Our very own Camp Rising Sun former Executive Director, LAJF Emeritus Director, Rhinebeck resident and four-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee David Taylor Ives has released his new memoir, American Dreamer. 

The book captures the memories of David’s experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer. Since his early days in the Peace Corps, he has worked alongside leaders such as President Jimmy Carter and the Dalai Lama. David talks about time he spent working in schools and community gardens in impoverished parts of the world, and how this opportunity paved the way for him to become a global humanitarian. From serving as the Senior Advisor to the Permanent Secretariat of the Summits of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, to becoming well-known for his speeches on humanitarian issues - he has been able to establish interest in the world peace initiatives with which he is involved in. 

According to David,

“American Dreamer gave me the chance to express my gratitude for the enlightening, rewarding journey I experienced in the Peace Corps and how it shaped my entire life. I hope it sheds light on the importance of finding ways to serve other human beings, and how, in doing so, you always end up getting so much more than you give. My favorite quote is from Albert Schweitzer, Ph.D., M.D., 1952 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate: ‘Everyone must work to live, but the purpose of life is to serve and to show compassion and the will to help others. Only then have we ourselves become true human beings.’ I think that statement captures the heart of what I hope to inspire through American Dreamer.”

David’s life of service is a beautiful reflection of the Camp Rising Sun values. 

David’s altruism is not absent from a personal journey full of challenges. He has fought Polio and Guillain Barre Syndrome and is currently battling Parkinson’s disease.    

In Chapter 3 of his book, David recalls his impressionable trip to South America as a teenager:

 “I know what poverty looks like on the faces and in the eyes of someone who is starving; having seen this for the first time on that fateful family trip to Brazil when I was 17”

The homes of Brazilian favelas were assembled together with patchwork from tin and corn stalks. A family of five had to share a double bed mattress on the floor. There was one source for drinking, washing and sewage waters. David’s grief was blended with the recognition of the inequities in life. This trip served as his pivotal moment of a humanitarian awakening.  

David’s discomfort to such inequities paired with his dedication to politics, history, and activism enticed his intention as a Central American Peace Corps Volunteer. In his small community of Hudson Valley, David actively worked for schools and community gardens. 

Those who attended Camp Rising Sun and heard his fireside talks at Council might remember this sentiment,  “You learn to just keep getting up no matter how much you are knocked down in life, and to use your own adversity to help others. My struggles have helped me empathize deeply with those who are suffering, and my hope is that the book inspires others to do their part to make life a little easier on those around them,”

As the former Executive Director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute of Quinnipiac University, Ives had been an adjunct professor of Political Science, Philosophy, Latin American Studies, and International Culture. He is the co-author of other books, namely Nuclear Proliferation, the Dilemma of Peace in the Twenty-First Century and Reverence for Life Revisited. Ives is also the Executive Producer of the 2005 Emmy-winning documentary Albert Schweitzer: My Life is My Argument. 

After his service on the LAJF Board as the Executive Director, David has maintained involvement with the Rhinebeck Rotary Club, of which he’s been a member since 1990. 

David Ives has dedicated his life toward making the world a better place. His hands-on experience as a humanitarian makes American Dreamer more than just an autobiography. The reader will access a profound explanation of the meaning of life that holds a noteworthy moral significance. 

It was an honor to have David on our Board and still in our community. In his book he notes: 

“There have been many such camp programs that tried to bridge the gap between countries and cultures with histories of conflict. Ours was unique because we did not single out one culture or political entity in conflict with one other; rather, we had several cultures and/or countries with histories of conflict with each other in our program.”

He’s served as an exemplary model for our recent and new campers. Add American Dreamer to your quarantine reading list for a captivating experience.