From Microsoft to Malawi: Learning on the Front Lines as a Peace Corps Volunteer

Joining the Peace Corps permanently changed Michael Buckler's life, which is why the Duke Law alumnus hopes his new book will inspire others, particularly Duke students, to follow a path of service themselves.

While at Duke, Buckler pursued public interest classes and clinics on topics such as HIV/AIDS and the death penalty, as well as spending a summer working at the Child Advocacy Center in Durham.

"I sought out professors and administrators at Duke who supported students taking a non-traditional path," said Buckler, who hopes to attend and participate in the alumni association's Duke in Depth weekend in February.

There he will connect with other Duke alumni who served in the Peace Corps or interacted in other ways with developing countries.

"You need to get out there, in the villages, talking to the people, learning the languages and cultures, figuring out what works and doesn't. Then you can make informed judgments," said Buckler, who graduated from Duke Law in 2000.

While serving in Malawi for two years, he kept a journal of his emotions, challenges and unfolding adventures. Those entries provided the foundation for his new book, "From Microsoft to Malawi: Learning on the Front Lines as a Peace Corps Volunteer."

When he joined the Peace Corps, Buckler left behind a demanding legal career, as well as the residue of a heartbreaking divorce. He carefully weighed the pros and cons by talking beforehand with returned Peace Corps volunteers, and also received encouragement from consumer advocate Ralph Nader.

"Peace Corps wasn't my only option, but it was the only option I wanted," he wrote in his book. "Peace Corps was a life-changing experience and I am as proud of joining as graduating from Duke Law."

The attorney left Portland for the jagged, towering mountains of Malawi in 2006.

Placed in a village school miles from fellow Peace Corps volunteers, he found community instead with his colleague turned best friend, Mr. Zimbota, and with three boys he eventually invited to live with him. Alfred, Gift, and Myson became his housemates and newfound family, and Buckler is now using the book as a fundraiser for their college educations.

"Each was a good student and lived far from school, and by opening my tiny teacher home to them, I was able to change their lives," Buckler said. "Each studied extremely hard and passed the college entrance examination, yet none has the funds to attend college."

"From Microsoft" highlights the "interconnectedness" of humanity, the importance of cultural awareness and need for education. Buckler, like many Peace Corps volunteers, wore many hats that exposed him to the complexity of development. From garden and tree-planting projects, to building a girls boarding house, he learned enduring lessons about development work and policy.

"We need to approach the challenge as students with something to learn, not as teachers with something to prove," said Buckler, who returned to live in Washington, D.C. amid numerous think-tanks and policy advocates.He says he is not content with their traditional approaches to development policy.

In addition to describing his life in Malawi, therefore, Buckler provides detailed statistics and research findings that highlight problems with development policy and insight into alternatives.

"I wanted to get a Peace Corps voice out there," said Buckler, who believes individuals should spend time on the front lines to help global communities develop.

In a conversation with a former state department diplomat back in his hometown in Maryland, Buckler acknowledges his dislike for the term ‘development,' although he has no better alternative to offer. "All I know is that aid work is not about changing or enlightening, it's about exposing people to options, and letting them choose for themselves. It's about dignity," he said.

"Whether business- or government-related, we must approach development work with an intention to learn, not to teach. We need to do a lot of listening and learning in order to craft solutions that are lasting and impactful."