WorldView | Special Anniversary Edition
Fall 2021
The Peace Corps at Sixty
Peace Corps Begins Sending Invitations: Return to Service in 2022
Eight posts have met criteria for Volunteers to return. Invitations are out for five: Belize, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Zambia. And the agency is recruiting returned Volunteers for the Virtual Service Pilot. Colombia mural: one of the countries to for which Peace Corps has sent out invitations for Volunteers to return in 2022. […]
President’s Letter: After the Fall of Afghanistan, We Need the Rise of the Peace Corps
The United States needs to engage with the world — but not with top-down military-first policies. By Reed Hastings and Glenn Blumhorst Illustration by Melinda Beck Americans spent the past two decades trying to rebuild Afghanistan from the top down. Our military led the way, with huge sacrifice, and the American people spent more than $2 […]
We Can Do It! Again!
The U.S. is profoundly polarized — politically, culturally, socially, and economically. That was true during the Gilded Age, too. Halfway between then and now, John F. Kennedy exhorted his fellow Americans, “Ask not what your country can do for you — but what you can do for your country.” So what happened? And how do […]
From the Editor: Honoring Your Stories
Sixty years of Peace Corps. Volunteers returning to service. And a first for this magazine. Illustration by Tim O’Brien By Steven Boyd Saum A year ago the cover of WorldView bore the image of a dove encaged by a COVID-like molecule and asked: “What’s the role of Peace Corps now?” It’s a question we’re still […]
Peace Corps Reauthorization Act Passes Its First Hurdle
In a time of partisan rancor, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passes the bill with ringing bipartisan approval: a vote of 44 to 4. By Jonathan Pearson It is a sweeping piece of Peace Corps legislation, addressing everything from Volunteer health, safety, and security, to enhanced support and recognition, to expanded opportunities through […]
Historic Beginnings — and Six Decades of Service
Mark the Moment: September 22, 1961 — the Day that John F. Kennedy Signed the Peace Corps Act
When President John F. Kennedy signed the Peace Corps Act into law, it permanently established the Peace Corps as an independent agency. But forging the legislation and getting it through Congress didn’t happen on their own. We take a look at those beginnings and share some stories few have heard. And we look ahead to what the Peace Corps must become.
A conversation with Bill Josephson, Bill Moyers, Joe Kennedy III, and Marieme Foote
Honoring Those Who Have Served
A wreath-laying ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery on September 22, 2021 Photography by Eli Wittum Pictured: Honoring a legacy: Three Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who served in Colombia. From left, they are Museum of the Peace Corps Experience co-founder Patricia Wand (1963–65), former Congressman Sam Farr (1964–66), and […]
The Peace Corps at Sixty: A Timeline of Six Decades of Service — and Snapshots from the Wider World
Some moments that have defined the Peace Corps from 1960 to today. Plus a year-by-year look at countries where Peace Corps programs began. Researched by Ellery Pollard, Emi Krishnamurthy, Sarah Steindl, Nathalie Vadnais, and Orrin Luc At right: the 10th-anniversary Peace Corps stamp, issued in 1972. Image courtesy Peace Corps As part […]
“I signed onto the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act because we need volunteer service now more than ever to support healthy & resilient communities … #PeaceCorpsNow.”
—Betty McCollum, Member, U.S. House of Representatives
on Twitter on September 22, 2021, marking the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Corps Act. McCollum also circulated a “Dear Colleague” letter in fall 2021 calling for robust Peace Corps funding.
Mirror the Face of Our Nation - The past: The program you may not know about that inspired JFK. The future: How we change what America looks like abroad.
