I just found out that Peace Corps volunteers will be returning to Guinea at the end of this month! As many of you know, all Peace Corps Guinea volunteers were evacuated from Guinea in February due to some very serious national strikes. Tension had been building in Guinea for the last year or two. Prices of necessities like rice and fuel continued to skyrocket and government corruption was becoming more and more transparent. From what I read and heard in January of this year, there was a sense of desperation among the people, a feeling of there being nothing left to lose. Trade unions called for a nation-wide strike and, unlike other calls to action in the past, this one was taken seriously by people of all classes, ethnic groups and regions in Guinea. The nation simply stopped running. Thousands of people participated in peaceful marches down the streets of the capital calling for government accountability. Unfortunately the military responded with violence. At that point it was unclear how long the crisis would last or what it would mean for the country's longterm stability. Many NGOs and aid organizations left the country. Peace Corps Guinea consolidated all of its volunteers to neighboring Mali. As the situation in Guinea intensified PC Washington decided to officially evacuate Guinea volunteers.
In the end, the strike lasted 18 days, over 100 protesters were killed, and, after a misstep or two, President Conte agreed to chose a new prime minister from a list of 4 candidates chosen by the trade unions. This meant that Conte as head of state would share power with a new head of the government. This seemed like a small miracle given that most political analysts were predicting a civil war. And then, just like that, Guinea faded from the news. I had become accustomed to frantically searching out and reading articles about Guinea everyday and then, suddenly, nothing. I kept having to remind myself that no news is (sometimes) good news. That seems to be especially true about Africa as the media *loves* to tap into the West's fears of the "Dark (and scary)" continent by highlighting war and disease. In any case, Guinea seems to be getting itself back on track. And a can of worms has been forever opened. The government can no longer pretend to operate in a vacuum. People ("The People") are watching, taking notes, and are ready to act.
While I, like most people, have been thrilled by the surprise happy ending to this very tense story, I've been saddened by the fact that the Peace Corps left Guinea. Volunteers left projects counterparts, friends and host families behind when they were evacuated. Many students in Guinea lost their teachers partway through the semester. And volunteers lost their jobs, students, clients, friends, and on and on and on... My fingers have been crossed since the evacuation that someday PC would return to Guinea. While rumors have been circulating for a few months, it was finally announced the day before yesterday that Peace Corps Guinea will indeed be reinstated. Volunteers will return at the end of this month. I am, of course, ecstatic for Guinea, Guineans and the returning volunteers. And while I won't be working for or with the Peace Corps when I return to Guinea in November I am relieved that they will be there. I know that I can count on PC's support if I'm in a bind. And volunteers can count on my support as well. Above all, though, I think Washington's faith in Guinea's current and future stability is an excellent sign. Given that Guinea is no longer in the spotlight, this is the best (and only) news I've heard in a long time.
In the end, the strike lasted 18 days, over 100 protesters were killed, and, after a misstep or two, President Conte agreed to chose a new prime minister from a list of 4 candidates chosen by the trade unions. This meant that Conte as head of state would share power with a new head of the government. This seemed like a small miracle given that most political analysts were predicting a civil war. And then, just like that, Guinea faded from the news. I had become accustomed to frantically searching out and reading articles about Guinea everyday and then, suddenly, nothing. I kept having to remind myself that no news is (sometimes) good news. That seems to be especially true about Africa as the media *loves* to tap into the West's fears of the "Dark (and scary)" continent by highlighting war and disease. In any case, Guinea seems to be getting itself back on track. And a can of worms has been forever opened. The government can no longer pretend to operate in a vacuum. People ("The People") are watching, taking notes, and are ready to act.
While I, like most people, have been thrilled by the surprise happy ending to this very tense story, I've been saddened by the fact that the Peace Corps left Guinea. Volunteers left projects counterparts, friends and host families behind when they were evacuated. Many students in Guinea lost their teachers partway through the semester. And volunteers lost their jobs, students, clients, friends, and on and on and on... My fingers have been crossed since the evacuation that someday PC would return to Guinea. While rumors have been circulating for a few months, it was finally announced the day before yesterday that Peace Corps Guinea will indeed be reinstated. Volunteers will return at the end of this month. I am, of course, ecstatic for Guinea, Guineans and the returning volunteers. And while I won't be working for or with the Peace Corps when I return to Guinea in November I am relieved that they will be there. I know that I can count on PC's support if I'm in a bind. And volunteers can count on my support as well. Above all, though, I think Washington's faith in Guinea's current and future stability is an excellent sign. Given that Guinea is no longer in the spotlight, this is the best (and only) news I've heard in a long time.
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