The Peace Corps

The Washington Times published the following AP report from the North Carolina legislature.  Associated Press, Wednesday, June 1, 2016 RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) – Bipartisan legislation allowing North Carolina public school teachers and government employees with previous Peace Corps service to improve their pensions has been side-tracked in the House after a strong majority originally supported the legislation. The House initially voted 94-14 Tuesday for the bill, which would require workers to pay both their personal contribution and the government’s share to “buy” retirement credits for up to five years in the Peace Corps. But several Republican lawmakers asked Speaker Tim Moore to have their “yes” votes changed to “no,” setting the stage for procedural motions to cancel the previous approval. Some legislators then criticized the bill, saying Peace Corps veterans shouldn’t be treated the same as military veterans, which have a similar option. The bill was then returned to a committee.” . . .

Morgan Courtney is a “Design thinker + foreign policy/international development practitioner working for social impact” who wrote an article for the Huffington Post.  She offers  ten points of advice for the “Graduate Who Wants to Work in International Affairs.” Of interest to the Peace Corps community and prospective applicants is #2 from Courtney. Get field experience. Many field jobs in international development require prior field experience. It’s a Catch-22. How do you get field experience if jobs require you to already have field experience? There are a couple of different ways. Firstly, your summer or semester in South Africa doesn’t count as much as you think it does. Sorry. What employers are looking for is real work experience, not classroom time, in another country. (What IS good is language proficiency from your time abroad!) So what can you do after college to get field experience? In my estimation, the very best . . .

Peace Corps has a new logo and a new website. “Peace Corps’ Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet and Creative Director Juan Carlos Polanco, will discuss the new brand and our efforts to showcase the Volunteer experience. Attend the event for a chance to ask questions or, if you can’t make it, watch the recording after the event.” This is the link for more information: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USPC/bulletins/14c8d44

  President Barack Obama is expected to announce Monday during his visit to Vietnam that the Peace Corps will be invited to establish operations in that country, the volunteer organization said. The volunteers will focus on teaching English to students, and training Vietnamese colleagues to teach English. It’s a striking turnaround from the years when some young men joined the Peace Corps in an effort to avoid serving in the military during the Vietnam conflict. The Peace Corps has been working on gaining entry to Vietnam for years. In 2012, then-Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams made a three-day visit to the country to explore the possibility of an invitation to establish a program there. The Peace Corps was established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy to promote world peace and friendship. Since then, more than 220,000 Americans have served in 141 host countries. Currently, volunteers work in 63 countries. . . .

Our Peace Corps History A Passing of the Torch reveals the magical moment in history that lead to one of the first student movements of the 1960’s and the formation of the Peace Corps. Candidate John F. Kennedy gave a three-minute impromptu speech before 10,000 University of Michigan students who had waited in the chill until 2:00 AM to hear him speak. In that speech he challenged them to commit a part of their lives to public service. That speech addressed a yearning among young people in America to make a difference. In answer to that challenge a group of Michigan students began a national student movement that would lead to the formation of the Peace Corps in just a few short months. This documentary explores the incredible events and synchronicity of what happened and it’s relevance today through the perspectives and recollections of those involved including Bill Moyers, Harris . . .

Ann Moore was a pioneer Peace Corps Volunteer, a pediatric nurse who went to  Togo in 1962. She was a member of a Peace Corps medical group which included  doctors, nurses, lab techs, a pharmacist and others. Ann observed the traditional patterns of baby care in Togo. She saw that the babies were always carried by their mothers.  She noted “the outstanding emotional well being of the African infant, either sick or healthy”. Ann brought home what she learned and created the baby carrier, the Snugli.  Generations of happy babies and parents, the world over, was the result. But, read Ann’s powerful story in her own words. Clink on the statement to which says to “continue reading.” https://americannursetoday.com/blog/the-snugli-story/  

Last January I wrote about Alan Toth (South Africa 2010-12) and his video project, Posh Corps. He wrote me, “Three years ago, I started working on the Posh Corps project. The idea was simple: to discuss the modern Peace Corps experience honestly. I wanted to cut through the mythology and the marketing, and capture the experience of volunteering in a rapidly changing world.” He has been doing that but recently he started to produce a series of Peace Corps reform podcasts. He recorded the interview with Kellie Greene in Washington D.C. at the end of February 2016. As Alan wrote me, “I spent the last few months tracking down documents and editing the podcasts. I’ve wanted to do stories about internal agency problems for some time. I do support Peace Corps, but I don’t support institutional incompetence. It seems clear that the agency has not focused on improving management for . . .