Mirror the Face of Our Nation: Strategies for Increasing African American Inclusion in the Peace Corps and International Careers
The past: The program you may not know about that inspired JFK. The future: How we change what America looks like abroad. Photo: Rep. Karen Bass, who delivered welcoming remarks for the event, part of the Ronald H. Brown Series, on September 14, 2021. On September 14, 2021, the Constituency for Africa hosted, and National […]
Diversity and Global Credibility
We need to have a diverse and talented corps of professionals in our foreign affairs agencies — and in the wider development community. That matters when it comes to leadership and credibility alike. By Aaron Williams Peace Corps Director 2009–12 The beauty and inherent value of the Peace Corps is that it provides a […]
An Inclusive State Department Is a National Security Imperative
Our public service institutions, whether it’s Peace Corps or the Department of State, must do better. And your work is how we change that. Photo by Freddie Everett / State Department By Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, U.S. Department of State I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Oman […]
Operation Crossroads Africa and the “Progenitors of the Peace Corps”
The program you may not know about that inspired JFK. And that has been sending U.S. volunteers abroad since 1958. By Reverend Dr. Jonathan Weaver The man who was the visionary behind Crossroads Africa, Dr. James Robinson, in many ways has not gotten the recognition he deserves. Dr. Robinson first traveled to Africa in […]
Don’t Look for Representation, Look for a Systemic Problem Solver
Part of the discussion on “Building a Community of Black RPCVs: Recruitment Challenges and Opportunities” Photo courtesy Howard Dodson By Howard Dodson Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador 1964–67 | Director, Howard University Libraries I wanted to join the Peace Corps the day Kennedy announced it was going to happen. I was a junior in undergraduate […]
Put Together Skill, Knowledge, and Commitment with Opportunities and Support
Part of the discussion on “Building a Community of Black RPCVs: Recruitment Challenges and Opportunities” Photo courtesy Sia Barbara Kamara By Sia Barbara Kamara Peace Corps Volunteer Liberia 1963–65 | Educational Consultant I live in Washington, D.C. But I grew up in what would be considered public housing in North Carolina. I […]
First Comes Belonging
Part of the discussion on “Building a Community of Black RPCVs: Recruitment Challenges and Opportunities” Photo courtesy Hermence Matsotsa-Cross By Hermence Matsotsa-Cross Peace Corps Volunteer in Togo 1999–2001 | Founder and CEO of Ubuntu Speaks Below are edited excerpts. Watch the full program here. My father was a Volunteer in Gabon in the early […]
Peace Corps Connect 2021 - Highlights from the 60th-anniversary conference for the Peace Corps community.
Peace Corps Connect 2021: Mobilizing for a Lifetime of Service and Impact — Stories for WorldView Magazine
The 60th anniversary conference marks six decades of service by Volunteers around the world. And the special anniversary edition of WorldView magazine includes excerpts of some conversations from the conference. You’ll also find select videos from the conference available through links below. By Glenn Blumhorst and Corey Arnez Griffin This is a pivotal moment for the Peace […]
Unprecedented Anniversary: A Conversation with Acting Director of the Peace Corps Carol Spahn
No Volunteers in the field. Battling COVID-19 — and the global rollout of virtual volunteering. Remarks and Q&A with Acting Director of the Peace Corps Carol Spahn as part of Peace Corps Connect 2021. Pictured: In Morocco, partners and volunteer participants team up as part of the Virtual Service Pilot — which has fostered […]
Learning History, Not Hate
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Leading in a Time of Adversity. A conversation convened as Part of Peace Corps Connect 2021. Image by Shutterstock Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are currently the fastest-growing racial or ethnic group in the U.S., but the story of the U.S. AAPI population dates back decades — […]
Peace Corps Safety and Security: Looking at a Decade of Legislation for Change
Progress, failures, and what’s on the horizon: a conversation convened for Peace Corps Connect 2021 Illustration by Anna + Elena = Balbusso On September 26, 2011, as the Peace Corps community marked 50 years of Volunteers serving in communities around the world, the U.S. Senate passed the Kate Puzey Peace Corps Volunteer Protection Act, which was signed […]
Evacuation: Service cut short by medical crisis, the draft, and COVID-19
Evacuated Peace Corps Volunteers: Then and Now, We Continue to Serve — a conversation convened as part of Peace Corps Connect 2021. Pictured: “Gül” in Turkish, “rose” in English. Margo Jones served as a Volunteer in the village of Asagisayak, then in the city of Bolu. Photo by Ken St. Louis On September 25, 2021, Jodi […]
News and Updates
A Tenth Anniversary Edition of Voices from the Peace Corps: Fifty Years of Kentucky Volunteers
Voices from the Peace Corps Fifty Years of Kentucky Volunteers By Angene Wilson and Jack Wilson University Press of Kentucky Review by Steven Boyd Saum A decade ago, Angene and Jack Wilson published Voices from the Peace Corps. Now comes a tenth anniversary edition with a foreword by National Peace Corps Association President and CEO Glenn […]
Some 2,000 Peace Corps Volunteers Served in Korea. They Have Also Helped Shape the Study of That Nation in the United States.
Peace Corps Volunteers and the Making of Korean Studies in the United States Edited by Seung-kyung Kim and Michael Robinson Center for Korea Studies, University of Washington Reviewed by Steven Boyd Saum The Peace Corps sent more than 2,000 Volunteers to South Korea 1966–81, to teach English and advise on healthcare. “Their experiences affected their […]
How People Experience Idealism, Why It Dies, and Why That Matters
The Death of Idealism Development and Anti-Politics in the Peace Corps By Meghan Elizabeth Kallman Columbia University Press Reviewed by Steven Boyd Saum You might surmise from its title that this is not a book that casts the Peace Corps experience in a particularly rosy light. You would be right, sort of. But Meghan Elizabeth Kallman […]
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 Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Was Supposed to Benefit Returned Volunteers. It Hasn’t.
