Working for a Peace Corps to Which I Can Return
A Volunteer evacuated from Mongolia on work to help members of Congress understand the value of Peace Corps service — and what they can do to help By Daniel Lang The summer of 2019 I was training to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mongolia. More politically involved peers raised concerns that we should not take for granted that legislators would continue to fund the Peace Corps; more than 100 members of the House voted to defund it. That fall I swore in as a Volunteer and a close friend, Austin Frenes, began service in China. We both...
Work on the Hill
Here’s how we’ve been advocating for evacuated Volunteers — and a Peace Corps in a changed world. By Jonathan Pearson and Steven Boyd Saum The coronavirus pandemic and temporary suspension of all Peace Corps programs marks the greatest existential threat to the agency in its history. When Volunteers were evacuated, they were ripped from communities with hardly any notice; in March they came back to a pandemic and an economic maelstrom. Regulations typically would not allow them to be eligible for unemployment insurance; their health insurance coverage would expire in a month. In some cases they had no home to...
Planning Underway for Days of Action Solidarity Events in Support of Peace Corps
From Miami to San Diego, calls to action will be incorporated into viewings of a new Peace Corps documentary film. In Denver and Albany, letter writing gatherings are in the works. In Portland, Oregon, advocates are making their own video to share with lawmakers about why Peace Corps is important. And, from Richmond to Austin to San Bernardino, leaders of the Peace Corps community are seeking meetings with the district offices of their elected representatives. As part of our 16th annual National Days of Action in support of the Peace Corps, community members from every corner of the country are organizing local solidarity events...
Register Now for 2020 National Days of Action
As 2019 winds down, advocates for a strong and vibrant Peace Corps will reflect on a year which saw introduction of comprehensive legislation in the House of Representatives to further support and honor the Peace Corps community, a proposed (and defeated) vote to eliminate all Peace Corps funding in the current fiscal year, Senate legislation to place Peace Corps under the State Department, and a pending decision to support stable – or slightly higher – funding for the agency. These challenging issues will be front and center in March 2020 for the 16th consecutive National Days of Action in Support of the Peace Corps....
Best Capitol Hill Day of Action Ever? Not Yet!
Once again this year, NPCA marked Peace Corps Week by kicking off its 15th Annual National Day of Action, urging our community to reach out to Congress in support of the Peace Corps. Approximately 125 passionate advocates joined us on Capitol Hill for more than 160 meetings with congressional offices. Was it the best Day of Action ever? The answer: Not yet. NPCA on the Hill "We had a great day on Capitol Hill," said NPCA Advocacy Director Jonathan Pearson. "But the work is actually just beginning. We laid a great foundation for our efforts to increase funding for the Peace...
Time to Mobilize for a Bigger, Better Peace Corps!
2019 marks the 15th consecutive year that National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is mobilizing the Peace Corps community during Peace Corps week in order to advance our goal to help the Peace Corps be the best it can be. That effort will involve a push to secure the first increase in funding for the agency in nearly five years, continue to seek health care improvements for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who come home with service related illnesses or injuries, and advance legislation that honor and respect Peace Corps service. We Need YOU From the hallways of Congress to...