Interview with Hugh McIvor, August 17, 2020

Interview Summary

In his mid-50s, Hugh McIvor became a Peace Corps Volunteer in 2018. McIvor was assigned to a village of about 400 people in Costa Rica, close to Panama. As a community economic development Volunteer, McIvor was tasked with expanding the locale's attractiveness to tourists which, theoretically, included the construction of a hotel. McIvor found the advancement of this project impractical, especially given the divisions within the community. Six weeks after McIvor's arrival, local pressure forced his counterpart to resign. Eventually, McIvor and his new counterpart completed a realistic, inclusive, transparent survey of the community's economic development needs. This formed the practical basis for subsequent funding applications. The whole process also empowered the new local leaders and was conducted in a manner which earned community support. McIvor's secondary projects included teaching at the high school and fish farming. McIvor is proud that he was able to survive the early months of frustration of his assignment and eventually apply his knowledge and experience to address his community's self-identified economic development needs. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, McIvor was evacuated 12 weeks early in March 2020.

Interview Keyword

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Community Economic Development Tourism Tourists Counterparts Mid-career Older volunteers

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Costa Rica Costa Rica Acculturation Communication and culture Culture Culture shock Intercultural communication Interpersonal communication and culture Interpersonal relations Interpersonal relations and culture Language and culture Language and languages Lifestyles Manners and customs Voluntarism Volunteers COVID-19 (Disease)

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.