So returned Volunteers are rallying to try to fix that. And NPCA is working with them to help. By Jonathan Pearson In October 2021, the U.S. Department of Education announced an overhaul of the troubled Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Applicants who devote ten years of work in the public service sector (and make 120 […]
“Terrific Ambassadors”: Peace Corps Community Relationship Building in Kentucky
Peace Corps Community Relationship Building in Kentucky Photo: Andy Barr (R-KY), who paid tribute to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers’ work in his home state during hearings of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in September By Jonathan Pearson Citizen advocacy isn’t easy. It sometimes takes a sustained, committed effort to engage a lawmaker and their […]
Announcing the Winner of the 2021 Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service: Sherry Manning, Founder of Global Seed Savers
Global Seed Savers has trained more than 5,000 Filipino farmers in seed saving, established three seed libraries, and is building a movement across the country to restore the traditional practice of saving seed and building seed sovereignty. By NPCA Staff National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2021 Sargent […]
Meet the 2021 Winner of the Loret Miller Ruppe Award: Peace Corps Community for Refugees
What began as an effort by five people to support refugees has grown to a network of 1,200 individuals. And they have led the way in the Peace Corps community in working with refugees during the current Afghanistan crisis. By NPCA Staff Peace Corps Community for Refugees is this year’s recipient of the Loret Miller Ruppe […]
Here Are Three Outstanding Leaders in the Peace Corps Community Honored with 2021 Awards by the Women of Peace Corps Legacy
Nancy Kelly of Health Volunteers Overseas and Amy Maglio of the Women’s Global Education Project are recognized with the Deborah Harding Women of Achievement Award. Estee Katcoff, founder of the Superkids Foundation, is recognized with the Kate Raftery Emerging Leaders Award. By NPCA Staff As part of the global virtual conference Peace Corps […]
Honors from the Library of Congress for Friends of Tonga
A virtual read-aloud program brings recognition from the 2021 Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program. By NPCA Staff Friends of Tonga, established by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in 2018, got some well-earned recognition this fall: 2021 Library of Congress Literacy Awards Program Best Practice Honoree. It was the creation of a virtual read-aloud program that brought […]
New Documentary: Peace Corps Response to COVID
On December 2 the agency premiered a film chronicling the work by Peace Corps Response Volunteers in 2021 to help fight COVID-19 in the United States. By NPCA Staff In 2021, for the second time in the agency’s 60-year history, Peace Corps Response Volunteers deployed in the U.S., at the request of FEMA, to […]
Global Reentry: Live [Virtual] Career Office Hours Twice a Month
Mini-coaching dialogues on résumé critiques, mock interviews, job search strategy, and more Photo courtesy Envato By NPCA Staff Wondering how to build the career you desire or execute an effective job search? National Peace Corps Association’s Global Reentry Program has launched twice-monthly Live [Virtual] Career Office Hours to provide assistance for small groups […]
Peace Corps Days of Advocacy 2022: In Person?
