The Peace Corps

  Leeatt Rothschild writes: “A few years ago, I discovered a way to embed the act of doing good into the gifts we give. Packed with Purpose was born out of my desire to create social impact while recognizing the importance of gifting in fostering meaningful relationships. Packed with Purpose gifts enable companies (from Fortune 500 to nonprofit organizations) to create social impact while positively influencing their business across employees, clients, and other key stakeholders. “My experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer — Paraguay 2008-10 — and social impact consultant inspired me to create these gifts that give back.” In Paraguay she launched an income-generating fertilizer business with local farmers, witnessing the profound impact that economic development has on underserved communities.  Before serving in the Peace Corps, she was a Rotary Youth Ambassador in Morelia, Mexico, and then earned her bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University. Upon graduation, she joined the . . .

Join Peace Corps at the Kennedy Center on September 24th We invite you to join us at the Global Connections: Stories from the Peace Corps event at the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage on Saturday, September 24, 2022 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. EST. As part of the Kennedy Center’s 50th anniversary celebrations, this distinctive event will showcase inspirational stories about the transformational connections made in the Peace Corps. Darlene Grant, Senior Advisor to the CEO and RPCV Cambodia, will be the emcee for the event and will also be sharing a story from her service in Cambodia. Scheduled Storytellers Aisha Harris-Parker, Language and Cross Cultural Coordinator, Peace Corps Jamaica Dinesh Karki, Deputy Program Director, Peace Corps Nepal Brianna Maltez, Virtual Service Outreach and Selection Specialist (RPCV/Mozambique) Kelsey McMahon, Virtual Service Participant Support Specialist (RPCV/South Africa) Anisa Rahaman, Office of the Chief Information Officer Herizo Ramanantsialonina, Health Programming and Training Specialist, Peace Corps Madagascar Ella Sokoliuk, Public Health Specialist . . .

 Writing your Peace Corps Story Lee Gutkind who started the first Creative Nonfiction program at the University of Pittsburgh writes simply that “creative nonfiction are “true stories well told.” In some ways, creative nonfiction is like jazz—it’s a rich mix of favors, ideas, and techniques, some of which are newly invented and others as old as writing itself. Creative nonfiction can be an essay, a journal article, a research paper, a memoir, or a poem; it can be personal or not, or it can be all of these. Creative nonfiction is also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction and is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts with other nonfiction, such as academic or technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in accurate fact, but is not written to entertain based on writing style or florid prose. . . .

  Here is the link to read the latest Issue of Inside Peace Corps https://elink.clickdimensions.com/m/1/42800499/02-t22252-ade13aeef6b0438297841dc4943063c1/1/1/1 You may also go to peacecorps.gov and on the menu, click on NEWS.   Issue 7 contains information on the following: Chief Executive Officer’s Message  (Chief Executive Officer is Carol Spahn. She has been nominated to be Peace Corps Director.  Her confirmatin hearing in the Senate have not yet been scheduled,) Calling all RPCVs to inspire your networks to apply The Return of Volunteers to Service Overseas. Sexual Assault Advisory Council Summit. Revised Volunteer Core Expectations and Staff Responsibilities and Conduct. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief Annual Meeting There are also stories of Volunteer service, events planned and “Peace Corps in the News.”

The House of Representatives has just passed the most sweeping Peace Corps legislation in a generation. Washington, D.C. — National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) strongly applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1456). This bill is crucial for the future of the Peace Corps as a new generation of Volunteers returns to service. If it ultimately becomes law, it will be the first full reauthorization of the Peace Corps since 1999. More than 240,000 Americans have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. The bill’s lead author is Representative John Garamendi (D-CA), the sole Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) in Congress; his co-author is Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA), a longtime Peace Corps champion. Their bipartisan leadership in support of the Peace Corps is a powerful testament to the enduring backing of the American people for volunteer service abroad. The strong bipartisan vote today only affirms this backing. NPCA Board of . . .

