CIA

The Peace Corps has had to compete with CIA speculations since its inception. Apparently something about sending Americans all over the world, in remote places, gaining the trust of the local people and working on projects that are hard to explain to the people back home screams spy. I was dwelling on this today while sitting in a meeting.

It came to my attention that the grant for the USAID program I am working for, specifically asked for Peace Corps volunteers to be a part of it. I'm still mulling over what the intention of that was. I can certainly offer a Western slant to the project but isn't doesn't the purpose of working for a Rwandan organization include not trying to taint a 'grassroots project'?

But truthfully, if PCVs were really spies - we'd be of the recent Russian caliber - completely ineffective, not trusted with any real responsibility and sent home without achieving anything close to our objectives.