RPCV Maureen Orth (Colombia) edited by RPCV Bea Hogan (Uzbekistan)

Among many other journalistic skills, Bea Hogan (Uzbekistan 1992-94)  is a contract writer for Seneca Women, a small company devoted to empowering women, and contributes to its weekly newsletter. Bea served in the first group Peace Corps Volunteers to Uzbekistan and wrote me the other day:

“Worlds collide: the company I work for, Seneca Women, produced a show — Global Forum: Women Driving Economic Progress — in Dublin for Bank of America earlier this week. One of the star speakers was Maureen Orth. I put together the newsletter yesterday, and I tucked in a little plug for the Peace Corps at the end.”

Bea went onto write,

It’s funny — Maureen and I have never met in person, but I’ve crossed paths with her several times. I noticed that we both have essays in that collection of essays by RPCVs  you edited for the Peace Corps years ago, At Home in the World. My essay was about picking cotton in Uzbekistan with my students, and hers was about returning to Colombia and attending a Mass at her site. Years ago, after the Peace Corps, I  fact-checked a profile she wrote on Vladimir Putin for Vanity Fair (a job I had after grad school.) Later I lived in a neighborhood near her and Tim in D.C.  I would see them out and about town. Small world.

Small world especially if you are an RPCV!

This is what Bea wrote about Maureen in her newsletter.

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The toughest job you’ll ever love: Yes, it started with the Peace Corps. Maureen Orth’s volunteer work in Colombia inspired a lifelong passion to help that country’s children. To that end, Orth, now an award-winning journalist, created the Marina Orth Foundation, which equips students with the skills—including STEM and English language training—they’ll need to build a better future.

Among the presenters at the conference were as seen at right: Melanne Verveer; Co-Founder of the Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition Monica McWilliams; Vanity Fair special correspondent Maureen Orth; and CBE, QC and Founder of the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women Cherie Blair.

Click to read more about the Dublin conference.