On Monday 12 September, Malia Obama, 24, was spotted hanging out with rumored boyfriend Dawit Eklund, 33, in New York City — PageSix reports. This comes a month after the pair were spotted together in Los Angeles. While the pair has not yet confirmed the relationship, and spent most of their stroll with their arms firmly crossed in front of them on Monday before grabbing lunch, they were a bit more touchy-feely last month. Eklund is a DJ, producer and co-founder of the Washington, DC-based record label 1432 R, which focuses on experimental electronic music. The music producer is from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. He was born to an Ethiopian mother — who is an entrepreneur — and an American father, who is a retired employee of the US Peace Corps.  

WorldView Magazine Wins OZZIE Award for Best Cover The magazine for the Peace Corps community earns top honors for a special 60th anniversary cover illustrated by artist Tim O’Brien. By NPCA Staff THERE WERE CHEERS for the Peace Corps community Tuesday night at the FOLIO Magazine gala in New York City. WorldView magazine earned top honors for the cover of the “Peace Corps at Sixty” edition, recognizing six decades of service by Peace Corps Volunteers around the world. Artist Tim O’Brien created the portrait of John F. Kennedy for the cover under the art direction of Pamela Fogg. The EDDIE and OZZIE Awards recognize excellence in journalism and design across all sectors of the publishing industry. Hosted by FOLIO Magazine for nearly 30 years, they are one of the broadest and longest-running competitions for editors. The EDDIE Awards recognize achievements in writing and editing, and the OZZIE Awards recognize outstanding work in design. The awards draw hundreds of entries . . .

WASHINGTON – Today, the Peace Corps announced the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Reach the World (RTW), an organization dedicated to leveraging widely available technology to ensure that all Americans have access to positive, personal experiences abroad. The strategic partnership will extend the reach and engagement of returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCVs) in service of the Peace Corps’ Third Goal to promote a better understanding of other nations on the part of Americans. As part of the new collaboration, RPCVs will work together with RTW on two initiatives: The Traveler Program: RPCVs will be matched with American K-12 classrooms and share their experiences serving abroad through media (written stories, pictures, and videos), which are published on Reach the World’s website. Matches typically last six to 12 weeks and will be conducted using RTW’s virtual exchange platform. Meet the World Program: RPCVs will volunteer to visit a . . .

Thanks for the ‘heads up’ from Arthur K. Weinstein (Malawi 1964-67) The Passing of Dr. Lee H. Ellison, Peace Corps Physician Dr. Lee Hayes Ellison, as a Staff Physician, created Malawi’s first country-wide baby clinic project, a groundbreaking Peace Corps initiative in the newly-independent country of Malawi, in southwest Africa.  The goal of the project was to combat childhood diseases, infant mortality and malnutrition. From 1965 to 1967, Dr. Ellison drove countless hours all over the country in a Land Rover, usually on unpaved, washboard dirt roads, pockmarked with potholes, and washed out by floods, supervising the work of the “Malawi XI” Under-Fives’ Baby Clinic Project (1966-1968). Dr. Ellison helped his young Bachelor of Arts degree Volunteers throughout the country to set up clinics in which they administered immunizations for childhood diseases, weighed babies, checked for growth and developmental delays, and conducted health education at rural health centers and villages, . . .

LATEST LIST OF RPCV AMBASSADORS—8/20/2018 Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, U.S. Ambassador to Malta (2012-16); (PCV Oman 1980-82) Charles C. Adams Jr., U.S. Ambassador to Finland (2015-2017); (PCV Kenya 1968-70) Frank Almaguer,U. S. Ambassador to Honduras (1999 to 2002); (PCV Belize 1967–69) & (PC/CD Honduras 1976-79) Larry E. André, Jr, U.S. Ambassador to Somalia  February 2022-present; to Djibouti from 2018 to 2021, and to Mauritania from 2014 to 2017 Michael R. Arietti, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda (2005-2008); (PCV India 1969-71) Charles R. Baquet III, U.S. Ambassador to Republic of Djibouti (1991-93); (PCV Somalia 1965-67) Robert Blackwill, U. S. Ambassador to India (2001-03); (PCV Malawi 1964-66) Donald T. Bliss, U.S. Ambassador to the International Civil Aviation Organization (Montreal) 2006-09; PCV Micronesia 1966-68 Julia Chang Bloch, U.S. Ambassador to Nepal (1989-1993); (PCV Malaysia 1964-66) Parker Borg, U.S. Ambassador to Mali (1981-1984) & Iceland (1993-1996); (PCV Philippines 1961-63) Richard Boucher, Deputy Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) (2009-2013), (PCV . . .

