"Servce, commitment to service, community service in particular. I think that will be the legacy of the Peace Corps - service to humanity."
Deputy Prime Minister, Sam Condor, has been active with the Peace Corps for as long as he has been involved in public service. In addition to his role as Deputy Prime Minister, the Honorable Sam Condor has also served as Minister of Education, Minister of Youth and Minister of Community and Social Development. With the impending 2012 closing of Peace Corps in St. Kitts and Nevis, I sat down with him to talk about Peace Corps, its contributions, and its legacy in the Federation.
1. CH: In 2004 the Peace Corps returned to St. Kitts and Nevis, focusing primarily on youth and community development, small business development and promoting HIV/AIDS education and awareness. What do you consider some of the most significant achievements of St. Kitts and Nevis Peace Corps Volunteers during the past eight years?
DPM: I think 2004 was really significant for us. It was the time I went to the Ministry of Education and at that time I also had as part of my portfolio, the Ministry of Youth and Community and Social Development, and so I was basically at the forefront of welcoming the Peace Corps and setting them to work. Really, I would say the most significant achievement was the way Volunteers became integrated in the community. I know in the past it was sort of a government effort and we didn’t have the outreach and the intimate involvement of the community. In 2004, the way Volunteers lived among the community was more intense. The presence of the Peace Corps was real, it was palatable, and the people felt the impact. And so I think that when the Peace Corps returned to St. Kitts they came back with a different more meaningful, more community based approach and that was a significant achievement.
Another contribution of Peace Corps would be with the issue of HIV/AIDS. As you are aware, the Prime Minister is the lead CARICOM spokesman for HIV/AIDS, not just regionally, but also internationally. In this capacity, the Prime Minister was able to get tremendous assistance and support from Peace Corps Volunteers.
- CH: Peace Corps Volunteers have worked at the individual, organization, community and national levels, building the capacity of all stakeholders. How sustainable do you think that work will be after Peace Corps leaves in October 2012.
DPM: I think right at the beginning the Peace Corps sought as their role to build capacity so that their programs would be sustainable. They have lent their expertise, in fact they have done a number of training courses on how to write projects, how to organize events and plan events and so on. Really, in my view, the purpose of the Peace Corps has been that when they the leave, the programs will continue. It was really the purpose and the emphasis and the focus of the Peace Corps in coming to the Federation, sort of a train the trainers program, assuring that these programs would be sustainable once the Volunteers leave the country.
3. Question: Has another organization been targeted to take over some of the initiatives introduced and implemented by Peace Corps volunteers?
DPM: I think that while the Peace Corps has primarily gone into the various Ministries and created opportunities, they have also implemented some outreach programs with a number of organizations, for example the Red Cross, the Central Bank, Youth Entrepreneurial Business Development, and of course the schools; and so they’ve gone not just into Ministries and Departments but community organizations to make sure people are properly trained.
4. CH: What do you feel are the most pressing issues facing youth in the Federation today?
DPM: You would know that we have had a problem with delinquency and youth crime. We think that maybe one way we can deal with that is creating employment opportunities for young people because we have very high unemployment among youth. And so I see, as a pressing problem, youth unemployment and the subsequent fallout of that in terms of crime and violence. The question is how to get young people to walk the straight and narrow and to protect them from the evils and the many distractions that exist.
5. CH: How do you see the role of government in addressing/providing solutions to these issues?
DPM: Of course government must always be involved, maybe even playing the lead role, but government cannot solve these problems alone. We need community organizations to help, and again here’s where organizations like the Peace Corps assist tremendously in our efforts. We also want to see the venue of the church and civic groups have a role in addressing this problem. Solutions must have a multi-disciplinary approach, especially by including families. I think that is something we have to focus on – parenting. I believe that good parenting and consistent community involvement is the foundation of building a good society.
6. CH: What do you think the concept of altruism -the instinct to do good deeds or show kindness to others - means to young people today?
