I read (briefly)what you–I’ll admit that I must take more time to consider it more fully when I have a more leisure–and I could not agree more. Indeed, when I take students to Mexico next summer it is not with a spirit of volunteering but rather of asking that they allow the people of Mexico to teach them. I want them to understand that there is much to be learned from every culture, civilization, and society and that it is, as the author lecuter notes, highly hypocritical to believe that somehow money elevates one to a higher status. In fact, my intention is to create something similar, though not exactly the same as what is often termed a reverse mission. Seen as such because because the usual paradigm of recipient/reciever is turned on its head. In this case the students come to learn from the sterotypically “poor and troubled” Mexicans hopefully to learn that they are not all that the stereotypes have portrayed.

Thanks for the piece. I think it might be very useful in my orientation readings for the trip.

Anne

That’s quite an interesting speech the man gave.
Very cynical, but perhaps very true, and timely yet, though 40 years past.
It just strikes me as ironic though that Andy would send this, since he himself,
a comfortable, contented, somewhat privileged middle-class American, is
on the heels of his being on a peacekeeping mission (I presume)
in Guatemala. I believe the mission’s primary concern is to abate kidnapping and
exploitation of women. Still, can it not be argued that he and what he’s doing is
exactly what the article is proscribing?

Or maybe I’m missing the point (won’t be the first time!)

Thanks for passing the article along.

Brad