Event 8pm ET / 5pm PT Marian Haley Beil talks about her work The Ethiopia & Eritrea Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Board invite you to our September Virtual Event featuring Marian Haley Beil (Ethiopia 1962-64), one of the first Volunteers in Ethiopia. Time: Sep 14, 2022 08:00 PM Eastern Time / 05:00 PM Pacific Time Zoom Meeting Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88412702135?pwd=S3NncjJKUjNHWHJaMVZqVGJVMVpQUT09 Meeting ID: 884 1270 2135 Passcode: 595459 One tap mobile: +12532158782,,88412702135#,,,,*595459# US (Tacoma) +13462487799,,88412702135#,,,,*595459# US (Houston) Dial by your location: +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 444 9171 US +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 719 359 4580 US +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) +1 646 931 3860 US +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 309 205 3325 US +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 386 347 5053 US +1 564 217 2000 US Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kbgCVI0yEz We . . .

Perception and Deception: A Mind-Opening Journey Across Cultures by Joe Lurie (Kenya 1967-68) Published by Nipporica Associates 262 pages June 2018 (2nd edition) $9.95 (Kindle); $16.95 (Paperback)  Reviewed by Mark D. Walker (Guatemala 1971-73  The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend. — Henri Bergson  I learned of Joe’s work and book from an interview on the Global TV Talk Show—whose host, Ed Cohen, asked many revealing questions. I learned that Joe and I are contemporaries—he was in Kenya with the Peace Corps when I was in Guatemala, but he took his knowledge of cross-cultural communications to new levels, and we have a more tolerant world as a result—at least among those who have read his book or participated in one of his classes/courses. I contacted Joe through the host of Global TV Talk Show, and he sent me a copy of his book. Although the book . . .

Thanks for the ‘heads up’ from Dale Gilles (Liberia 1964-67) Former Trump White House advisor Peter Navarro (Thailand 1973-76) suffered a setback Monday ahead of his November trial on contempt of Congress charges, as a federal judge rejected his bid to pursue government records that he claimed would show political influence behind his criminal prosecution. In a 13-page opinion, Judge Amit Mehta forcefully denied Navarro’s request to seek records to prove that political animus motivated his prosecution on charges he defied the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. Navarro had argued that he was facing a selective prosecution, but Mehta — an Obama appointee confirmed in 2014 — on Monday said the evidence raised by the former White House trade advisor “falls well short of prying open the door to discovery.” A grand jury indicted Navarro in early June on a pair of contempt of Congress . . .

Following Resignation of Joyce Jacobsen, Gearan Returns as President   Five years after leaving HWS for Harvard, President Emeritus Mark D. Gearan L.H.D. ’17, P’21 returns to HWS   The Hobart and William Smith Colleges Board of Trustees has announced the selection of President Emeritus Mark D. Gearan L.H.D. ’17, P’21 as the 30th president of Hobart and the 19th of William Smith. Gearan takes on the role following the resignation of President Joyce P. Jacobsen who presided over HWS from 2019-2022, engineering a period of exceptional innovation at the Colleges. Jacobsen will join the faculty at HWS as professor of economics.Gearan previously was president of Hobart and William Smith from 1999-2017 and during that time the Colleges’ endowment doubled as he oversaw a capital campaign that raised $205 million to support facilities and annual giving, established 168 new scholarships, and completed 80 significant capital projects. During his first presidency, Gearan made . . .

  Sabra Ayres (Ukraine 1995-97) is a journalist with extensive experience in Ukraine, Russia and Eastern Europe. She comes to the position with a rich portfolio spanning nearly two decades and multiple continents, having worked in Ukraine, Russia, Afghanistan, Europe and India. Her coverage of Ukraine includes coverage of the 2004 Orange Revolution, the 2014 Maidan protests and their impact on Ukrainian politics and civil society, the Russian annexation of Crimea and Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine since 2014. She was a PCV in Ukraine from 1995 to 1997. The Associated Press is one of the world’s largest and largest US news agencies. Founded in 1846. Headquartered in New York.