Archive - September 21, 2020

Thanks for the “heads up” from Concetta Anne Bencivenga (Thailand 1992-94) The story behind one group’s grassroots effort to do just that Shanna Loga (Morocco 2006-08) Medium.com Sep 20 · For many Americans, the Peace Corps is a treasured institution. It represents the idealism, generosity, and curiosity of our nation and symbolizes our spirit of humanitarianism. We imagine bright-eyed volunteers selflessly digging wells in Cameroon or teaching English in Ecuador. With its founding by JFK and its current mission of “promoting world peace and friendship,” the Peace Corps holds a special reverence in the national consciousness. Objectively, the Peace Corps is an independent US government agency and volunteer program. Peace Corps volunteers receive three months of in-country, international training before serving two-year terms abroad in sectors including agriculture, community economic development, education, environment, health, and youth development. The population of volunteers skews young, white, and female: the average age is 26, 65% are female, and . . .

The NYCPCA is excited to invite our community and their friends and family to the first installment of our 2020 Peace Corps Story Slam series happening on September 30! Like many things in 2020, the importance of social distancing has pushed our live storytelling event to the internet. We’re also expanding the program this year to include multiple events organized around specific themes that we’ll continue building on in 2021. See below for details and we’ll look forward to seeing you in a few weeks! Wednesday, September 30, 2020 7:30pm EST For our first event, we invite stories about volunteers’ experiences with race and identity during their service. Sign Up to Be a Storyteller RSVP 2020 Story Slam Program Thursday, October 22 and Thursday, November 19 7:30pm EST We’ll also be hosting two more exciting evenings of storytelling in 2020, where we’ll explore volunteers’ encounters with the political process during their service . . .

  Honoring the historic founding of the Peace Corps and fundamental American ideals and values the Peace Corps symbolizes   P E A C E C O R P S  C O M M E M O R A T I V E  F O U N D A T I O N PeaceCorpsDesign The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts (CFA), at its September 17 meeting, voted unanimously to approve the design concept for the national Peace Corps Commemorative, designed and presented by artist/sculptor Larry Kirkland and Michael Vergason of Michael Vergason Landscape Architects.   The PCCF will finance and build this commemorative work on a small, triangular National Park Service site facing Louisiana Avenue, NW, in the heart of Washington, DC, one block from the National Mall and the U.S. Capitol Building grounds, and three blocks from Union Station. CFA approval of the design concept is a positive step . . .