Signal Boost

The digital world is awash in voices seeking monetary reward or improved social status, as the online acronym goes, IRL (in real life). There are, however, some that have dedicated their time, effort, and social media platforms to those who are in most need of the spotlight. Not surprisingly, these voices include several Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

In many ways, social media has transformed how the Peace Corps’ third goal—to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans—is achieved. Storytelling by Volunteers is at the heart of this goal; now, that storytelling is done with and by host communities. In this new digital age, RPCVs are not just leveraging platforms for self-promotion—they’re passing the mic to those whose stories might otherwise go untold. 

The Documentarian: Cinematic Voices from the Margins

Sam Friedberg (Madagascar 2017–19) travels the world with his camera in hand, capturing images that highlight and preserve Indigenous heritage and chronicling the struggles of those that are too often left behind. A skilled photographer and videographer, Friedberg posts his work on his YouTube channel, Nomad Productions, and his personal Instagram profile (@samuelfried). After completing his service in Madagascar, Friedberg went back to his host country to document the challenges of the Mikea people, the country’s last hunter-gatherers, as they confronted the harmful effects of charcoal production—including deforestation—on their traditional way of life. In this documentary work he conveys the Mikea through elegant yet simple photography, depicting their desperation as the forest of their ancestors is destroyed around them. We also see the Mikea seek alternative ways to ensure their survival and find new ways to preserve their heritage. 

Friedberg has also created short cinematic films that document traditional music, festivals, and oral storytelling across Latin America and West Africa. His content is often multilingual, ensuring accessibility and authenticity. 

Notably, local musicians featured in his videos have attracted interest from tourists and even international recognition in ways that they were previously unable to.

“Right now, I’m traveling through Africa; staying with PCVs and photographing their sites,” Friedman said in a WhatsApp message from Tanzania in April. “Being able to use my travels and photography passion to showcase the Peace Corps experience is a great way to give back and inspire the next generation of PCVs.”

The Podcaster: Black Diplomats and the Politics of Presence

Terrell Starr (Georgia 2003–05) is reshaping how we perceive diplomacy and the creation of U.S. foreign policy. As host of the podcast Black Diplomats he brings depth, context, and lived experience to stories too often flattened by traditional foreign policy commentary. His work elevates perspectives that are frequently overlooked: those of Black, Brown, LGBTQ+, and marginalized voices from the U.S. and across the globe. Drawing on his Peace Corps service during Georgia’s Rose Revolution and his on-the-ground reporting in Ukraine as war erupted in 2022, Starr speaks with cultural fluency and grounded empathy. Each episode of Black Diplomats is a narrative of connection—of civilians in Kyiv surviving siege; of African migrants navigating borders; of what diplomacy looks like when it centers people, not just policy. 

“I named my media brand ‘Black Diplomats’ because I became frustrated with mainstream media centering white peoples’ stories in foreign affairs news,” Starr says. “The name came about out of defiance, but now I really like the idea that people in my hometown of Detroit can see that a Black boy from the hood can become a leader in international news reporting, and, yes, a diplomat.” With thousands of listeners and appearances on major networks like CNN, MSNBC, and Al Jazeera, Starr is amplifying voices at the heart of global conflict and redefining diplomacy as a human story, one we all have a stake in. 

The Collaborator: TikTok & Co-Creation 

Jennifer Ching (Ethiopia 2016–18) uses social media platforms, especially TikTok, to lift up underrepresented voices and promote cultural exchange that goes far beyond her Peace Corps service. Rather than creating content focused on herself, Ching centers the communities around her, allowing people to share their own stories, languages, and traditions directly with a global audience. A strong advocate for AANHPI (Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander) representation, Ching says, “Social media has leveled the playing field. … I’ve begun to be intentional about following those who amplify AANHPI voices and representation.” Her own platforms reflect this commitment. Whether featuring traditional dances, sharing a cultural proverb, or highlighting a friend’s local business, Ching ensures the subject, not the storyteller, takes the spotlight.

What sets Ching apart is her emphasis on co-creation. She doesn’t simply report on culture—she works within it, building platforms where community voices are treated with dignity and authenticity. Her content aims to bring people together not as tourists seeing the sights, but as neighbors living together side by side, and gives everyday brilliance a place to shine. Her approach aligns with Peace Corps–endorsed storytelling ethics: Let communities lead their narratives, and amplify rather than interpret. 

The Recruiter: Connecting Vols with opportunities on LinkedIn

“I’ve never just used LinkedIn for finding jobs or for hiring. I’ve always used it as a way to build community, and that’s been a big part of it for me,” says Scott Beale, whose LinkedIn profile is one of the most followed in the Peace Corps community. That’s probably because Beale, a former Associate Director for Global Operations at Peace Corps and now a career coach, not only posts insightful and inspirational material about Peace Corps and global affairs, but also job opportunities. His account has seen a huge increase in the number of followers following the recent wave of federal layoffs at departments and organizations working on global issues. “I think one of the things about LinkedIn is that trying to be helpful to other people really resonates. To be able to use my experience to help support people from USAID, and of course folks like Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, has been wonderful,” he says. “I feel like it’s been completely exploding in recent months.”

Beale also sees value in using social media to help RPCVs get outside the echo chamber of too often speaking only to each other. “I think it’s an important opportunity for us to tell our stories even beyond just the circles or pools that we swim in.”

At a time when global narratives are often dominated by power and politics, these returned Volunteers remind us that listening is also a form of leadership, and that amplifying local voices is not only an act of justice—it’s an investment in a more connected, prosperous, peaceful world for all.

Have a social media account we should be following? Email us at [email protected] and follow us @worldview_npca

Toronto Eschrich is a WorldView magazine intern. He is currently obtaining his master’s degree in International Relations and Diplomacy at the American Graduate School in Paris.

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