Author - John Coyne

The Huffington Post has a piece on line today that Bonnie Lee Black (Gabon 1996-98) emailed  me about on how the military scrambled to limit the use of the notorious anti-malaria drug called mefloquine (you might have known it as  Lariam) after that soldier’s attack on innocent children. Are you at risk,  we might ask? Remember how we took that drug in Africa and elsewhere? Here’ is the Huff Post article written by Mark Benjamin, an investigative reporter in D. C.,  that points the finger at mefloquine as a possible cause of Bales’ tragic behavior. WASHINGTON — Nine days after a U.S. soldier allegedly massacred 17 civilians in Afghanistan, a top-level Pentagon health official ordered a widespread, emergency review of the military’s use of a notorious anti-malaria drug called mefloquine. Mefloquine, also called Lariam, has severe psychiatric side effects. Problems include psychotic behavior, paranoia and hallucinations. The drug has been implicated in numerous . . .

Board of Directors Elections 2012 The Governance Committee of the NPCA Board of Directors announces the 2012 elections for member-elected representatives to the NPCA Board of Directors. NOMINATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED.  Voting will take place primarily online between March 30 and April 30, 2012. All eligible voters will receive an election flyer in the mail with instructions on how to vote. Each candidate was asked to state (in 100 words or less) “why you want to serve on the NPCA board and what you hope to accomplish as a board member.” Voting is open to current NPCA members only. To renew your membership and/or update your contact information, log into the NPCA membership database here.(Note the “forgotten your password” link under the login boxes, if needed.) The candidates up for election are as follows. Please click on the names below to read their biographies and nomination statements.  Note that you may also . . .

[This Op-Ed by Joe Nocera appeared in the NYTIMES this morning. Nocera writes about a man many of us remember fondly, Charlie Peters. A lawyer, WWII Veteran, Kennedy campaigner,  Master’s in English and former West Virginia Legislator, Charlie was chosen by Shriver to run the first evaluation unit in a federal agency at the Peace Corps. Peters did so with relish, hiring professional journalists and fanning them out overseas to independently evaluate the new Peace Corps programs, many times these reporters wrote evaluations that upset the people back in HQ who had created those programs. The RPCVs who were around in those early days remember him fondly. Well, Charlie is still at it, spinning out words of wisdom after all these years. And what Charlie has to say about government agencies, and the personnel in them, still rings true. The Peace Corps attempted to avoid stagnation with the unique policy of  “In, Up and Out.” The . . .

Kristina Owens (Bolivia 2000-02), the ‘Strategic Partnership Director’ of RPCV/W sent out the following email to ‘RPCV friends and supporters’ of the group. She was  relating what she titles, “A Successful RPCV/W Peace Corps Town Hall Meeting!” held last week in Shriver Hall at PC/HQ. Here it is, reprinted. Dear RPCV Friends and supporters, Last week’s Peace Corps Town Hall Meeting was a resounding success, in part because of the interest and questions from the RPCV community. Over 100 RPCVs came to listen to the Peace Corps Leadership and participated in the Q & A session. RPCV/W President Chris Austin began the hour by reflecting on how our community came together to commemorate 50 years of the Peace Corps; it was a tribute to a diverse community who understood that Peace Corps affected each of us in an important way.        This effort continues to inspire RPCV/W to facilitate new and creative initiatives . . .

Another Peace Corps Film!  I am the Water, You are the Sea A Documentary project by Malachi Leopold · THE STORY In 1977, a young Peace Corps volunteer named Alex stared out the dusty back window of a silver BMW.  As the car pulled away, he watched his secret Iranian lover, Ali, stand in the middle of the street, waving goodbye.  The car picked up speed, turned a corner, and Ali disappeared from sight.  Alex turned around, blinked, and stared at his hands, which had just moments before embraced the love of his life as they said goodbye.  When would their hands touch again?  Would they ever?  Through tears, he stared out the window, watching the city of Tehran speed by.  The Iranian revolution was drawing near, and he had no choice but to leave.  To leave the only man who had ever truly loved him.  His heart was breaking. . . .

[It is truly ironic that the Washington Monthly has let an intern stick a bloody knife into the heart and soul of the Peace Corps. The Washington Monthly (and perhaps young Ryan Cooper doesn’t know this) was founded by Charlie Peters, the first evaluator of the agency, and who many considered the conscience of the Peace Corps in its early days.  What has happened to the Peace Corps? Where have all our saints gone… are they out sinning with all the other development folks? Frankly, I think that Aaron Williams and Peace Corps Washington is working to fix the agency after the years of shameful Republican control, when the Peace Corps was run by a former cops and  yes-women like RPCV Jodi Olson. That said, there is a lot of truth in what Ryan Cooper has to say about his tour in South Africa. My guess is that if the agency hadn’t come down with their big . . .

This film (they are raising money to produce) is a dramatic thriller about a group of Peace Corps Volunteers working in the Congo in the late 1980’s. These initial funds will be used for the development phase of this project: hire casting agent, location scouts, music supervisor, shoot test footage, legal fees, meetings with potential distributors, begin with props, sets, etc. Any funds raised over this amount will be applied to the shooting and production of the film! Target shoot date is Spring 2013 (but could be earlier if funds are raised). Probable location will be in Hawaii and/or Caribbean with a 2nd unit working out of South Africa. They are in the early in the planning stages, but have, as they say, ” some amazing people  attached to this project” including an Oscar-winning producer and others who worked with  the “Lord of the Rings” films. The plot goes something like this: At is . . .

[The reporter who ‘broke” this story to the American press is Rob Schmitz, an RPCV from China 1996-98. Several China RPCVs were very suspicious of the detail, I’m told. Peter Hessler, now in Cairo, emailed me that “Many of us former China guys were really suspicious since the details didn’t make sense (like the guns–I knew there was no way that was true.)” According to Peter there has been at least one RPCV working for a major news bureau in China since 1999. These reporters are another example of how the Peace Corps experience is paying off. We’re educating Americans about the world. p.s. Jason Boog, who published this piece, is also a former Latin America Peace Corps Volunteer. We are everywhere!] This American Life Retracts Mike Daisey Episode By Jason Boog on March 16, 2012 3:42 PM This American Life has retracted an episode about Apple factories in China featuring storyteller Mike Daisey. Here is . . .