COVID-19: Putting a Face on the ‘Invisible Enemy’
Making SARS-CoV-2 tangible helps demystify the challenges we face with the COVID-19 pandemic By Markian Hawryluk From her laboratory in the far western reaches of Montana, Elizabeth Fischer is trying to help people see what they’re up against in COVID-19. Over the past three decades, Fischer, 58, and her team at the Rocky Mountain Laboratories, part of the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have captured and created some of the more dramatic images of the world’s most dangerous pathogens. “I like to get images out there to try to convey that this is an...
Fulbrights, Global Citizens, Teacher of the Year: Community Achievements — August 2020
Achievements of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Across the country — and around the world By Peter Deekle (Iran 1968-1970) RETURNED PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS (RPCV) MADISON The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Madison, Wisconsin, is the recipient of the Global Citizen Award from the United Nations Association of America, recognizing its annual production of an international events calendar, ongoing community programs (such as Freeze for Food walk), and a long history of service reflecting the United Nation’s mission, values, and goals. DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Alexander Battaglia (2018–20) has received a Fulbright award for the 2020–21 academic year from the U.S. Department of State and the...
Systemic racism is real. Here’s what we’re doing about it at National Peace Corps Association.
Ideas and actions — and the principles that guide us By Maricarmen Smith-Martinez and Glenn Blumhorst As Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, current and former staff, host country nationals, family, and friends, we uphold a commitment to creating a better world, one that promotes world peace and friendship. In this spirit, National Peace Corps Association envisions a united and vibrant Peace Corps community. We Stand Against Racial Injustice and affirm our commitment to empathy and justice — around the world, and here at home. Yet in the midst of national unrest ignited by systemic injustice, a vision of unity and vibrance is not enough....
NPCA Town Hall Meeting on Social Action & Climate Change
We are living in unprecedented times, facing crises of immense scale. Join us June 15 for an important conversation. As a Peace Corps community, we saw all Volunteers evacuated from around the world in March. We’re living amidst a global pandemic — with more than 100,000 Americans dead, tens of millions unemployed. And we’ve seen — once again — the death of unarmed Black men and women at the hands of police, a brutal reminder of a legacy of racial injustice, that has led to protests in towns and cities across the nation and around the world. Amid all of this,...
Save the Date: Peace Corps Connect for the Future on July 18
We’re convening for an ideas summit to ask some big questions about the Peace Corps community in a changed world. In the next few weeks, we’re also bringing together members of the Peace Corps community around issues of racial injustice and climate change — to help shape our agenda for the future. In March 2020, Peace Corps Volunteers were evacuated globally because of a global pandemic still taking its toll. That created an unprecedented and enormous challenge on its own. We want to help reignite the work of Peace Corps around the world. So how do we do that, and...
Take a Look at Our Social Impact in 2019
From our 15th annual National Days of Action and our interactive Peace Corps Connect Conference to our continuing and renewed partnerships, this year National Peace Corps Association mobilized the Peace Corps community like never before: we advocated for Peace Corps at all levels, advanced Third Goal efforts, and empowered our affiliate groups to thrive. As we reflect on an amazing 40th anniversary year, we are grateful for our community of supporters that help us achieve our mission. This giving season, we exceeded our $10,000 Giving Tuesday goal to advance advocacy efforts to protect Peace Corps and received donations from thousands of...