Rpcvdraft - User contributions [en]

User:Gjones

Gjones — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 14:16:26 GMT

Gjones:

Greg Jones is the webmaster for [http://www.friendsofnigeria.org Friends of Nigeria Website]. Greg was a teacher in Group 22, stationed in Maiduguri. He recently joined the FON Board.

Talk:Stories

Gjones — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 13:52:56 GMT

Gjones: /* This is the way page discussions work */

==Format discussion==
Nice job Greg in the [[Group IX stories]] I added a heading Post Service. then put World is Deep as the sub heading. Hope that is the story order. I eliminated the spaces between the page links and put a <nowiki>#</nowiki> in front for automatically numbering. Just to see how it looks.--[[User:Rcollman|Chris C.]] 07:37, 6 November 2007 (EST)

==Multiple page story discussion==
Glad you picked a multiple page story and one with pictures. We don't need to jump now but it gives us some things to think about.

Another way to handle long pages of content is to use sub heading. Typically this is the way it is handled in Wikipedia and MoodleDocs. Notice that this discussion page has levels of discussion. I think a table of content will appear at the top when the number of headings is greater than 3. This enables the reader to jump down. And also allows the editor to edit just a section, rather than the whole thing which is awkward. --[[User:Rcollman|Chris C.]] 07:37, 6 November 2007 (EST)

=== Page naming===
If we decide to go to multiple pages, my instinct is to have each page name to be similar. For example:
WID1 Biafran Airlift
WID2 Reporting of the Biafran Airlift
WID3 Biafran Airlift People
WID4 A Day in Biafra
WID5 Planes of the Biafran Airlift

The actual link might look like <nowiki>[[WID1 Biafran Airlift|Biafran Airlift]]</nowiki>
--[[User:Rcollman|Chris C.]] 07:37, 6 November 2007 (EST)

===Standardizing links at bottom===
I will put something simple at the bottom and top of the page for linking. Something that is the equal to next page, previous page.--[[User:Rcollman|Chris C.]] 07:37, 6 November 2007 (EST)

:Suggests another template project. If you go to Navajo People on Wikipedia, you will see a template at the bottom. Use a template like that to show all the related stories. --[[User:Rcollman|Chris C.]] 07:37, 6 November 2007 (EST)

==This is the way page discussions work==
I like the page discussion pages. This discussion really belongs at a higher level but we could spend forever talking about that rather than doing <big grin>. And we can alway decide to cut and paste and or delete etc.

Great Start.--[[User:Rcollman|Chris C.]] 07:37, 6 November 2007 (EST)

== '''Great Edits''' ==

I really like this process. I had concerns / issues about many of the things you changed, after or even while I was doing them. The addition of another person's eyes on subject adds a great deal. I agree about standardized names and links. I was motivated to make separate pages of the WID pieces because the page editor put up a message when I had it all as 1 page saying it was ~60K, and some browsers have trouble displaying anything over 32K. But certainly navigation might be easier all within 1 page with sub pages. Tactical decisions!

The real things that worry me about WID is that it may be intimidating for others. If that is what is expected for submissions, I wonder how many people will volunteer their little stories. And I made all sorts of assumptions about copy rights, author's privileges, etc.

Is this the right way to reply on a discussion page?
--[[User:Gjones|Gjones]] 08:52, 6 November 2007 (EST)

WID The World is Deep

Gjones — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:00:45 GMT

Gjones:

'''The World Is Deep - Peace Corps Years'''

David L. Koren, Nigeria 9 (1963-1966)
March 2007

The first time I went to Africa the sun was rising over an endless stretch of palm trees as the Pan Am Boeing 707 banked steeply on approach to Lagos Nigeria, January 1st 1964.

The second time I went to Africa, two years later, the captain of the green and white painted Nigeria Airways/Pan Am 707 announced that we were denied permission to land at Lagos, because there had just been a military coup.

We circled for some time before we were cleared to land. Soldiers with guns watched us disembark. I was supposed to make a connecting flight to Enugu, capital of the Eastern Region, where I had been stationed for the last two years as an American Peace Corps Volunteer. I was just returning from home leave.

There were no connecting flights that day. Nobody knew what was happening. Arriving passengers were escorted to the Catering Rest House, where we were put up for the time being. While we were in the dining room all the lights went out. When the lights came on we had all stopped eating; nobody was speaking; we looked around the room at each other. Later I went to bed, in a small room, in a distant land, unable to adumbrate any sense of future.

