Glenn Blumhorst – Peace Corps Worldwide

Jimmy Carter’s grandson Jason speaks out on former president’s life, legacy

Jan 01 2025

Editor’s note: As America mourns the passing of former President Jimmy Carter, I have been amazed by the number of posts, blogs, and photo sharing by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who had the privilege to personally meet President Carter through their Peace Corps connection. Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn wrote “For over 50 years, President Carter, his mother Lillian Carter, and the entire Carter family have championed the Peace Corps’ work to advance world peace and friendship through international service.” Many RPCVs shared about meeting President Carter through the Lilian Carter Award; others through the Carter Center’s work to eradicate Guinea worm disease in Africa and Asia. I personally met Jimmy and Rosalyn a couple of times (though I regrettably have no photos of the occasions). At the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation, where I serve as chief advancement officer, we are honored to count Jason Carter (RPCV South Africa, . . .

In Memoriam: Jimmy Carter, A Friend of the Peace Corps Community

Dec 29 2024

Dec. 29, 2024 Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter Passes Away at 100 Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States and winner of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, died peacefully Sunday, Dec. 29, at his home in Plains, Georgia, surrounded by his family. He was 100, the longest-lived president in U.S. history. Visit the Carter Family’s Official Online Condolence Book and Tribute Website.

Peace Corps Community in the News (week of December 22)

Dec 28 2024

Fred Lonidier’s casual photography: part I, by Nilo Goldfarb, University of California, San Diego— December 23, 2024 In 1967, Lonidier joined the Peace Corps in the Philippines with his first wife, Paulette Liang, but his time there was cut short by a presidential appeal denying his draft deferral. Prior to his departure, Lonidier successfully wrote and published a letter to the editors of the Philippine Free Press and Manila Times, presenting the American interruption of his service as a disproof of the nation’s claim to be “on the side of peace.” The letter landed him in front of the press on his return flight home, just two and a half months later…” UK professor recognized with lifetime achievement award for decades of community development contributions, by Zoey Ortega, University of Kentucky—December 23, 2024 “This work feeds my soul,” Hustedde said. “What I love is seeing people transform . . .

How I used Hanukkah to teach my community about the diversity of America.

Dec 26 2024

Happy Holidays, everyone! We’ll be taking a break until January 2 (Peace Corps Community in the News will be issued this Saturday). In the meantime, enjoy this archived Peace Corps Volunteer’s story. How I used Hanukkah to teach my community about the diversity of America PeaceCorpsWorldwide.org

Santa and Mrs. Claus

Dec 25 2024

Happy Holidays, everyone! We’ll be taking a break until January 2 (Peace Corps Community in the News will be issued this Saturday). In the meantime, enjoy this story. Santa and Mrs. Claus, by Lee Provost in the Daily Journal | Shawmedia.com | December 24, 2024 . From their home in unincorporated Kankakee, Santa and Mrs. Claus — perhaps better known in these parts as Wayne and Barb Burgess — have been two of the most sought-after people this side of the North Pole for the better part of a month. Wayne, 73, a 20-year employee with the former UARCO Inc., in Watseka, and who also served in the Peace Corps as well as the U.S. Army in the mid 1970s, has been entertaining the young and the not-so-young with his Santa duties for much of the past 32 years, having first started the effort to surprise his then-young son at . . .

Book Review: Falling Seven Times, by Mark Wentling (Honduras 1967-69 & Togo 1970-73)

Dec 24 2024

· Publisher ‏ : ‎ Archway Publishing (August 31, 2024) · Language ‏ : ‎ English · Paperback ‏ : ‎ 318 pages · ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1665763213 · ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1665763 219 · Available on Amazon.com : Falling Seven Times I’ve read and reviewed several of the author’s books. We were both Peace Corps Volunteers in Central America and worked in West Africa, although Wentling went on to work and travel in 54 African countries over the years. My favorite book from his “African Trilogy” is “Africa’s Embrace,” which is fiction but reflects his experience working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in West Africa in the 1970s. This book begins in Ethiopia with a young woman’s struggle to be a migrant worker to support her family. It is a fictional story based on her experience with his Ethiopian wife. She became a naturalized citizen in 2019. . . .