DPM: I think people usually live by example and if they see people doing good things, it influences them. We need to be good role models for our young people, that is why we can’t leave it just to the parents, to the family alone, but need to involve the community. You know the African proverb that it takes a village to raise a child that was popularized by Hilary Clinton; it is something we have known from time immemorial.
7. CH: Youth volunteers worldwide contribute 3.5 billion hours annually, thereby contributing billions of dollars globally to local economies. Volunteerism also promotes a sense of empowerment and connection to the community among young people. Studies show that youth who participate as volunteers learn new skills, develop relationships with like minded peers, and as a process of experiential learning, helps to develop social competencies like empathy, leadership, and confidence. Do you think young people have that sense of communal spirit and attachment needed to drive the idea of volunteerism forward?
DPM: I believe so. I mean the things that we do we would not be able to do without that spirit and that intuitive quality towards volunteerism. Carnival, the St. Kitts and Nevis Music Festival, International Cricket Competitions; all these events take tremendous planning and human resources and couldn’t be done without volunteers. I mean, with our small population, if we didn’t have that commitment and level of volunteerism, we wouldn’t be able to do these events. Community volunteerism is something that is admirable here in St. Kitts and Nevis. I see that attitude of involvement from our people as a strength in the Federation.
8. CH: What do you consider the potential of volunteerism in both empowering and building capacity among youth in the Federation? What role do you think the government can play in encouraging and supporting young people towards a volunteering culture?
Answer: Volunteerism builds capacity. The annual residential summer camp by the Department of Youth has a number of people who volunteer every year. Many of the young volunteers were campers for years and continue on, serving now as camp leaders. Adding volunteerism as a component for graduation from school could encourage this culture; it is something to think about.
9. CH: The Peace Corps has as its mission three primary goals: to provide skilled workers to the host country; to help people of other countries gain a better understanding of Americans and our multicultural society; and to promote a better understanding of other people and their cultures on the part of the Americans. Do you think the Peace Corps volunteers serving in St. Kitts and Nevis have accomplished Goal #2?
DPM: It can’t help but do that. In fact from the beginning with the home stays, to independently living in communities, Peace Corps Volunteers see our villages, how we live from day to day, and they’ve been able to exchange and to interchange ideas about our real lives. It is in this way we learn about one another, not just in classrooms or at the Departments and Ministries, but in our homes and our neighborhoods. With this kind of integration one could only learn and understand more on a personal level.
10. CH: What do you consider will be the legacy of the Peace Corps in St. Kitts and Nevis?
DPM: Service, commitment to service, community service in particular. I think that will be the legacy of the Peace Corps - service to humanity.
11. CH: Now that the post in St. Kitts and Nevis is officially closing, what message would you like to give to Peace Corps and the scores of volunteers who have served in the Federation?
DPM: I would like, on behalf of the government and the people in the Federation, to express in accordance, our thanks and appreciation to Peace Corps and the many Volunteers who have served here. I would like to say that we have benefited tremendously from your service. I would also add that I think building capacity is an ongoing process and that while we are now in a position to implement and do a lot of things we were taught, these multicultural exchanges and involvement must continue for the benefit of all humanity. Life is a dynamic process, it’s an ever changing process and the advancement takes a continuous human interaction at all levels. So as a leader, I do not believe that this should be the end of your service to humanity and to our country. We’d like to see a continuation of this lifelong commitment to service.
- CH: Is there anything personal you would like to add before we conclude the interview?
DPM: We were very happy to have Peace Corps here and we want to thank you for your outstanding contributions. I think the 25 Most Remarkable Teens program is a truly amazing program and I am certain that it is a program that will stay with us forever. It not only recognizes the positive behavior in our youth, but it also shows us that you must not give up on anybody - everyone has redemptive qualities. I believe this is going to be etched indelibly in the history of our young people.
And so it goes on August 20, 2012, as Peace Corps begins its last two months in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
And so it goes on August 20, 2012, as Peace Corps begins its last two months in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.
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