Douglas Wells

Estonia

In Search of the Elusive Peace Corps Moment: Destination

Babak Akhgar

José María Blanco

This book provides a detailed insight into the complex dynamics of radicalization that are in play amongst contemporary society. The authors focus on understanding emerging trends and models that can be used to analyse and understand modern violent extremist and xenophobic discourse. The chapters cover multiple regions, providing a collective analysis of country-specific case studies for the formulation of best practices, recommendations and learning material. It is recommended that this book may serve as a compendium for practitioners, academics, teachers and students wishing to gain state-of-the art knowledge. Topics covered by the authors vary from hands-on practical information to tactical, operational, strategic and ethical guidance. This book provides a holistic, harmonized approach based upon European internal security strategies recognizing that internal security cannot be achieved in isolation from the rest of the world. Additionally, this material resonates with the EU’s commitment to fight extremism in a rational manner, alongside promoting human rights, democracy, peace and stability within the EU Member States. Presents a comprehensive understanding of the interconnectivities and trends behind emerging radicalisation patterns; Features newest conceptual and practical knowledge to monitor, analyse and respond to radicalization around the world; Provides a comprehensive view into the methodologies for analysis, through visualizations, case studies and applications.

Case Studies in Europe and Asia

Investigating Radicalization Trends

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT In Search of the Elusive Peace Corps Moment "HILARIOUS!!" -Kim Brant, Valley Village, California "The most delightful thing I have read in years, maybe longer" -Mikk Hinnov, Bridgewater, New Jersey SUMMARY From the moment the Aeroflot Tupolev-134 hit the tarmac, Douglas Wells knew his life would never be the same. As he stared in awe at the scores of Soviet military aircrafts jammed into the tiny Riga International Airport he was decidedly less sure about whether joining the first group of Peace Corps Volunteers to serve in the former Soviet Union was the best decision of his life or his worst mistake. Was turning his back on a budding career as an accountant to work as an agricultural advisor in Estonia adventurous or foolhardy? And would he ever be able to fit into this totally alien environment? Armed with 100 pounds of luggage, a fishing pole, and a silent prayer, Douglas Wells sets out to find what had been missing in his life for many years, in search of adventure, in search of romance, in search of his "Peace Corps Moment." In Search of the Elusive Peace Corps Moment ~ Destination: Estonia is an anthology of “fish out of water” stories about a young man from America’s heartland struggling to find a place for himself in post-Soviet Estonia. Motivated by a will to make a difference in the world, he quickly finds out that doing so is much more difficult than he expected. Throughout his frustrations Douglas is able to maintain a sense of humor about the cultural gaps that must be bridged. Whether he is wrestling a prized sheep named Yeltsin, being stalked by an overzealous traffic cop armed with a new radar gun received as humanitarian aid from Texas, or cringing as a reluctant passenger in a car that is being driven 17 miles across the icy surface of the frozen Baltic Sea, Douglas never fails to recognize the irony of each situation, while at the same time laughing over his own angst. As Wells carries on the search for his elusive "Peace Corps Moment", he stumbles his way into some extraordinary events. He receives a commendation from the Estonian President for having recovered a national treasure that had been lost for 50 years, writes a song that miraculously finds itself in the number 1 spot on the Estonian pop charts, and marries the woman of his dreams. For many people, any one of these events might be considered life-defining, but in the end Douglas Wells recognizes that the true impact he made as a Peace Corps Volunteer extends far beyond his material accomplishments.

Destination: Estonia

In Search of the Elusive Peace Corps Moment

BEING RESCUED IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING SAVED. Jackson Levee, a professor and writer, plucks two drowning twin girls from the Gulf of Mexico. Their attractive single mother has her own ideas about how to thank the hero. Jackson and their family go from being complete strangers one day to intimate friends the next. Jackson soars to literary fame after writing about his rescue of the twins, while the girls mature into beautiful but troubled young women. Over the next twenty-five years, everyone’s recklessness in love, marriage, and life produces wild and devastating results, forcing the three of them to struggle as they try to realize their destinies and find balance in life. Douglas Wells crafts an intoxicating story teeming with passion and exhilaration to danger, addiction, and despair.

Douglas Wells

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