The next day a flight was arranged to the Eastern Region. Nigeria Airways found a pilot who would fly a DC3 to Port Harcourt, but no one would risk going to Enugu. As for news of the coup, there were only rumors. One rumor had it that pilots landing in the regional capitals were being hauled off the planes and shot. Passengers were given the option of remaining in Lagos until things stabilized or risking the flight to Port Harcourt. I chose to get out of the capital and try to reach the village where I was stationed, near Umuahia, which was between Port Harcourt and Enugu.

When the plane was loaded and the doors closed, an official came running out of the terminal waving a handful of papers. The pilot, a beefy Englishman, yelled to him out of the cockpit window. “No! I’m not singing the bloody manifest! This plane is way overloaded, and I’m not taking responsibility for it!” A DC3 is a venerable old plane widely used in World War II in uncertain circumstances like this. We landed at Port Harcourt with no problems.

The airline arranged for a small bus to transport the passengers to Enugu. I got off in Umuahia and took a bush taxi – a Morris Minor - to my school, Ohuhu Community Grammar School in the village of Amaogwugwu.

The school was a proprietary school started by Dr. Michael I. Okpara, a prominent man from the village and also the Premier of the Eastern Region of Nigeria.

News began to unfold of what happened with the coup. A group of junior Army officers took over the government with the goal of ending corruption. In the process they killed a number of government officials, including the Nigerian Head of State, Alhaji Sir Abubakar Tafawa Belewa and also the Sultan of Sokoto, the religious leader of the Muslims of Northern Nigeria. The coup soon took shape along regional and religious lines. Many of the coup leaders were Igbos from the Eastern Region, while the ousted leaders were Housas from the North. General Ironsi, a Sandhurst educated soldier who had commanded the United Nations forces in the Congo, an Igbo, was installed as Head of the military government. Northerners were mostly Muslims and Southerners (Eastern and Western Regions) were predominantly Christians.

Peace Corps Volunteers got news from the local newspaper and from what we called
time-n-newsweek. The international editions of Time and Newsweek were available in Umuahia, and we bought both of them from the news boys, onye akwukwo. PCVs would gather at someone’s house on the day the magazines came out and we would read them -devour them- cover to cover, including the ads, in complete silence.

After six months another coup ousted all the Igbos (Ironsi was shot, Gowon was installed) and led to the massacre of Igbo civilians in the North and a mass exodus of refugees back into the Eastern Region.

I saw this from my home in Amaogwugwu, an Igbo village. Although the school was established for the benefit of the community, students were accepted from all over Eastern Nigeria. Many were Effiks and some were from the Rivers areas near Port Harcourt and Calabar.

Trains arrived from the sabon garis of the North carrying refugees; on one there was a headless body. All of these people were absorbed into their villages of origin, even where generations had passed between those who had left and their descendants who returned. New huts were constructed and donations of food and clothing were requested. We all contributed. Although this was a great burden on the local population, it was effective in caring for the refugees. And therefore there were no refugee camps with deplorable conditions to catch the attention of the world media.

Toward the end of 1966, there was increasing talk of war. I discussed it with my students. I told them that war would be very bad. They were less concerned about it. (I read about Vietnam in time-n-newsweek; they did not). One student said, “We will fight them. If we win we will rule them. If they win they will rule us.”

Dr. Okpara hosted a send-off celebration for me and my fellow PCV, Ric Holt. Dr. Okpara conferred on us the honorary title of Bende Warrior Chieftain, along with the appropriate garments – a wrapper and jumper of fine cloth and a woven cap. Bende is a division of the Igbo people.

I stood up in my new clothes to give thanks.

“Bende kweno!”

“Ha!” (The response).

“Bende kweno!”

“Ha!”

“Enyi mba enyi!” [Footnote: I’m not sure how this translates. Enyi means elephant and mba means no, or a negation. The total phrase is an exhortation similar to Penn State fans yelling “Roar Lion Roar!”]

“Ha!”

“Enyi mba enyi!”

“Ha!”

Dr. Okpara and the other dignitaries and guests seemed amused.

In December I took my loads to Enugu for my flight home. Soldiers manned checkpoints on all the roads, looking for “contraband and spies.” At one checkpoint a lorry pulled out while a soldier was still inspecting the load. At the next checkpoint another soldier asked everyone if they had seen the “soja man.”

At this time the commercial planes were still flying between the Regions, and I left Nigeria with the memory of soldiers at airports.

