Archive - December 2012

    Bob Arias (Colombia 1964-66; Trainer at Camp Radley 1966-68; APCD Colombia 1968-70; Language Director for the Peace Corps in Latin America 1971-73; CD Argentina and Uruguay 1993-95; Response Volunteer to Panama 2009-10, Paraguay 2010-11; currently in Colombia with Peace Corps Response) has also worked as the State Director for ACTION, 1973–75, and retired from the position of County of Los Angeles Affirmative Action Compliance Officer in 1993.

Tino Calabia (Peru 1963-65), who rallied all of us in support of honoring  Ambassador Christopher Stevens, sent me a note about our collective efforts to reach 1000 signatures. He pointed out that we have currently 959 signatures and suggested we rally our friends from the Peace Corps–after the encouraging words today from the Peace Corps Acting Director–to sign this petition and reach 1,000 names before the end of the year, if not before the end of this week! Tino also suggested that we ask Acting Director of the Peace Corps, Carrie Hessler-Radelet, to invite Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to join us at the Peace Corps dedication ceremony regardless of Secretary Clinton’s official government status in May 2013. These are great ideas. So, go to this page and sign our RPCV petition, and if you have already signed it, thank you and please forward the request to other RPCVs and Peace Corps staff from your . . .

[On Friday I received the following e-mail from the Acting Director of the Peace Corps Carrie Hessler-Radelet concerning honoring Ambassador Chris Stevens. She asked me to share it with all of you who read our blog items. John Coyne] November 30, 2012 Dear Members of the Peace Corps Family: I recently met with Ambassador Chris Stevens’s sister, Anne, to offer condolences and support on behalf of the Peace Corps community.  Her graciousness and her desire to help further the important bridge-building work of her brother is both moving and inspiring. In response to your petition, I committed to keeping you informed about the dedication of the Ambassador Stevens photo in History Hall of Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C.  We were originally thinking that we would have a dedication ceremony in mid-December at the same time as the State Department memorial service for Ambassador Stevens.  We heard from Anne Stevens . . .

Some 39 years Tom Gallagher (Ethiopia 1962-64) became the first Foreign Service Officer, and the first officer of any government in the world, to voluntarily come out of the closet. That was no small moment in time. It cost Tom his career in the State Department. Now it is  Wednesday, November 28, 2012 and Tom and other are gathered in the diplomatic reception room at the State Department -arguably the most beautiful room in the Western Hemisphere  where the Secretary of State welcomes visiting kings, presidents, etc. Tom is there to celebrate the 20th anniversary of GLIFAA, the gay organization for foreign affairs agencies in Washington.  The Washington Gay Mens’ Chorus has just finished singing the Star Spangled Banner in four part harmony.  Next, the Secretary of State speaks out about her solid support for gay rights at the State Department and worldwide, and Tom is thinking:  “Wow, we’ve come a long way, baby!” In . . .