Message-ID: <Pine.OSF.3.93.970303101304.1995A-100000@oak.cats.ohiou.edu> Date: Mon, 3 Mar 1997 10:13:42 -0500 From: George Allen Clinton <mailto:gc365990@OAK.CATS.OHIOU.EDU> Subject: Re: middle class two (fwd) To: mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU
---------- Forwarded message ----------like that Paraguayan agricultor (campesino), referred to by David Johnson, the Honduran agricultor (campesino) is comparatively similar. As an agriculture extentionist in southwest Honduras, I spent two years trying to figure out what made these people tick. What is basically came down to is the acceptance of poverty and trust in the people who share the situation with them. Most people within the rural communities welcome strangers into their dirt-floored homes, offering them a cup of coffee and the hammack for a quick breather before they continue the walk to their intended destination. Imagine knocking on someone's door (a stranger) anywhere in the United States. . . how would you be treated? Would you be greeted with a smile or the evil eye? Would you even be allowed to use the phone to call AAA? The agricultores (campesinos) didn't simply treat me in this manner b/c I am a gringo, they extended the courtesy to the majority of those passing through. You can learn a lot if you treat everyone as your equal. thanks, this is a terrific listserv. Allen Clinton