News
The War of Aggression Against Ukraine Must Stop
We in the Peace Corps community stand in solidarity with the people and communities in Ukraine who are now in harm’s way. By Steven Boyd Saum, Jeffrey Janis, and Gretchen Upholt Early this morning, Ukraine — a free and independent nation — became the victim of an unprovoked war of aggression launched by Vladimir Putin, who ordered tens of thousands of Russian troops to invade. Missiles and shells have fallen in cities across the country. Apartment buildings and hospitals have been hit. Civilians have been terrorized and killed, while many thousands huddle in bomb shelters and metro stations. Meanwhile,...
In Memoriam – February 2022
As we mourn the loss of members of the Peace Corps community, we celebrate the lives they led with a commitment to service. By Molly O’Brien and Tiffany James Photo: Douglas C. Kelley (1930—2022), who conceived the idea for a program that would grow to become the Peace Corps. Our tributes include Douglas Kelley, who launched a program that helped lay the groundwork for the Peace Corps and served as a member of the original Peace Corps staff; he devoted his life to public service. We remember Robert Bell, a scientist and community activist who served as the Peace Corps Country Director in the Central...
Peace Corps Achievements — February 2022
News and updates from the Peace Corps community — across the country, around the world, and spanning generations of returned Volunteers and staff. By Peter V. Deekle (Iran 1968–70) Sandra Clark (pictured) is the new CEO for Story Corps, a project founded in Grand Central Terminal in 2003 that has grown into a nonprofit committed to using the power of stories to connect people of different backgrounds and beliefs. Meet a new retiree who was the first Black woman to serve as a medical officer for the Peace Corps. A recent contestant of ”Jeopardy!“ Two RPCVs celebrating the premiere of their documentary. Notable achievements in health and other sciences. Have news...
Legislation in Maryland Would Bring Equity for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Seeking In-State Tuition
NPCA President and CEO Glenn Blumhorst and former Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen testified before a committee in the Maryland State Senate on January 19 to argue that returning Volunteers should receive in-state tuition benefits. Those who serve in the military and AmeriCorps already do. By Jonathan Pearson Far too often, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers are left behind at the state government level when it comes to benefits that are afforded to others for their service to our nation. In the state of Maryland, a legislative effort is underway to address one of those inequities: who qualifies for in-state tuition. Marylanders seeking...
In Memoriam – January 2022
As we mourn the loss of members of the Peace Corps community, we celebrate the lives they led with a commitment to service. By Molly O'Brien Photo: Ronald M. Bloch (1944–2021) Our tributes include a volunteer dedicated to helping RPCVs develop rewarding careers. A chemist, professor, and writer. A civil servant who served at the state and international levels. A caring social worker who devoted her career to helping others and sharing her knowledge with students at the university level. A Fulbright scholar in Nigeria dedicated to advancing marketing practices. We honor the wide range of contributions made by members...
Peace Corps Achievements — January 2022
News and updates from the Peace Corps community — across the country, around the world, and spanning generations of returned Volunteers and staff. By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968–70) Photo courtesy CARE Diane Carazas is the new director for CARE in Latin America and the Caribbean, where efforts include supporting thousands of Haitians like Natacha (pictured) who lost her home in a devastating earthquake last year. Ruth Rosas is the first-ever dedicated, bilingual Latine Communities Reporter for a sustainable transportation news source in Chicago. Peter Riley was sworn in as the first Mission Director for USAID in Tajikistan. RPCVs appointed to leadership positions in local and international nonprofit organizations — and seeking to empower a diverse,...
Update: The Tragedy That Occurred with the Killing of Rabia Issa in Tanzania Must Not Be the End of the Story
An investigative story by USA Today published December 21 chronicles the killing of Rabia Issa, a mother of three in Tanzania, who was struck by a car driven by a Peace Corps staff member in August 2019. Members of the Peace Corps community have begun working to try to bring justice for her family. And they want greater transparency from the agency. By Glenn Blumhorst On December 21, USA Today published an investigative story chronicling the killing of Rabia Issa, a mother of three in Tanzania, who was struck by a car driven by a U.S.-born Peace Corps staff member in August 2019. What...
Two Remembrances: F. Kingston Berlew and Murray Frank
Kindred spirits who they helped shape the early years of the Peace Corps By Bill Josephson Pictured: Dr. Mahmud Hussain, vice chancellor of Dacca University — one of the host institutions for Peace Corps Volunteers serving in East Pakistan since October 1961 — chats with Peace Corps Representative to Pakistan F. Kingston Berlew of Washington, DC. Photo courtesy Peace Corps F. Kingston Berlew, a distinguished lawyer, walked into my Peace Corps General Counsel’s office unannounced in 1961 and said that he wanted to join the Peace Corps. He had a wife and children; service as a Volunteer was out. King...
In Memoriam – December 2021
As we mourn the loss of members of the Peace Corps community, we celebrate the lives they led with a commitment to service. By Molly O’Brien and Caitlin Nemeth Photo: Gregory J. Hobbs, Jr. (1944–2021) Our tributes include a prominent human rights defender in Jamaica and a Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court. A school administrator and former Peace Corps Country Director. A novelist and poet and a lawyer. A lifelong civil servant and a public health officer. A pioneering businesswoman and a Korean War veteran. We honor the wide range of contributions made by members of the Peace Corps community who recently...
Update: Preventing, Reporting, and Responding to Sexual Assault in the Peace Corps
USA Today publishes a follow-up to an in-depth investigation published earlier this spring. And the public has an opportunity to comment on the Peace Corps agency’s Sexual Assault Risk Reduction and Response program. By Steven Boyd Saum On December 12, 2021, USA Today published an important follow-up to an April 2021 story by journalists Donovan Slack and Tricia L. Nodolny on sexual assault in the Peace Corps. The original story, based on two years of investigation, led Acting Director of the Peace Corps Carol Spahn to call for a five-year review by the Peace Corps Sexual Assault Advisory Council of what recommendations had been made — and to provide recommendations going forward....