National Peace Corps Association hopes to host in-person meetings as part of Capitol Hill Advocacy Day on March 3, 2022. This is an opportunity to meet with members of Congress and staff. The last in-person meetings were in March 2020, just days before the Capitol shut down. Health and safety concerns mean we can’t yet […]
People and Ideas
Opinion: Missing from the Conversation About Afghanistan
I was a combat interpreter in Afghanistan, where cultural illiteracy led to U.S. failure. Illustration by Miguel Davilla By Baktash Ahadi Like many Afghan Americans, I spent much time beginning in August trying to secure safe passage from Afghanistan for family, friends, and colleagues, with tragically limited success. I also know that many Americans […]
A Life-Altering Detour — And a Summer Camp Project That Became Part of National Educational Curriculum in Jordan
We wanted to understand the world through action, and we wanted to serve. That changed the path of my life. By Shaylyn Romney Garrett Photo: Students in Jordan work with Shaylyn Romney Garrett on critical thinking skills and activities — a summer project they launched that turned into a national initiative. Courtesy Shaylyn […]
Donald Lu Is the New Top U.S. Diplomat for South and Central Asia
In the toolbox for Donald Lu in his new role in South and Central Asian Affairs at the State Department: diplomacy, advocacy, assistance, and learning from the past. Photo by RFE/L By NPCA Staff In September, Donald Lu (Sierra Leone 1988–90) was confirmed as assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. He’s the […]
Climate Change Solutions
Patrick Gonzalez takes on responsibilities tackling climate and biodiversity with the White House. Photography by Al Golub By Steven Boyd Saum “Contributing science for solutions to global problems is one of the most important contributions that we can make as scientists,” Patrick Gonzalez (Senegal 1988–90) declared earlier this year at the Ecological Society of America’s annual […]
Guns and Public Health
The CDC is again funding research on gun violence. Emergency room physician Megan Ranney is working on research-based solutions. Photo by Anthony Ricci/Shutterstock By NPCA Staff After years of gun violence declining in the U.S., it is again on the rise. Offering some hope of understanding — and ameliorating — it is this: Last […]
Ending Gender-Based Violence: A Briefing with Katrina Fotovat
For the first time, the U.S. government has put forward a national strategy on gender equity and equality. A top priority: end gender-based violence at home and globally. By NPCA Staff This fall the White House released the first-ever U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality. Among the priorities: “elimination of gender-based violence […]
A More Sustainable Food System
C.D. Glin takes on responsibilities as vice president, global head of philanthropy for the PepsiCo Foundation By NPCA Staff C.D. Glin (South Africa 1997–99) took on responsibilities as vice president, global head of philanthropy for the PepsiCo Foundation in May. He oversees daily management of the foundation and focuses work toward a more sustainable food system. Glin […]
Civic Engagement and Democracy
Javier Valdés takes on responsibilities as U.S. Director of Civic Engagement and Government for the Ford Foundation By NPCA Staff Javier Valdés (Guatemala 1999–2001) took on responsibilities as U.S. Director of Civic Engagement and Government for the Ford Foundation in August. Valdés was previously co-executive director at Make the Road New York, the state’s largest […]
Recent Awards in Health Equity and Music Education
Awards for two members of the Peace Corps Community Photo: Maurice Lee, recipient of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity By NPCA Staff Maurice Lee | Ecuador 1996–99 Maurice Lee was recognized with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Award for Health Equity for his work with St. Vincent de Paul’s Virginia G. Piper Medical and […]
In Memoriam
William Dennis Grubb: “One of the First and One of the Best”
Dennis Grubb left college at age 19 to serve in the Peace Corps in Colombia. And for many in the 1960s, he literally became the face of the Peace Corps. Students in Colombia with Dennis Grubb, who joined the first group of Peace Corps Volunteers serving communities there. Photo courtesy family of Dennis Grubb By […]
Susan Neyer Taught, and She Nurtured the Peace Corps Community in California, Nationally, and Beyond
She served as a Volunteer in the Philippines, trained Volunteers who served throughout Southeast Asia and the Pacific. She was a leader of both the Northern California Peace Corps Association and National Peace Corps Association. Illustration by Edward Rooks By Steven Boyd Saum Soon after graduating Marquette University in Milwaukee, Susan Neyer left for Peace Corps service […]
Hardy Frye Served as Peace Corps Country Director in Guyana and Was Deeply Engaged in Civil Rights Activism
He was a scholar, teacher, film producer, and worked with emerging Black political parties in South Africa. A lesson: Hardy Frye, in his days with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, telling how Black Americans in the South overcame fear to organize community action. Photo courtesy Civil Rights Movement Archive By NPCA Staff Tuskegee, Alabama, was […]
Jeremy M. Black Was Committed to Nonviolence
After his life was ended far too soon, his wife has carried forward that commitment. Photo courtesy the family of Jeremy Black By NPCA Staff Promoting understanding between peoples was Jerry Black’s life’s work. He served as a Volunteer in the Comoros Islands 1992–94 before completing a degree at the Columbia University School of International and Public […]
David McGaffey Served with the Peace Corps in Afghanistan, Then Embarked on a Career in Diplomacy
With the Peace Corps, he and his wife helped set up the first high school for girls in the town of Farah. As a diplomat in Iran, he helped evacuate hundreds of U.S. citizens. Photo courtesy the family of David McGaffey By NPCA Staff Born on a farm in Michigan, David McGaffey was 15 years old […]
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. […]
Letters
Letters: Readers Respond to the Summer 2021 edition of WorldView and Snapshots of Peace Corps History
Peace Corps Response at 25. Sarge leads the first Volunteers. Budget advocacy. Remembering 9/11 two decades later. JFK at the Cow Palace in ’60. Letters, emails, LinkedIn and Instagram comments, Facebook posts, tweets, and other missives: Readers respond to the stories in words and images in the Summer 2021 edition of WorldView, special digital features, and the conversation on social […]
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