News
A Call for Proposals: Work with National Peace Corps Association on Training for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Work with NPCA on this crucial issue — and have an impact on the wider Peace Corps community. In our work to lead a vibrant Peace Corps community, National Peace Corps Association is looking for a partner with expertise in providing training on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our society needs to tackle systemic racism as it has shaped institutions and communities — including the Peace Corps community. And addressing systemic racism begins with us. Here is a request for proposals to work with NPCA in this crucial area — and, through the work we do with the broader Peace Corps community, make...
Peace Corps Achievements – February 2021
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) Pioneering Black women in leadership roles with the Department of Labor and Department of State. Bringing expertise to work on the National Security Council and in the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador. Recognition for work toward equity in health and forest stewardship. And a new role in journalism. Photo: A Twitter moment with Janelle Jones, the new chief economist for the Department of Labor. She’s the first Black woman to serve in that role. CAMEROON Erin Swiader took...
House and Senate Introduce New Legislation to fight COVID-19 with the help of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
Health Force, Resilience Force and Jobs to Fight COVID-19 Act is presented in both houses. And a Peace Corps Reauthorization Act is in the works. By Jonathan Pearson As a new Congress settles in to begin its work, already in January new Peace Corps legislation is starting to emerge. And while new pieces of legislation are being developed, it is also likely that legislative initiatives introduced in the previous (116th) Congress will be reintroduced. At National Peace Corps Association we are gearing up for our 17th annual National Days of Advocacy in Support of the Peace Corps. Some of the legislation shown below will be...
In Memoriam – January 2021
Remembering those we’ve recently lost in the Peace Corps community A Cuban exile who became a country director. A leader in Peace Corps’ early efforts of training volunteers on college campuses. Returned Volunteers in western Massachusetts who were leaders in their communities in so many ways. These are among those who recently died, and whom we recognize for their service. Photo: Francis Lauren Keegan, who worked with universities early on to train Peace Corps Volunteers. Francis Lauren Keegan (1925 – 2020) graduated from Santa Clara University and earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame after service with the...
This violence cannot stand.
Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol: this terrible moment — and the road ahead By Glenn Blumhorst Photo: Guarding the chamber door while extremists storm the Capitol. From video shot by Rep. Dan Kildee Yesterday was a horrific day for our country. A violent mob stormed the U.S. Capitol, smashing windows and looting offices. They sent members of Congress and their staffs scrambling for their lives, barricading into offices and chambers and huddling beneath chairs. Explosive devices were found. One of the extremists who stormed the building was fatally shot. Three other people have died in other incidents. And on...
Peace Corps Commemorative Extension Act Signed Into Law
Congress passed the act with unanimous bipartisan support in both houses late last year. On January 5 President Trump signed it into law. By Jonathan Pearson and Steven Boyd Saum On January 5 the Peace Corps community got some much-hoped-for good news: President Trump signed into law H.R. 7460, the Peace Corps Commemorative Work Extension Act, which extends the authority of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to establish a commemorative work on Federal lands in the District of Columbia to commemorate the mission of the Peace Corps and the ideals on which the Peace Corps was founded. Here is some background on the legislation. ...
March 2021: National Days of Advocacy Go Virtual
Last spring National Peace Corps Association delivered advocacy materials to every member of Congress. This year that work goes virtual. We kick things off March 1. By Jonathan Pearson Starting in March 2021, and for the 17th consecutive year, National Peace Corps Association is planning National Days of Advocacy in Support of the Peace Corps. But this year we’re going virtual. March 1, 2021, will mark the 60th anniversary of President Kennedy’s executive order establishing the Peace Corps. Last year, Volunteers were evacuated from around the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The redeployment of Volunteers is expected in the coming months. And, with a...
Peace Corps Achievements — January 2021
Achievements in the Peace Corps community from across the country — and around the world By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968–70) From new books to leadership roles, working with students and refugees, in conservation and the church. Plus a story of gratitude for all the Volunteers who served in Korea — with a thank-you and help in a time of pandemic. Photo: Shenna Bellows, who served as a Volunteer in Panama, is sworn in as Maine’s Secretary of State — the first woman to serve in that role. BOTSWANA Connie Czepiel (2009–11) has a career in international finance. She is also recently author of Dream On! The...
Faced with the possibility of a $51 million funding cut, Congress approves full funding for Peace Corps in its Fiscal Year 2021 spending package.
Level funding for Peace Corps in its Fiscal Year 2021 spending package is just one of several Peace Corps community victories as the 116th Congress moves towards adjournment. By Jonathan Pearson Congress delivered a funding victory for Peace Corps: holding steady on funding as the agency prepares for redeployment of Volunteers in 2021 after an unprecedented global evacuation in 2020. In negotiations for a Fiscal Year 2021 spending package, Congress faced a choice of three very different routes: Maintain level funding for the agency at $410.5 million, as it makes plans to begin redeploying Volunteers in 2021; this was the route recommended...
In Memoriam – December 2020
Remembering those we’ve lost recently in the Peace Corps Community Count among those we have lost recently a man who was considered to be the greatest athlete in the world — a man whose athletic achievements in his youth were paired with a lifetime of humanitarian commitment. Rafer Johnson (1934–2020) was the world’s greatest athlete, winning the gold medal in the decathlon and setting a new world record during the 1960 Summer Olympics. That was just one of the many awards and honors he received in his lifetime both inside and outside of sports. The Olympic gold marked Johnson’s...