This legislation would fix a current inequality, amending the Peace Corps Act and allowing Peace Corps Volunteers to receive the same coverage for abortion services — in the narrow cases of rape, incest and life endangerment — as employees and others are provided under various health care plans.

“When it comes to health services and support for Peace Corps Volunteers, it is imperative they are treated with equity in relation to other individuals serving our nation overseas,” said NPCA Director of Communications Erica Burman. “Senator Lautenberg’s legislation is another important component of ensuring that equity.”

Last year, Congress unanimously approved a similar fix in the Fiscal Year 2012 Defense Authorization Act, providing such services for military servicewomen.  Peace Corps staff – like other federal employees – also have this provision in federal health plans.

Given that Peace Corps Volunteers are currently denied a coverage that is offered to Peace Corps staff, and given that Congress correctly fixed this inequity last year for our military servicewomen, it is the Association’s hope that there will be swift and strong bi-partisan action in the Senate, to provide more fairness for the thousands of female Peace Corps Volunteers serving our country each year.

The annual Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award honors an outstanding global leader who grew up in a country where Peace Corps Volunteers served, whose life was influenced by the Peace Corps, and whose career contributed significantly to their nation and the world in ways that reflect shared values in human dignity and economic, social, and political development.  It is the highest honor bestowed upon a global leader by the National Peace Corps Association.

In addition to practicing medicine in Kenya, Dr. Said has served a much wider community.

• He rose through the ranks of the Kenya Red Cross Society, with over 70,000 volunteers, to be its Governor (President).
• He has devoted himself to assisting displaced persons and has been responsible for overseeing the largest refugee camp in the world with over 600,000 persons from the Somali crisis.
• A life-long member of the Kenya Medical Association, he founded and chaired the Human Rights Committee.
• He represented Africa on the Board of The International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT), headquartered in Denmark.  He was later elected President, the first African to hold this position.  The IRCT treats over 100,000 torture victims in its 150 centers in 75 countries in all the regions of the world.
• Over the last seven years, as the Coordinator of the Pedro Cavadas Foundation, headquartered in Valencia, Spain, Dr. Said’s team performed reconstructive surgery to poor children and adults from eight East African countries.

Robert A. Pastor (Malaysia 1970-72 and winner of the 1995 Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service) chaired the Global Citizen Award Advisory Council, which reviewed many deserving nominations.  “We were impressed by the extent that Dr. Said credited Dr. Russell Morgan and other Peace Corps Volunteers for motivating him to continue his education and model his career on volunteerism,” said Dr. Pastor.  “Dr. Said’s work in caring for refugees, rehabilitating the disabled, and defending the rights of all made us all proud to have been Volunteers, and it reminded us of the enduring legacy of the Peace Corps, one of our nation’s finest foreign policy initiatives.”

The winner of the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award will meet with elected officials and the media in Washington, DC in late June before traveling to Boston to present the Global Leaders Lecture and receive the award at NPCA’s Peace Corps Connect annual gathering, this year in Boston on June 28-29.

“We are looking for someone who’s made a significant contribution to the world in a way that reflects the core values of the Peace Corps in terms of service, development, peace, human rights, health advocacy, and embraces a global understanding,’ said Anne Baker, interim president of the National Peace Corps Association. “Host-country nationals who were touched by the Peace Corps can go on to do extraordinary things.”

The award is named in honor of Harris Wofford, former U.S. Senator and special assistant to U.S. President John F. Kennedy, who was instrumental in the formation of the Peace Corps. Nominations are now being accepted through Friday, February 1, 2013. To nominate an individual visit the association’s awards page, complete the form online, and send it along with a nomination letter and supporting materials to woffordaward@peacecorpsconnect.org. Where applicable, entrants may submit original materials in a language other than English, but are asked to include an English translation to help facilitate the review process.

The Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award will be presented to the winner at the National Peace Corps Association’s Peace Corps Connect: Boston annual gathering on June 28-29, 2013. In Boston, the winner of the award will deliver the Global Leaders Lecture and will also travel to Washington, D.C. to meet with Congressional leaders on Capitol Hill.

The award is endowed through a generous gift from Atiku Abubakar, former Vice President of Nigeria who is a distinguished businessman and philanthropist.

“We are eager to receive nominations and learn about the work of so many individuals that otherwise might go unnoticed,” added Baker.”The influence of Peace Corps Volunteers goes beyond tangible development projects out in the field. Often it’s the relationships they build while serving that have the most profound impact.”

To nominate an individual for the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award, go to: http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/about/awards.

