. Volunteers are thoroughly trained in their roles and responsibilities, and posts are prepared for all emergencies. Families may contact the Peace Corps/Guinea Desk with any questions or concerns that may have at 202-692-2328 during business hours, and the Office of Special Services after hours. The Office of Special Services maintains a 24-hour a day, 7 days a week duty system. The telephone number during standard office hours is 1-800-424-8580, Extension 1470; the after hours number is 202-638-2574. ossdutyofficer at peacecorps.gov. The Office of Special Services can also be contacted via e-mail at ossdutyofficer at peacecorps.gov. As the Peace Corps approaches its 50th anniversary, its service legacy continues to promote peace and friendship around the world. Historically, over 195,000 Volunteers have helped promote a better understanding between Americans and the people of the 139 countries in which they have served. Applications to serve in the Peace Corps have increased 16 percent this past year, the largest boost in the last five years. Currently, 7,876 Peace Corps Volunteers are serving in 76 countries, including Liberia. Peace Corps Volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a 27-month commitment. From browns5 at pacbell.net Sat Dec 27 02:58:40 2008 From: browns5 at pacbell.net (Steven and Robin Brown) Date: Fri, 26 Dec 2008 23:58:40 -0800 (PST) Subject: [Guinea-list] Guinea's new leader Message-ID: <835475.82723.qm@web81403.mail.mud.yahoo.com> ?Matt Brown, was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea from 2001-2003. He now works as the East African foreign correspondent for a newspaper called The National. He currently lives in Nairobi. He wrote the following piece for his newspaper. I thought that Friends of Guinea would be interested. NAIROBI In the film Weekend at Bernie s, the campy 1980s movie, two guys spend a weekend with their boss, Bernie, at his posh beach house. When their boss unexpectedly dies, the protagonists prop up his corpse, parade him around town as if he were still alive and continue living it up in Bernie?s luxury villa. As you might expect, hilarity ensues. Seyllou / AFPCapt Moussa Camara, centre, the newly self-proclaimed president of Guinea, wears the national ag as he tours Conakry, the capital, the day after a military junta seized power following the death of Lansana Cont , the former president. This script sounds all too similar to the drama that has played out in Guinea, the small, impoverished west African nation. Lansana Cont , the strongman president of Guinea, officially died on Monday, but for all we know, he may have been dead for the past five years. The dictator was rarely seen in public and when he was, he looked sick and frail. It was long rumoured that Cont ?s close circle of senior advisers were keeping him in power while they looted the country?s mineral wealth. Although in Guinea?s case, no one was laughing. The charade finally ended this week when the president of the country?s National Assembly announced that Cont , who was believed to be 74, had died. Cont , who had never groomed a successor, had been in poor health for years. It was probably diabetes that finally killed him. Hours after the president?s death, military leaders announced they had dissolved the constitution and the government as they seized power in a coup. This scene is not unlike the way Cont came to power 24 years ago. In 1984, when Sekou Toure, Guinea?s first post-independence president, died in a hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, Cont , then an army officer, led a military takeover of the government. Cont soon became a darling of the West as he scaled back many of Toure?s socialist policies. During the late 1990s, Guinea remained a bastion of stability in west Africa, where four of Guinea?s neighbours ? Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast ? were embroiled in civil wars. Western nations, including the United States, flooded the country with foreign aid and military support. US Army Rangers could be seen tramping around the jungle along the Sierra Leone and Liberia frontiers training Guinean border guards to protect their country from a spillover of those conflicts. The West had a reason to keep Guinea stable. The country has half of the world?s reserves of bauxite, the ore used to make aluminium, as well as gold and diamonds. Western mining companies have enjoyed the access to Guinea?s minerals while government officials have grown fat off mining contract kickbacks. Despite its mineral wealth, Guinea remains one of the poorest countries in the world. The people, who live in Guinea?s steamy costal swamps, rugged mountainous interior and flat, dusty hinterlands, have learned to survive with little help from their government. Most live on far less than US$1 (Dh3.67) per day and exist by raising cattle and cultivating rice, corn, potatoes and cassava. For most of the people who live outside of Conakry, the crumbling seaside capital, the change of power will not impact their lives. Cont brought little development or infrastructure to the country of nine million. A new government ? be it military junta or democratically elected ? is not likely to turn the country around anytime soon. Still, most people will probably welcome a change from Cont , who held the country in a perpetual state of paralysis for years. Cont is one of the last of the dying breed of African ?Big Men? ? leaders in the vein of Zimbabwe?s Robert Mugabe who cling to power as their countries crumble. Cont banned opposition parties and frequently jailed political opponents. In 2001 he changed the constitution to abolish presidential term limits, effectively making him president for life. But the population became fed up with the bad governance in recent years. General strikes shut down the country and angry mobs staged violent protests over rising food and fuel prices. Each time Cont sent in the army to quell the uprisings. Guinea?s three main ethnic groups live together in relative peace, but this uncertain presidential transition could see one of the tribes trying to grab power. Toure, from the Malinke tribe, led Guinea to independence from France in 1958. During Cont ?s reign, his Susu tribe benefited the most from development projects. Meanwhile the Fulani, a tribe of merchants and cattle herders, have been left out of power. The Fulani think that the next president should come from their tribe. For now, at least, it seems the next president will come from the military. Moussa Camara, an army captain and leader of the junta, has declared himself president, ignoring the constitution that says the speaker of the National Assembly should be in charge. As tanks and lorries full of soldiers rolled through the streets of Conakry this week, thousands of Guineans came out to watch what must seem like a bad sequel to an even worse movie. Matt Brown is The National correspondent in east Africa. He lived and worked in Guinea for two years. Printed and distributed by NewpaperDirect | www.newspaperdirect.com, US/Can: 1.877.980.4040, Intern: 800.6364.6364 | Copyright and protected by applicable law. Post your comments... -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From ourybah1 at yahoo.com Sat Dec 27 16:41:14 2008 From: ourybah1 at yahoo.com (Ellwood Colahan) Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:41:14 -0700 Subject: [Guinea-list] Guinea's new leader (Steven and Robin Brown) Message-ID: My friend Aboubacar Bah told me there is a generational split in the reaction to the military takeover, at least in Conakry. He said that while younger people generally applaud the takeover, his father's generation is dismayed. 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