Musaphe Mbalame (Don’t kill the birds!), a jingle by Jack Allison (Malawi 1966-69)

Dec 23 2024

I have the good fortune to serve on the board of directors of Developing Radio Partners. Recently the Malawi government has been airing spots on the radio in an effort to combat an increasing incidence of malaria. The attached song has now become part of that campaign. I wrote/recorded this song 56 years ago during my three-year tour as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi. Quite honestly, back in the day, the song was not only popular, it also had a modest positive effect on increasing awareness of the ways to fight malaria. The gist of the song: Don’t kill the birds in Malawi because the birds eat the mosquitoes that give people malaria. E. Jackson Allison, Jr. MD/MPH, FACEP, FACPM Asheville, North Carolina RPCV Malawi, 1966-69 Virtual Service Project Participant (VSPP), US Peace Corps/South Africa, 2022 Author: The Warm Heart of Africa: An Outrageous Adventure of Love, Music, and . . .

Leadership, Legacy, and Global Impact: A Conversation with Peace Corps Deputy Director David E. White Jr.

Dec 22 2024

“At [the] Peace Corps, we’re calling all Americans, including Gen Z, to turn their passion into meaningful, mission-driven service. And we know that folks can do that through the Peace Corps. If you want to be a diplomat, if you want to be an ambassador, if you want to be a member of Congress, then the Peace Corps is also a fantastic way to start your community, your opportunity, your journey down that path. For example, we look at ambassadors serving around the world. We know that Peace Corps volunteers are represented in the ranks [more] than folks from [any] other backgrounds. If you want to be a business CEO [or] run a business, we have Peace Corps volunteers who have done that. [The] Peace Corps can fit into your own journey, no matter what that path ends up looking like.” David E. White Jr. is the 14th Deputy Director . . .

Peace Corps Community in the News (ICYMI)

Dec 21 2024

International Volunteer Day—Implications for an accidental volunteer, By Dianne Hambrook in South Seas | December 16, 2024. “There are no Peace Corps in the Solomon Islands now. We’re not sure why exactly, some directive at a government level. But the Western Province holds particular significance for their organisation, it’s where JFK was marooned during World War II after his patrol torpedo boat was run over by a Japanese destroyer. If he hadn’t survived, the Peace Corps wouldn’t have come into existence.” NASA Astronaut Joseph M. Acaba shares life insights at BRAC, The Daily Star | December 16, 2024. “Without my teacher, I wouldn’t be an astronaut.” (Editor: Mr. Acaba served in the Dominican Republic, 1994-96, not the Bahamas, as the article states). Defendant Pleads Not Guilty in Connection to Murder of Peace Corps Worker, By Adriana Marroquin in DC Witness |December 16, 2024. Dearay Wilson, 29, is charged with conspiracy, first-degree . . .

A PEACE CORPS LAWYER IN PARADISE, by Donald T. Bliss (Micronesia 1966-68)

Dec 20 2024

A PEACE CORPS LAWYER IN PARADISE The Pacific Islands—Past, Present, and Future Donald Tiffany Bliss (Micronesia 1966-68) Self-Published, August 22, 2024; 275 pages Available on Amazon Paperback, Kindle, $14.99 ISBN 9798336456424 The book describes my Peace Corps experience as the first attorney to reside in Ponape (Pohnpei), Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and subsequent travels in the Pacific Islands. In the US-administered UN Trusteeship of the Pacific Islands, the author worked with Micronesians to establish a rule of law and learn democratic self-government, which led to the independence of the Federated States of Micronesia. The author illustrated how law evolves from local custom and tradition.

New Book: My African Anthology, by Robert Gribbin

Dec 18 2024

My African Anthology By Robert Gribbin (Kenya 1968-70)) Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (August 9, 2024) Language ‏ : ‎ English Paperback ‏ : ‎ 351 pages ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8335491563 Available on Amazon.com ($17.00) My African Anthology is a compendium of anecdotes, articles and stories that mirror years of living and working in Africa. Beginning in the sixties with my first sojourn on the continent, the items both factual and fictional paint a compelling portrait of the Africa I knew. From the Peace Corps Kenya era are snippets of Luo tribal consternation regarding America’s moon landing, competing in the Safari road rally, trouble with noisy bees, and a shape shifting terror. From Bokassa’s Central African Republic – stories of a man lost in the forest, the president’s mistress, a search for gold, plus an eye-witness account of the lavish coronation. A later return to that beleaguered nation, . . .

