Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.
Max Ehrmann
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Our Project Area
Business and Organizational Management
The business and organizational management project’s purpose is to help Belizeans achieve a decent standard of living through improved community leadership and sustainable business practices. Volunteers work toward this purpose in two ways. They help community groups to effectively manage the needs of their communities through enhanced leadership and organizational practices. They also help entrepreneurs and microenterprise groups to implement locally appropriate, efficient, and profitable business practices.
The business and organizational management project’s purpose is to help Belizeans achieve a decent standard of living through improved community leadership and sustainable business practices. Volunteers work toward this purpose in two ways. They help community groups to effectively manage the needs of their communities through enhanced leadership and organizational practices. They also help entrepreneurs and microenterprise groups to implement locally appropriate, efficient, and profitable business practices.
Our Welcome Letter
A WELCOME LETTER
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen:
Congratulations on your invitation to Peace Corps/Belize! This officially marks the beginning of a most remarkable journey. Upon accepting this invitation, you will join over 100 other Volunteers who bring diverse interests and skills to a culturally unique country.
Belize is the only nation in Central America where English is the official language and the only country with a British colonial heritage. The people here will tell you that Belize is many things all at once. It is most certainly a place of natural beauty, hundreds of offshore islands, and ancient Mayan sites. Yet it is also a country facing severe economic challenges, with a poverty rate of close to 80 percent in some districts.
As a Peace Corps Volunteer you will have an extraordinary opportunity to work directly alongside host country counterparts to develop sustainable approaches in education, business and organizational management, youth development, and health initiatives. Peace Corps/Belize works closely with nongovernmental organizations, government agencies, and other partners to enhance the quality of life for the people of Belize. Your initial 10 weeks will be dedicated to pre-service training, including intensive technical, language, and cultural preparation designed to well groom you for success.
Yet nothing can prepare you more than a positive attitude. Becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer inherently means you will experience many rewards and challenges. You must come prepared to work hard. Your determination, optimistic outlook, willingness to engage others, perseverance, patience, and commitment to growth will go a long way in making your two years in Belize among the most meaningful of your life.
I encourage you to read more about the opportunity to serve in Belize and to consider the challenge of working on a grassroots level to contribute to this remarkable country.
Nina Denise Hernandez
Country Director
Greetings, ladies and gentlemen:
Congratulations on your invitation to Peace Corps/Belize! This officially marks the beginning of a most remarkable journey. Upon accepting this invitation, you will join over 100 other Volunteers who bring diverse interests and skills to a culturally unique country.
Belize is the only nation in Central America where English is the official language and the only country with a British colonial heritage. The people here will tell you that Belize is many things all at once. It is most certainly a place of natural beauty, hundreds of offshore islands, and ancient Mayan sites. Yet it is also a country facing severe economic challenges, with a poverty rate of close to 80 percent in some districts.
As a Peace Corps Volunteer you will have an extraordinary opportunity to work directly alongside host country counterparts to develop sustainable approaches in education, business and organizational management, youth development, and health initiatives. Peace Corps/Belize works closely with nongovernmental organizations, government agencies, and other partners to enhance the quality of life for the people of Belize. Your initial 10 weeks will be dedicated to pre-service training, including intensive technical, language, and cultural preparation designed to well groom you for success.
Yet nothing can prepare you more than a positive attitude. Becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer inherently means you will experience many rewards and challenges. You must come prepared to work hard. Your determination, optimistic outlook, willingness to engage others, perseverance, patience, and commitment to growth will go a long way in making your two years in Belize among the most meaningful of your life.
I encourage you to read more about the opportunity to serve in Belize and to consider the challenge of working on a grassroots level to contribute to this remarkable country.
Nina Denise Hernandez
Country Director
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Core Expectations
CORE EXPECTATIONS
FOR PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS
In working toward fulfilling the Peace Corps Mission of promoting world peace and friendship, as a trainee and Volunteer, you are expected to:
1. Prepare your personal and professional life to make a commitment to serve abroad for a full term of 27 months
2. Commit to improving the quality of life of the people with whom you live and work; and, in doing so, share your skills, adapt them, and learn new skills as needed
3. Serve where the Peace Corps asks you to go, under conditions of hardship, if necessary, and with the flexibility needed for effective service
4. Recognize that your successful and sustainable development work is based on the local trust and confidence you build by living in, and respectfully integrating yourself into, your host community and culture
5. Recognize that you are responsible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your personal conduct and professional performance
6. Engage with host country partners in a spirit of cooperation, mutual learning, and respect
7. Work within the rules and regulations of the Peace Corps and the local and national laws of the country where you serve
8. Exercise judgment and personal responsibility to protect your health, safety, and well-being and that of others
9. Recognize that you will be perceived, in your host country and community, as a representative of the people, cultures, values, and traditions of the United States of America
10. Represent responsively the people, cultures, values, and traditions of your host country and community to people in the United States both during and following your service
FOR PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS
In working toward fulfilling the Peace Corps Mission of promoting world peace and friendship, as a trainee and Volunteer, you are expected to:
1. Prepare your personal and professional life to make a commitment to serve abroad for a full term of 27 months
2. Commit to improving the quality of life of the people with whom you live and work; and, in doing so, share your skills, adapt them, and learn new skills as needed
3. Serve where the Peace Corps asks you to go, under conditions of hardship, if necessary, and with the flexibility needed for effective service
4. Recognize that your successful and sustainable development work is based on the local trust and confidence you build by living in, and respectfully integrating yourself into, your host community and culture
5. Recognize that you are responsible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your personal conduct and professional performance
6. Engage with host country partners in a spirit of cooperation, mutual learning, and respect
7. Work within the rules and regulations of the Peace Corps and the local and national laws of the country where you serve
8. Exercise judgment and personal responsibility to protect your health, safety, and well-being and that of others
9. Recognize that you will be perceived, in your host country and community, as a representative of the people, cultures, values, and traditions of the United States of America
10. Represent responsively the people, cultures, values, and traditions of your host country and community to people in the United States both during and following your service
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
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