List of resources for Nicaragua

Following is a list of websites for additional information about the Peace Corps and Nicaragua and to connect you to returned Volunteers and other invitees. Please keep in mind that although we try to make sure all these links are active and current, we cannot guarantee it. If you do not have access to the Internet, visit your local library. Libraries offer free Internet usage and often let you print information to take home.

A note of caution: As you surf the Internet, be aware that you may find bulletin boards and chat rooms in which people are free to express opinions about the Peace Corps based on their own experiences, including comments by those who were unhappy with their choice to serve in the Peace Corps. These opinions are not those of the Peace Corps or the U.S. government, and we hope you will keep in mind that no two people experience their service in the same way.

Contents 1 General Information About Nicaragua 2 Connect With Returned Volunteers and Other Invitees 3 Online Articles/Current News Sites About Nicaragua 4 International Development Sites 5 Recommended Books 6 Books About the Peace Corps

[edit] General Information About Nicaragua

http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/ca/nicaragua/
The Latin American Information Network Center (LANIC) from the University of Texas is a very comprehensive resource on all of Latin America. It also organizes by country links to a variety of websites on multiple topics (history, culture, government, news, etc.).

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations
Visit this site for general travel advice about almost any country in the world.

http://www.state.gov
The U.S. State Department’s website issues background notes periodically about countries around the world. Find Nicaragua and learn more about its social and political history.

http://www.geography.about.com/library/maps/blindex.htm
This online world atlas includes maps and geographical information, and each country page contains links to other sites, such as the Library of Congress, that contain comprehensive historical, social, and political background.

http://www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/infonation/info.asp
This United Nations site allows you to search for statistical information for member states of the U.N.

http://www.worldinformation.com
This site provides an additional source of current and historical information about 228 countries.

[edit] Connect With Returned Volunteers and Other Invitees

http://www.amigosdenicaragua.org
“Friends of Nicaragua” is the official website for the returned Peace Corps Volunteers from Nicaragua. It contains general information on the country and serves as an organizational focal point for former Volunteers, including an email listserv.

http://www.rpcv.org
The National Peace Corps Association is made up of returned Volunteers. On this site you can find links to all the Web pages of the “friends of” groups for most countries of service, made up of former Volunteers who served in those countries. There are also regional groups who frequently get together for social events and local volunteer activities. Or go straight to Amigos de Nicaragua (www.amigosdenicaragua.org, see above).

http://www.peacecorpsonline.org
This is an independent new site serving returned Peace Corps Volunteers. There are relevant links to information and chat groups for prospective Volunteers.

http://www.rpcvwebring.org
This site is known as the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Web Ring. Browse the Web ring and see what former Volunteers are saying about their service.

http://www.peacecorpswriters.org
This site is hosted by a group of returned Volunteer writers. It is a monthly online publication of essays and Volunteer accounts of their Peace Corps service.

[edit] Online Articles/Current News Sites About Nicaragua

http://www.GoToNicaragua.com/
Nicaragua travel, news, and user forum, created by two Nicaragua RPCVs.

http://www.ibw.com.ni
Comprehensive list of links to local and international sites about Nicaragua.

http://www.nicaragua.com
Links to English language new stories about Nicaragua and more.

http://www.laprensa.com.ni/
Nicaragua’s largest daily newspaper (in Spanish).

http://www.world-newspapers.com/nicaragua.html
Links to English language news stories about Nicaragua.

[edit] International Development Sites

http://managua.usembassy.gov/wwwhemba.html
The site of the U.S. Embassy in Nicaragua.

http://www.usaid.org.ni/
The U.S. Agency for International Development’s official Nicaragua website. This will provide valuable information on development trends in country.

http://www.worldbank.org
The World Bank Group’s mission is to fight poverty and improve the living standards of people in the developing world. It is a development bank that provides loans, policy advice, technical assistance, and knowledge-sharing services to developing countries to reduce poverty. This site contains a lot of information and resources regarding Nicaragua and development.

http://www.oas.org
The Organization of the American States’ website contains information about development priorities, democracy, and other issues that are key in the Americas.

[edit] Recommended Books

1. Berman, Joshua, and Randall Wood (both Returned Nicaragua PCVs). Moon Handbooks Nicaragua. Emeryville, Calif.: Avalon Travel Publishing, 2002, 2005. http://gotonicaragua.com/content/view/14/30/
2. Berman, Joshua, and Randall Wood. Living Abroad In Nicaragua (by returned Nicaragua Volunteers). Emeryville, Calif.: Avalon Travel Publishing, 2007. http://gotonicaragua.com/content/view/15/31/
3. De La Selva, Salomon. Tropical Town and Other Poems. Houston, Texas: Arte Público Press, 1999.
4. Glenn, Garvin. Everybody Had His Own Gringo: The CIA and the Contras. United Kingdom: Brasseys, 1992.
5. Gould, Jeffrey L. To Die in This Way: Nicaraguan Indians and the Myth of the Mestizaje 1880-1965. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1998.
6. Kinzer, Stephen. Blood of Brothers: Life and War in Nicaragua. New York: Anchor Books, 1992.
7. MacAulay, Neill. The Sandino Affair. Wacahoota Press, 1998.
8. Merrill, Tim L. Nicaragua: A Country Study.Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1999.
9. Miranda, Roger. The Civil War in Nicaragua: Inside the Sandinistas. Somerset, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 1993.
10. Norsworthy, Kent. Nicaragua: A Country Guide.Silver City, N.M.: Interhemispheric Resource Center, 1990.
11. Pezzullo, Lawrence. At the Fall of Somoza. Pittsburgh, Pa.: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1994.
12. Plunkett, Hazel. Nicaragua: A Guide to the People, Politics and Culture. Northampton, Mass.: Interlink Publishing, 1999.

[edit] Books About the Peace Corps

1. Banerjee, Dillon. So You Want to Join the Peace Corps: What to Know Before You Go. Berkeley, Calif.:Ten Speed Press, 2000 (paperback).
2. Herrera, Susana. Mango Elephants in the Sun: How Life in an African Village Let Me Be in My Skin. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1999.
3. Hessler, Peter. River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze. New York: Harper Perennial, 2001.
4. Hoffman, Elizabeth Cobbs. All You Need Is Love: The Peace Corps and the Spirit of the 1960s. Cambridge:Harvard University Press, 2000 (paperback).
5. Lucas, C. Payne, and Kevin Lowther. Keeping Kennedy’s Promise: The Peace Corps’ Moment of Truth (2nd ed.). Peace Corps Online, 2002.
6. Redmon, Coates. Come as You Are: The Peace Corps Story. Orlando, Fla.: Harcourt, 1986.
7. Thomsen, Moritz. Living Poor: A Peace CorpsChronicle. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1969, 1997 (paperback).
8. Tidwell, Mike. The Ponds of Kalambayi: An African Sojourn. Guilford, Conn.: The Lyons Press, 1990, 1996 (paperback).