The_Peace_Corps

The Peace Corps Assignment 1) Why is religion one of the most important and sensitive cultural factors for Peace Corps volunteers'  Religion infuses every aspect of a country's culture. When dealing with some of the cultural characteristics of the countries where The Peace Corps operates, one of the goals of the organization is to show that America is a diverse country with people with different origins, backgrounds, traditions and fates, which in many cases corresponds to that of the local population. As its director says it helps promote cross-cultural understanding to get to know the world a little better (Peace Corps, 2006). The diversity of the Peace Corps's own workforce helps the organization achieve that goal. Certain perspectives or characteristics considered familiar and commonly accepted in the United States may be quite uncommon and questionable in other nations. It is extremely important for The Peace Corps and its volunteers to not only have factual knowledge of the area but also be in tune from the culture standpoint, focusing on the experiences that made them aware of how people of dissimilar cultural background and beliefs can view the world in different ways. 2) How do the Peace Corps use technology in its international mission' Which cultural aspects of technology must it consider' Technology is a part of culture that might be lacking in other markets. The Peace Corps uses the Marketing, Management and Finances aspects of technology to help countries improve their economics, productivity, visibility and exposure of the local products (Peace Corps, 2006). Peace Corps Volunteers work side-by-side with locals to find and apply the available technology and business knowledge to the production processes with the primary objective of improving the people and the communities where it operates (Business and ICT Programs, 2010). The technology used by the Peace Corps addresses basic human needs and it shapes the country's culture in the process (Idea Book, 2003).   3) What language issues present challenges for Peace Corps volunteers' How does the organization meet those challenges' Volunteers function in different parts of the world where many different languages are spoken. Alongside the communication challenge, they face cultural differences in body language, speech patterns, voice intonations, appropriate vocabulary, interest topics, etc. Fortunately for the Corps, many training programs are available, which includes language and communication lessons, as well as, living with the local family for several weeks to learn the language, communications, cross-cultural traditions and awareness. The objective is to become part of the community. References The Peace Corps website. Coverdell Worldwise Schools. Retrieved February 10, 2011 from http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/ The Peace Corps website. Information and Communication Technology. Business and ICT Programs. Retrieved February 9, 2011 from http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm'shell=learn.whatvol.busdev_01 The Peace Corps website. Information and Communication Technology. Idea Book, 2003. Retrieved February 9, 2011 from multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/library/M0085_first.pdf