Books, Partners, and Possibility
As international assistance programs come under intense scrutiny and resources continue to be cut, my experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer has demonstrated the linkages between organizations seeking to create a more just and equitable world. In 1983, when I was heading off to Peace Corps service in Togo, a friend of the family told me that I should take good notes since Africa's history was fascinating and I might want to study it further when I got home. Having grown up in a small town in Missouri, I shook my head since I did not know enough about Africa...
Americans Need to Know
Since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, his administration has slashed the work of many U.S. government agencies, including those focused on foreign policy. Now, there is concern that the Peace Corps could join the other foreign aid programs the administration is trying to dismantle. The United States Agency for International Development largely shut down in February and March 2025, with its workforce reduced from more than 10,000 to 15 people on staff. In early April 2025, members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency showed up at Peace Corps headquarters in Washington, D.C., signaling...
The University Pipeline
At the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA), we proudly celebrate institutions that uphold the Peace Corps legacy of service, global citizenship, and intercultural understanding. The 2025 rankings for Top Volunteer-Producing Colleges and Universities, released by the Peace Corps, reflect the enduring commitment of these academic institutions to cultivating global leaders who are equipped to make a difference in communities around the world. Topping this year’s list is the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with 46 Badgers currently serving in 30 countries. A steadfast supporter of the Peace Corps mission, UW–Madison holds the No. 2 all-time spot with 3,074 alumni having served since...
What the Peace Corps’ 2024 State Rankings Tell Us About American Service, and Why It Still Matters
https://www.peacecorps.gov/about-the-agency/media-center/news/peace-corps-announces-2024-top-volunteer-producing-states/ The Peace Corps has released its 2024 list of the top volunteer-producing states, offering more than just a snapshot of where its recruits come from, it reveals something deeper about the enduring draw of public service and the quiet ways Americans contribute to international peace and prosperity. Leading the list is California, which sent 361 volunteers abroad this year. Not far behind are Texas (181), New York (177), Virginia (172), and Florida (171). The numbers may look small compared to state populations, but the impact of these volunteers on both the communities they serve and on the United States itself...
Peace Corps Off-Broadway
On the eve of the new millennium, a young American Volunteer stationed in Dakar finds himself pulled into an unexpected web of intrigue. A car crash, a cryptic State Department operative, and a rapidly shifting world order set the stage for Dakar 2000, the latest play from Rajiv Joseph. But this is more than just a thriller: it’s a work shaped by lived experience. Joseph, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Senegal from 1996 to 1998, has long credited his time abroad as a defining force in his writing. “Being in Senegal, more than anything else in my...
Ubuntu in Action
Ubuntu is a word most Returned Peace Corps Volunteers are familiar with. It’s the belief that an individual’s humanity is fostered through their relationships with others, often summarized as “I am because we are.” Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu leveraged Ubuntu during South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy emphasizing empathy, collective responsibility and restorative justice. Last month, the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience (MPCE) launched its first exhibit of 2025, Ubuntu in Action: Exploring the Peace Corps and Shared Humanity, hosted by the International Peace Museum in Dayton, Ohio. This inspiring exhibit delves into the spirit of service,...
The Stream – Podcasts
Will Be Wild Pineapple Street Studios This eight-part podcast explores the forces behind the January 6 insurrection and its aftermath. The series examines the ongoing threat of autocracy, its damage to democracy, and the fight against anti-democratic forces. Who Killed Daphne Wondery The podcast delves into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta and the international investigation that follows. As a team of journalists uncovers dark secrets linked to her death, they reveal a web of power and corruption that stretches far beyond the island. The Evaporated: Gone with the Gods The Binge An investigation into...
Not Just the “Guys in Washington”
Over the years, when I have pitched the importance of participating in NPCA’s advocacy program, I have often said to our community that members of Congress and their staff on Capitol Hill “aren’t really interested in hearing what the ‘guy in Washington’ has to say... They want to hear from their constituents.” While that statement is not fully accurate, it is critical that when NPCA is making the case for Peace Corps funding or a piece of legislation, it is understood that we are representing RPCVs back in their states or congressional districts. The reverse is also true, to a...
Women, Wellness, and Change
The Ruppe Award for Outstanding Community Service is a prestigious honor presented annually by the National Peace Corps Association to RPCV affiliate groups. Named after the respected 10th director of the Peace Corps, Loret Miller Ruppe, this award celebrates initiatives that embody the Peace Corps’ mission to pro- mote cultural understanding, collaboration, and volunteer- ism. The award aims to highlight impactful projects that uphold the Third Goal of the Peace Corps: “Bringing the world back home” through community service and international understanding. The award also serves as a model for other RPCV groups to emulate in their own communities. At...
In Deep Water
From 1979 to 1981, I was a Peace Corps Volunteer marine biologist and advanced scuba diver assigned to the Barbados Parks and Beaches Commission to help establish the Barbados Marine Reserve and Marine Museum, the first marine protected area for the island nation. The Commission wanted me to promote the reserve through cooperative work with underwater filmmakers and marine scientists. On the weekends, when the museum offices were closed, I offered my services to filmmakers and marine scientists staying at McGill University’s Bellairs Research Institute, who were working on coral reef projects within the marine protected area of the reserve....