Obituary for Peace Corps Writer Patricia Edmisten (Peru 1962-64)

Dec 15 2024

I first became acquainted with Patricia in 2019, when she reached out to me in my capacity as President & CEO of National Peace Corps Association, for help recruiting returned Peace Corps Volunteers to serve with the Annunciation House hospitality center in El Paso, where her nephew, Mark Seitz, is the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese. I was so compelled by her plea that I journeyed to El Paso and served the refugee community there for two weeks, as did dozens of other returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Patricia also corresponded with John Coyne and Marian Beil, reviewing some books and posting her own books on Peace Corps Worldwide. She was a gifted writer, spiritualist, and kind humanitarian. She was a close friend to many people and will be greatly missed. — Glenn Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Patricia S. Taylor Edmisten lived in Pensacola since 1977 when she joined the . . .

Congressional Gold Medal to former Peace Corps Deputy Director

Dec 15 2024

Excerpt from War History Online December 12, 2024 Hundreds of US service members were taken by the North Vietnamese (NVA) and held prisoner during the Vietnam War. What makes Everett Alvarez, Jr. unique is that he was imprisoned for eight and a half years, making him the second-longest held prisoner of war (POW) in American history. Now, decades after his release, the US Navy veteran is slated to receive the highest honor the US Congress can bestow upon him: the Congressional Gold Medal. Speaking about his survival later in life, Alvarez credited his faith in God and the support he had from other POWs. “We had a philosophy that you didn’t ever let your fellows down,” he said. “If they couldn’t take care of themselves, you took care of them because you knew darned well they would do the same. Alvarez served for another 20 years, before leaving the Navy with . . .

New Book: HALF LIFE: A Collection of A.R.T., by Andrew R. Tadross

Dec 14 2024

HALF LIFE: A Collection of A.R.T. By Andrew R. Tadross (Ethiopia 2011-13) Independently Published, November 2024; 103 pages Available for $42.00 on Amazon HALF LIFE: A Collection of A.R.T., by Andrew R. Tadross, is an evocative anthology spanning two decades of creative exploration. This collection transcends genres, blending pop culture, expressionism, nature art, abstraction, and surrealism. Featuring over 100 works, it delivers a vivid mix of satire, nostalgia, melancholy, and tension. Highlights include a fishy homage to Jackson Pollock, a chimp playing Russian roulette with a banana, and landscapers at sunset. Fans of cinematic and cultural nostalgia will chuckle at scenes like Colonel Kurtz losing at Tetris, Cousin Eddie navigating Downton Abbey, and a chess match between Darth Vader and “The Dude.” Drawing from personal experiences and far-flung settings—Ethiopia, the Everglades, and beyond—Tadross’s work captures both the iconic and the everyday. Portraits range from Willie Nelson to Mr. T, while . . .

Peace Corps Unveils New Strategy to Combat Sexual Violence on Human Rights Day

Dec 11 2024

WASHINGTON – Aligned with Human Rights Day and the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence campaign, the Peace Corps today published its Sexual Assault Prevention Strategy and Implementation Plan: Fiscal Years 2025-2029, a guide to the agency’s next phase of action in support of sexual assault prevention. Central to the strategy and plan are measures to further cement the agency’s public health approach to prevent sexual violence before it occurs. The strategy and plan underscore the Peace Corps’ commitment to global, societal-level action to prevent sexual violence for the safety and well-being of volunteers and members of communities where volunteers live and work. “Sexual violence directly threatens the Peace Corps’ mission of world peace and friendship,” said Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn. “This new strategy adds a public health lens to more than a decade’s worth of sexual assault risk mitigation and response work. Today, we further dedicate ourselves to . . .

Author - Glenn Blumhorst