Peace Corps Connectpowered by the National Peace Corps Association

The Peace Corps Community was honored to be selected from among groups around the country to march in the Presidential Inaugural Parade on January 20, 2009.

As Senator Harris Wofford wrote in our parade application:

• President-elect Obama has said that expanding opportunities for Americans to serve at home and abroad will be "a cause" of his presidency and has repeatedly encouraged Americans to seek opportunities in the Peace Corps "because the future of this country depends on it." Given his plan to double the number of Peace Corps volunteers by 2011, it is altogether fitting and proper that those who have served in the Peace Corps participate in the inaugural Parade.

Presidential Inaugural Committee Press Release
The Presidential Inaugural Committee distributed a press release highlighting the participation of the Peace Corps Community and the President-elect's commitment to service.

Connected Peace Corps Group

• 2009 President Inaugural Parade - A group for parade marchers ... and people who watched the parade

NPCA blog accounts of the parade

• Behind the Scenes: Peace Corps Community at the Inaugural Parade
• (Part 2) Behind the Scenes: Peace Corps Community at the Inaugural Parade

Articles and blogs accounts about participating in the parade

• Kennedy's Kids Then, Obama's Kids Now - Huffington Post - Rajeev Goyal (Nepal)
• Peggy's Inaugural Parade Report - Friends of Sierra Leone ConnectedPeaceCorps group - Peggy Murrah (Sierra Leone)
• Inauguration Day, She Said: Peace Corps on Parade - Uncornered Market - Audrey Scott (Estonia)
• The Inauguration, He Said: Of Mobs and Men - Uncornered Market - Dan Noll (RPCV spouse / NPCA Photographer)
• Peace Corps Volunteer Marches in Inaugural Parade - Cocorioko - Peggy Murrah (Sierra Leone)
• Flying It High! - Jackie Spurlock (Iran) - Iranian.com
• Father/Daughter RPCVs Marched in the Parade - NPCA Polyglot Blog - John Riggan (Kenya, Chad)
• Marching with Peace Corps at the Inaugural Parade - LGBT U.S. Peace Corps Alumni Newsletter - Elizabeth Fuhrman (Honduras, Sri Lanka )

Photos

• Peace Corps Community in the 2009 Inaugural Parade - (Flickr Set), (Connected Peace Corps Album), (Facebook)
• Photo of the Peace Corps Community that appeared in the January 21, 2009 Washington Post - http://gallery.pictopia.com/wpost/gallery/4528/photo/xt-mt-25-210912/?o=49

Audio

• Listen to an audio Interview with marcher Jake Farnum. (KUAF Public Radio)
• Listen to an audio Interview with marcher Hannah Fairbank. (Vermont Public Radio)

Videos

• Hello From the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers - (YouTube), (Connected Peace Corps)
• Peace Corps Urges Obama to Expand Agency (preceded by commercial)
• Empowering America's Image Through the Peace Corps (preceded by commercial)
• Volunteer: "I wanted to make a difference" (preceded by commercial)
• Peace Corps Marchers - NewsHour with Jim Lehrer - Jan. 20, 2009
• C-SPAN Parade Coverage - see us at the 37 minute, 44 second mark

March 26: Former Peace Corps volunteers express their hopes that President Barack Obama will keep his pledge to double the size of the agency within four years. NBC's Tom Snowden reports.

March 26: Peace Corps volunteer Rajeev Goyal speaks about how he represented America for most of the villagers he met while working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nepal from 2001 to 2003.

March 26: Sunaree Marshall speaks about having to learn to rely on herself and others while working as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia from 2005 to 2008.