Peace Corps Worldwide

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 . . .

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 . . .

Today is Giving Tuesday. I encourage you to participate by supporting your favorite charity. Below are those that I personally support in 2024 and to which I hope you will join me in making a generous donation. They are all (except NMCS) founded and led by returned Peace Corps Volunteers: Peace Corps Foundation* – It’s time to tell the rest of America’s story of our ongoing commitment to service and global citizenship by creating Peace Corps Park on a National Park Service site near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The long-term mission of the Foundation is to support Peace Corps community projects. Chijnaya Foundation – Working in partnership with rural communities in Southern Peru to design and implement self-sustaining projects in health, education, and economic development. CorpsAfrica* – Building the next generation of African leaders and changemakers, connecting rural communities, and nurturing entrepreneurs. Volunteers work in host communities to . . .

Carol Spahn, Director of the Peace Corps, joins Pacific Policy Pulse to discuss her trips to Fiji and Tonga, the challenges the Peace Corps faces, and why she’s reading Chris Voss’ “Never Split the Difference.” Click this link to watch the four-minute video on YouTube. Carol Spahn was sworn into office as the 21st Director of the Peace Corps on December 21, 2022. Director Spahn has more than 25 years of public and private sector experience and has worked in countries around the world on issues ranging from small business development and infectious disease prevention to women’s empowerment. Carol Spahn She most recently served as the Peace Corps’ chief executive officer and, prior to that, as acting director. Previously, Director Spahn was also the Peace Corps’ chief of operations in the Africa Region and the country director of Peace Corps/Malawi. Director Spahn’s Peace Corps roots extend back to when she . . .

The Volunteer Who Became the U. S. Ambassador to Indonesia, by Jerry Norris (Colombia 1963-65) Joseph R. Donovan attended Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, earning a B. S. Degree in Foreign Service in 1993. After graduating, he served for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Seoul, South Korea. He then went on to earn an M. A. in national security studies from the Naval Post Graduate school in 1993. He would spend most of his professional career as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO) dealing with East Asia. His early assignments with the U. S. Department of State included stops in Taiwan, China, South Korea and Qatar. In 1997, he was named Chief of the political/military unit in the Embassy in Tokyo. His next posting was in Taipei, Taiwan as the political section chief in the American Institute in Taiwan., which represents U. S. interests in that nation. . . .