[[Biafran Airlift]]
[[Category:Stories]]
[[Category:Biafran Stories]]
[[Category:Group IX Stories]]

Group IX stories

Gjones — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:57:33 GMT

Gjones: /* Biafra Stories */

== Training Stories ==

== Party Stories ==

== Work Stories ==

== Biafra Stories ==
[[The World is Deep]] is taken from the piece David Koren submitted for the "Half a Yellow Sun" contest. It is an exercise in using the wiki for Greg Jones. Thanks without asking to David for his great contribution. David, you can recast this however you want.

Because the original document is so long, I have broken it down into several pieces:

[[Biafran Airlift]]

[[Reporting of the Biafran Airlift]]

[[Biafran Airlift Peolple]]

[[A Day in Biafra]]

[[Planes of the Biafran Airlift]]

[[Biafran Children]]

[[Nigerian Spy]]

[[Biafra Itself]]

WID Biafra Itself

Gjones — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:56:23 GMT

Gjones:

'''The World Is Deep - Completion'''

'''Biafra Itself'''
David L. Koren, Nigeria 9 (1963-1966)
March 2007

I haven’t said much about the people of Biafra. This was all about them, right?

Yes.

They were the node of a significant event in human history.

Of the people who came together for the airlift, whatever they loved about fighting, whatever they loved about flying, whatever they loved about religion, whatever they loved about life, their paths crossed in a filigree of human motivational trajectories, called Biafra.

Years later I gave a talk to a group of college students in Buffalo, New York. These were all students from the region formerly known as Biafra. I told them my stories and I showed them my pictures. I concluded with an observation. Many Americans believe that most relief aid never gets to those who need it, that it is diverted by corruption. One young man from the back of the room stood up. He said, “When we were children, we heard your planes going over at night. We never knew who you were, but we got the food. Every person in this room is alive today because of what you did.” Then they stood up and gave me a prolonged ovation.

Uwa de egwu.

The fourth time I went to Africa, October 1999, I went to see my son, Emeka, who was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea.
[[Category:Stories]]
[[Category:Biafran Stories]]
[[Category:Group IX Stories]]

Group IX stories

Gjones — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:09:14 GMT

Gjones: /* Biafra Stories */

== Training Stories ==

== Party Stories ==

== Work Stories ==

== Biafra Stories ==
[[The World is Deep]] is taken from the piece David Koren submitted for the "Half a Yellow Sun" contest. It is an exercise in using the wiki for Greg Jones. Thanks without asking to David for his great contribution. David, you can recast this however you want.

Because the original document is so long, I have broken it down into several pieces:
[[Biafran Airlift]]

[[Reporting of the Biafran Airlift]]

[[Biafran Airlift Peolple]]

[[A Day in Biafra]]

[[Planes of the Biafran Airlift]]

[[Biafran Children]]

[[Nigerian Spy]]

[[Biafra Itself]]

WID Biafra Itself

Gjones — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:51:16 GMT

Gjones:

Group IX stories

Gjones — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:17:18 GMT

Gjones:

WID The World is Deep

Gjones — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:16:19 GMT

Gjones:

Rice Demonstration Project

Gjones — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 01:42:12 GMT

Gjones: Add to story category

[[Image:RDO Ikot Ekpene3.gif|500px|center|thumb|Chris looking at the first rice milled at the MOA's rice demonstration project at Ekoi-Mbiabong Mbat, with local extension agent and Chris's Land Rover as a backdrop. Cira 1967]]

Story 2

My most troublesome project, little did I know it was worth the effort.

This was a rice demonstration project run by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), part was in INI County Council, Ikot Ekpene Division, Annang Province. It used land that belonged to 2 villages, each village was in a difference Province. I was asked to settle disputes between the villages and the villages and MOA that reguarded the project.

Just prior to my arrival, day laborers at the site were chased off by a group of unhappy people with light weapons. MOA employed 40 to 60 people, was constructing a large bund (levee) and had created 30 acres of rice paddies in a former swamp. Rice had not been grown in this region before. Frankly, I had to be talked into involving myself in what was clearly a volatile land dispute.

Unlike the 12 oil palm community farms I worked with in Ikot Ekpene Division, this demonstration project was "high maintenance". It required constant attention to the social and economic divisions of resources between the parties. Every small issue I had dealt with in the community farms and other projects, repeated themselves in this demonstration project. Fortunately, I had the full support of both Provinces, and the Ministry of Agriculture at the highest levels.

There are lots of stories in my mind about this project. Being asked to remove juju from part of the project, dividing land with 40 unhappy men waving machetes in the air, contrasting the leader of each village (an okuku and a politician), and others.

