Autoethnographic Assessment of the Trajectory and Legacy of a Field School in The Gambia, West Africa: PEACE, Praxis, and People

This article examines the trajectory and legacy of an undergraduate field school in the smallest Anglophone country in West Africa, The Gambia. Over a period of twenty-three years, an international summer anthropology course evolved from a study tour, to a field school, to a year-round international exchange program that involved hundreds of students, faculty and staff from institutions in the United States, The Gambia, and for several years, even Thailand. In 2016 the College administration decided to close what had come to be known as the PEACE (Promoting Educational and Cultural Exchange) program in The Gambia, West Africa. The article provides an example of the advantages anthropologists have in the design and delivery of international field schools and programs. This case study illustrates that international programs generate both intended and unintended results or impacts at the individual, community, and institutional levels. The collaborative approach used in The Gambia generated mutual benefits among participants and institutional stakeholders, but the relatively abrupt program closure created significant challenges for host country program staff. Today, the legacy of the PEACE program can be seen in the actions of previous participants and the spirit of their own projects or programs in The Gambia.