“I applaud the winners,” said Eric-Vincent Guichard the judge for the Second Chance Ideas Contest. “The successful entries shared a thorough practical understanding of the problems and highlighted the key intersections of creativity, technology, hands on experience, finance and patience.” Eric-Vincent Guichard, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Homestrings.

First Place – Fighting rural household poverty through piggery

The remix idea posted by Alex Kyeyune on November 22, 2012 will help 100 rural farmers acquire one male and female pig.  The original idea was posted by Christopher Mulindwa on January 24, 2012 to create a pig multiplication farm.

Second Place – Supporting women farmers and entrepreneurs in Busia County, Kenya

The remix idea posted by Francis Anyona on November 26, 2012 will focus on the production of soya beans, sorghum, sunflower, cotton, and sweet potatoes using the Long Learning For Farmers (L3F) initiative. The original idea was posted by Lawrence Rokani on May 10, 2011 to create high quality seeds for sale in local markets by the Makwisi Youth.

The National Peace Corps Association, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization supporting Returned Peace Corps Volunteers and the Peace Corps community, announced today it has been selected by PR Daily for the 2012 Digital PR and Social Media Awards as a finalist for “Best Blog” for “Peace Corps Polyglot.”

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our ongoing efforts sharing news about former Volunteers and our advocacy efforts on behalf of the Peace Corps with the volunteer community and the general public,” said Erica Burman, director of communications for the National Peace Corps Association who maintains the association’s blog. “The Polyglot blog has been an online initiative we’ve worked very hard to grow and it’s great that hasn’t gone unnoticed.”

The National Peace Corps Association was named a finalist in PR Daily’s “Best Blog” category along with the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute and the Adfero Group and American Airlines Cargo. Hundreds of entries were submitted to PR Daily’s first ever Digital PR and Social Media Awards and only a select few were named finalists. A luncheon will be held in January in New York City announcing the winners.

“We’ve put a lot of heart into the Polyglot blog,” added Burman. “It’s rewarding to know it’s become such an important source of news in the Peace Corps community.”

To visit the “Peace Corps Polyglot” blog, go to: http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/npca/news.

“Since starting Africa Rural Connect in 2009, we’ve read through hundreds of ideas on how to help rural African farmers, but we’ve only been able to recognize a select few as winners of past contests,” said Erica Burman, director of communications for the National Peace Corps Association. “The Second Chance Ideas Contest is a way for us to go back over those submissions and find the hidden gems we may have overlooked.”

Entries will be judged on how well the proposal could help rural African farmers as well as the creativity and improvement of the remix. The best remix will win $2,500, with another $500 going to the person or group who submitted the original idea, while the second best remix will win $1,000, with another $250 going to the person or group behind the original submission.

“One of the goals of Africa Rural Connect is to encourage the kind of collaboration and creativity that is crucial to solving the problems of rural Africa’s farmers,” added Burman. “This new contest is a great way to encourage that kind of thoughtful interaction and it just makes sense. We all want to give Africa’s farmers another chance, so why shouldn’t we do the same for our contestants?”

To learn more about the Africa Rural Connect Second Chance Ideas Contest and to enter to win, go to: http://arc.peacecorpsconnect.org/contest.

“The Global House Parties are a great way for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to celebrate the Peace Corps experience in a fun and relaxed environment,” said Kevin Quigley, President of the National Peace Corps Association. “This year, we’re also asking partygoers to help us locate former Volunteers whose records are missing so that we can have a complete database of everyone who’s served.”

The house parties events were first held last year to commemorate the Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary, but they were so successful that they’ve become an annual tradition. This year’s celebration is also designed to help locate 250,000 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who have lost touch with the National Peace Corps Association, an effort known as “Find the 250k.”

Each Global House Party will be different. Some will be more formal affairs with dozens of guests while others may be potluck dinners with a handful of friends. Guests may include Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, local politicians and other notable attendees or just people who support the Peace Corps. Hosts are encouraged to feature food and clothing from particular host countries.

“At its heart, the Peace Corps is about the idea that small groups of people can make a difference in the world,” Quigley added. “It’s only appropriate to celebrate that mission by meeting in small groups around the globe.”

To learn more about the Global House Parties and to download a party toolkit, go to: http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/global-house-parties-2012/

“Everyone is welcome to join us at the Third Goal Expos,” said Anne Baker, vice president of the National Peace Corps Association, who will attend the event in Providence. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a formal member of the Peace Corps community or just an interested citizen, we’ll have something for you. And we’ve put a lot of attention into things that will help educators as well.”

The Third Goal Expos are designed to promote the third part of the Peace Corps’ mission: bringing the world back home. They include information and exhibits about countries where Peace Corps volunteers have served as well as discussions about the experiences and projects of individual volunteers.