The big story was what happened between the time I was evacuated in 1967 and my visit to Ikot Ekpene in 1972. The divisional office had just reopened within the month when I introduced myself and asked after 'my village projects'. "We remember what you did. It was the rice project that was the most important in the time of Biafra." The roughly 100 acres of rice turned into over 1000 acres at that site and another site had another 600 acres growing. As sort of an after thought, I was told that 8 of the 12 community farms were still being kept up without any government supervision.

Still amazes me, what a special time in Ikot Ekpene was for me and evidently how Peace Corps Volunteers had some kind of positive impact upon on the daily lives of people in Nigeria. By contrast, my time in Somalia was completely different.

--[[User:Rcollman|Rcollman]] 10:49, 2 November 2007 (EST)
[[Category:Stories]]

Main Page

Gjones — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:47:36 GMT

Gjones: /* See also */

[[Image:FON LOGO new.gif|center]]

This wiki is for Return Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) that are members of Friends of Nigeria (FON). At the moment it's purpose is to work out a draft of how FON members might place '''[[stories]]''', pictures and collaborate on creating a wiki of their experiences. We are also include a general '''[[groups|group index]]''' that has links to descriptions of each group (for example [[Group XVI description]])

This site is viewable by the public but contributors must have a login and password issued by the site administrator.

Content appearing on this site may not be used without permission of FON. At this point in time (10/27/2007), content will be placed for example purposes only.

If you can log in, you can leave a message or comment for [[User_talk:Gjones|Greg here]] or [[User_talk:Rcollman|Chris here]]. FON members can use the listserv to send a message about this draft site.

==See also ==
*[[Project Vision]]
*'''[[General site map]]''' with '''[[Stories]]''' and '''[[Groups]]'''
*[[How to request login]]
*[[FON newsletters]]
**[[Sandbox1]]

*[[Stories]]

*[[Groups]]

*[[Group Story Index]]

*[[Region Story Index]]

Stories

Gjones — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:45:20 GMT

Gjones: /* Citations */

{{Stories}}

For a list of stores find the '''[[Group Story Index]]''' link

A typical stories page:

I am not sure how to organize this, the most important page for our members.

==Page name==
In documentation this is very important. We need a book editor to give some clues.
===Lists===
We can create pages and place a story page in a list.
===Categories===
We can create several types of catagories, with links at the bottom to each catagory
===Internal Links===
We can use a standard wiki page links in the story or in a story introduction
===See also===
We can put a "See also" heading at the bottom and put free form links
==Citations==
There are several citation methods that we can use. We need to figure out if we need to create a template for them.

* cite book |author=Forde, Daryll and Jones, G.I.|title=The Ibo and Ibibio-Speaking Peoples of South-Eastern Nigeria |year=1967 |origyear= 1950|publisher=International African Institute |location=London

Main Page

Gjones — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:43:46 GMT

Gjones: /* See also */

Region Story Index

Gjones — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:38:31 GMT

Gjones: /* - South Eastern States */

Nigeria political boundaries have not remained constant since independence.

== Overview==

*Lagos
==Northern Region==
==Western Region==
==Mid-Western Region==
==Eastern Region==
=== - South Eastern States===
**Annang Province
***[[Story1]]
***[[Story2]]

FON newsletters

Gjones — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:34:10 GMT

Gjones:

All the newsletters are available on the Friends of Nigeria website: [http://www.friendsofnigeria.org/Newsletters.htm FON Newsletters].

Note: you may need to scroll down the left hand window to find the latest newsletters.

Project Vision

Gjones — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:28:26 GMT

Gjones:

This is a place for Friends of Nigeria members to add their remembrances and stories to the collective history of the Peace Corps in Nigeria. Those recollections can be organized by training group, by location of service, or by any other theme that members may dream up. Let your imaginations run wild! In order to maintain some order on the site, only those who have applied to the site masters for a userid can update these pages. We will restrict those login IDs to Friends of Nigeria members. If you want to join Friends of Nigeria, go online to [http://www.friendsofnigeria.org/Join.htm Friends of Nigeria Join up info] or contact Peter Hansen at [mailto://pjhansen@ia.net] The entries logged here become public property, and may be used as raw material for a book about the Peace Corps in Nigeria. Let the sharing begin!

User talk:Rcollman

Gjones — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:12:48 GMT

Gjones: /* Blank Headings */

Comments below

Leave a message for Chris here. Thanks.

==Blank Headings==
Hi, Chris. Just trying out sending you a message. It is not going to be obvious to everybody that you have to hit edit in order to create your message.

Greg