Archive - May 5, 2015

Those were the days my friend We thought they’d never end A lot gets lost over time and 50+ years of history is a long time for an agency. Reading this past weekend the long, and deadly prose written report: The Peace Corps A Comprehensive Agency Assessment– published in June 2010 by the agency–I realized how much of the original spirit of the Peace Corps has evaporated in five decades of service. This report written by six people, with lots of advisory committees, attempts to evaluate the agency, and make recommendations for the future. It was done at the suggestion of Peace Corps Director  Aaron Williams (2009-12) who said during his Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearings that his intention, once confirmed as director, was to “carry out an agency-wide assessment of the Peace Corps as a means of strengthening, reforming, and growing the agency.” Aaron said that “the agency-wide assessment . . .

While observing the Kazakh elections, 2005, Ken Hill is being observed.

Dr. Remington Lee Nevin is a consulting physician epidemiologist board certified in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.  Dr. Nevin specializes in the evaluation of adverse reactions to antimalarial medications, particularly the neurotoxic quinoline derivative mefloquine (previously marketed in the United States as Lariam®). The above is from his website: http://www.remingtonnevin.com/site/home.html Dr. Nevin has written a letter to the Peace Corps Director urging that the policy regarding the use of mefloquine be changed to protect Volunteers from the medication’s adverse effects. His letter is signed by RPCVs who support the change.  Many of whom have suffered severe and potentially permanent damage from the drug. RPCV advocates, including members of “Health Justice for Volunteers, are urging RPCVs to write to Peace Corps Director Carrie Radelet-Hessler in support of Dr. Nevin’s recommendations, and also to contact their Congressional delegation with the same request.  Here is the link . . .