The Providence expo will be held on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Rhode Island Convention Center at One Sabin Street. Leo I. Higdon, Jr. (Malawi 1968-1970), president of Connecticut College, will serve as the keynote speaker. Other notable guests include Director of the Peace Corps Office of Third Goal and Returned Volunteer Services Eileen Conoboy (Mali 1995-1997), Vice President of the National Peace Corps Association Anne Baker (Fiji 1985-87) and Board Member of the Rhode Island Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Pam Rubinoff (Thailand 1982-1985).

The expo will feature the Peace Corps’ Speakers Match, Correspondence Match and Coverdell World Wise Schools programs and will showcase ways that educators and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers can share the Peace Corps experience in the classroom and in the community.

“If there’s one thing every Peace Corps volunteer brings back with them, it’s the stories,” added Baker. “No matter where they served, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have a lot of interesting things to tell about their time overseas. For teachers, especially, they can be a great resource.”

To learn more about the Providence expo, visit: http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/resources/expos/providence

“Everyone is welcome to join us at the Third Goal Expos,” said Anne Baker, vice president of the National Peace Corps Association, who will attend the event in Pasadena. “It doesn’t matter whether you’re a formal member of the Peace Corps community or just an interested citizen, we’ll have something for you. And we’ve put a lot of attention into things that will help educators as well.”

The Third Goal Expos are designed to promote the third part of the Peace Corps’ mission: bringing the world back home. They include information and exhibits about countries where Peace Corps volunteers have served as well as discussions about the experiences and projects of individual volunteers.

The Pasadena expo will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29, from 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church at 301 North Orange Grove Boulevard in Pasadena. Welcome remarks will be given by National Peace Corps Association President Kevin Quigley (Thailand 1976-1979), Jocelyn Sarmiento (Mongolia 2009-2011) of the Peace Corps Office of Third Goal and Returned Volunteer Services, and the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Los Angeles President Kathy Nesteby (Jamaica 2002-2004).

The expo will feature the Peace Corps’ Speakers Match, Correspondence Match and Coverdell World Wise Schools programs and will showcase ways that educators and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers can share the Peace Corps experience in the classroom and in the community.

“If there’s one thing every Peace Corps volunteer brings back with them, it’s the stories,” added Baker. “No matter where they served, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have a lot of interesting things to tell about their time overseas. For teachers, especially, they can be a great resource.”

To learn more about the Pasadena expo, visit: http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/resources/expos/los-angeles

“The Peace Corps has always been about bringing people from different backgrounds together to work on some of the most difficult global problems,” said Kevin Quigley, president of the National Peace Corps Association. “Thanks to this generous gift, we’ll be able to take that concept a step further and bring in the expertise of some key leaders who’ve been influenced by the Peace Corps to talk at depth about these issues.”

The donation will endow the Global Leaders Program, a regular series of discussions initiated by the National Peace Corps Association featuring notable figures, influenced by the Peace Corps from the worlds of politics, business and society. Through this new program, the association will put a spotlight on host-country nationals who embody the values of the Peace Corps, which Quigley said is an important shift away from only telling about the impact on Peace Corps Volunteers, a story told for the last 50 years.

The first Global Leaders Program, held prior to the association’s 2011 gala, featured former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, former Afghan Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai and Abubakar on a panel moderated by noted journalist Bill Moyers.

A successful businessman and vice president of Nigeria from 1999 to 2007, Abubakar has a long history of philanthropy, having given more than $300 million to support educational and health-related organizations in Nigeria, including founding the American University of Nigeria in 2005 through a partnership with American University in Washington, D.C.

“As a young, poor student from the northeast of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar was inspired by Peace Corps teachers to pursue education and public service. After a successful career, he founded the American University of Nigeria, the best private university in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Dr. Robert Pastor, who as vice president at American University in Washington, D.C., worked with Abubakar. “No African leader has been more dedicated or generous in furthering education on the continent than Abubakar. The Global Leaders program is only the latest example of his commitment to giving back to the Peace Corps for all that it has done for him and his country.”

Abubakar is also a longtime fan of the Peace Corps, often speaking eloquently about four volunteers who affected his life and his appreciation of the program. In 2011, he received the first Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award, named for the former U.S. Senator and special assistant to U.S. President John F. Kennedy who was instrumental in the formation of the Peace Corps.

“With his generosity in the fields of health and education, Atiku Abubakar has shown the way for Africans looking to tackle the most pressing problems of our time in ways that derive from his Peace Corps experience,” said Wofford. “Abubakar’s latest gift will help the National Peace Corps Association share this relatively untold story about how the Peace Corps has influenced Global Leaders and advanced its mission of promoting a more peaceful and prosperous world.”