“The President and Mrs. Obama announced today that their daughter Malia will attend Harvard University in the fall of 2017 as a member of the Class of 2021,” the office of the first lady announced on Sunday. “Malia will take a gap year before beginning school.” Suddenly, the Gap Year is Hot! Those of us old enough to remember when there were No iphones  and  No Internet, will remember Peace Corps’ ATPs? No, an ATP wasn’t some sort of pain medication; it stood for Advance Training Programs and juniors in college applied early to the Peace Corps and spent the summer between their junior and senior high school year on a college campus somewhere in the States listening to boring lectures on their Country of Assignment before returning home for their senior year, and then off again the next summer to Peace Corps Training for real, often at the same . . .

Peace Corps Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C., April 28, 2016 – The Peace Corps will be retiring its Master’s International (MI) graduate school program after nearly three decades of fruitful partnerships with 96 graduate universities across the country. While students beginning an MI program by or before the fall of 2016 will still be able to apply to Peace Corps and serve as an MI student if selected, the Peace Corps will end its memoranda of agreement with MI university partners in September to focus resources on the agency’s Peace Corps Prep undergraduate program and Paul D. Coverdell Fellows graduate program. “We are incredibly grateful that this program laid the foundation for strong relationships with so many universities,” Peace Corps Director Carrie Hessler-Radelet said. “Although the Peace Corps has outgrown the goals of the Master’s International program, we’re looking forward to continuing our collaboration with our valued university partners knowing there are . . .

The Peace Corps is always seeking RPCVs (and non-RPCVs) for Peace Corps Response. These are the basic requirements: An experienced professional A returned Peace Corps Volunteer A licensed physician or nurse Go to the Peace Corps Response Search openings View current opportunities or search on specific criteria to find opportunities that match your experience. Submit resume This is not an application, but HQ may reach out to you if they have a position that fits your skills and experience. If  you would like to be considered for a specific assignment, you must apply directly to a posted position. The email is: pcresponse@peacecorps.gov Positions range from three months to one year in length and are designed to address development needs as identified by the host country. Volunteers provide targeted assistance in diverse assignments covering a range of projects, including food security, civil engineering, information systems, library science, and university level teaching. . . .

Tragically, Meghan Wolf’s ordeal is not the only story of Peace Corps Volunteers receiving indifferent and/or inadequate care. The illness and death of a Volunteer in Morocco prompted an investigation by the Office of the Inspector General of the Peace Corps. The OIG  followed up with  that 2009 report with  this examination not only of the situation in Morocco but the overall status of Health Services within the Peace Corps. The final report was issued in March of this year, 2016. It is the most current evaluation of Peace Corps Health Services. From that report: “In 2009, the Office of Inspector General conducted an independent inquiry into the facts and circumstances related to the illness and death of a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco. As part of its inquiry, OIG reviewed the organization and care provided to Peace Corps Volunteers in Morocco…….This follow- up evaluation seeks to understand to what extent . . .

 Third Goal of the Peace Corps To promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.   There’s something about the process of crafting personal stories to be told in front of an audience that brings you closer to yourself and to others. – Zach Matheson, Northern California Peace Corps Association This year we are proud to launch Peace Corps’ first-ever Storytelling Contest. Storytelling usually evokes images of huddling around a campfire or childhood bedtimes, but in recent years it has developed an exciting new image. The expansion of “Story Slams” is revitalizing the ancient tradition of storytelling to spread culture, ideas, and thought provoking experiences through spoken word. This summer, returned Peace Corps Volunteers will be invited to submit their stories in video form. Contest Theme: Building Bridges to Intercultural Understanding Humanize your host country by letting us get to know a special community member Share the moment . . .

This is a long, heartbreaking and true story of the experiences of a PCV who served in Malawi, became ill overseas as a Volunteer, and had the Peace Corps turn their back on her plight while overseas and when she was home again. Why the Peace Corps didn’t help Meghan Wolf receive medical care is the fault of the Peace Corps Staff and the Peace Corps legislation. Why the legislation hasn’t been changed is the fault of the agency, the US Department of Labor (the agency responsible for managing medical claims and loss of wages for Peace Corps service-related health issues) and Congress, which sets the budget and determines laws governing the care PCVs and RPCVs.  RPCVs, the NPCA, and those who support the Peace Corps are also at fault for not having successful argued all these years to have the laws changed so sick and injured RPCVs are properly cared for . . .