Peace Corps Polyglot

Peace Corps Volunteers in Guinea are Safe

Peace Corps Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 23, 2008 – Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter announced today that all Volunteers serving in Guinea are accounted for and safe.  

There are 87 Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Guinea. All of the Peace Corps Volunteers in Guinea are on stand-fast mode, requiring that they remain in their communities and remain in regular contact with the Peace Corps/Guinea staff. 

This action follows the announcement that Guinean President Lansana Conte has passed away, and that a "Consultative Council" made up of “military and civilian people” has come into power. The Guinean constitution has temporarily been suspended, and those now in power have asked people in Guinea to remain calm.

Peace Corps staff in Guinea are working closely with the U.S. Embassy and are constantly and carefully monitoring this situation. They will, if necessary, take appropriate actions under the Peace Corps/Guinea Emergency Action Plan. The safety and security of Volunteers and Volunteer-trainees is the number one priority of the Peace Corps.

Over 1,241 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in Guinea since the program was established in 1962. The program was briefly closed from 1966 to 1969, and again from 1971 to 1985. Upon re-opening in 1985, Volunteers in this West African nation have worked in the areas of education, environment, small enterprise development, and public health and HIV/AIDS awareness.

Each Peace Corps program has an Emergency Action Plan specific to that country and developed in cooperation with Peace Corps Washington and the local U.S. Embassy.  The plans are evaluated and tested frequently and information is updated constantly. Volunteers are thoroughly trained in their roles and responsibilities, and posts are prepared for all emergencies.

Families may contact the Peace Corps/Guinea Desk with any questions or concerns that may have at 202-692-2328 during business hours, and the Office of Special Services after hours. The Office of Special Services maintains a 24-hour a day, 7 days a week duty system. The telephone number during standard office hours is 1-800-424-8580, Extension 1470; the after hours number is 202-638-2574. The Office of Special Services can also be contacted via e-mail at ossdutyofficer@peacecorps.gov.

Petition to Obama: Signed, Bound, Delivered

Thanks to the dedicated efforts of hundreds of MorePeaceCorps campaign advocates around the nation, two bound documents totaling 600 pages and containing nearly 15,000 signatures were delivered Monday to C.D. Glin, a co-leader of the Obama transition team for the Peace Corps.

 

The petition congratulates President-elect Obama on his election and urges him to follow through with his campaign pledge to expand the Peace Corps.

 

This is the initial delivery of petition signatures, as more and more people continue to sign.  This action will remain open until the inauguration so there is still time to sign the petition! 

 

You can also see how your state is faring on the petition collection front.  For example, what state just cracked the 1,000 mark in signatures?  What state is about ten signatures shy of breaking into the top ten?  And (yikes!) what states are in the bottom ten?  Get connected with other friends from your state or region and move up the leader board! Follow this link to see the latest rankings.

 

We are grateful to all of you who have done so much to get us to the 15,000 mark.  Thank you for your contributions.  They really do add up!

Call for Submissions: WorldView on Language

Language has always been an integral part of the Peace Corps experience and WorldView magazine is looking for submissions for publication relating to the subject.   Whether it's learning a new one or working to save one, WorldView magazine wants to hear your story about language. 

·    Do you have a surprising tale about learning a native tongue? 
·    Did you find that the language you learned told you more about the culture of the area in which you served than you expected? 
·    Did teaching English change your perspective on learning a language? 
·    Is there a language instructor in your host country who could offer insight into the challenges and rewards of teaching Peace Corps volunteers? 

The next issue of WorldView hopes to explore these questions in addition to taking a look at language preservation, Peace Corps jargon, and language instruction at PC.  

Send your submissions and suggestions to news@rpcv.org or visit WorldView magazine for more information.

MorePeaceCorps Petition Action Day

As Friday morning begins we are about 2,000 signatures away from our target of 15,000 on our MorePeaceCorps petition to President-elect Obama.  Help put us over the top by getting others to sign.

Petition Link >> Take Action 

 

We can hit this target...or go beyond it!  For example:

• If you can join other advocates in getting just two more people to sign the petition, we will reach our 15,000 target.
• If everyone gets five more people to sign? We will go way beyond our target!
• And, if you and others participating in our Day of Action secured the signatures of just ten more people, then we'll be looking at 20 to 25 thousand signatures!
• Send this petition link to your friends from high school or college.  Circulate the petition at work and ask your colleagues to take two minutes during their lunch break to sign.  Ask your family members to sign and have them pass the petition along.  Are you in e-mail contact with a host country national who you served with as a PCV?  Write them and have them add their name and a comment to demonstrate the global goodwill that comes from the Peace Corps experience.

Make a big personal push in advance of our initial petition delivery to the Obama transition team on Monday, December 22nd.

And, be sure to check out the MorePeaceCorps Forum Page.  Look under the "Petition Day of Action" entry to share information on your efforts and see what else is happening around the country!

PeaceCorpsConnect: Be a Beta Tester

We are still on track for a late January launch of the new PeaceCorpsConnect, the first online networking site connecting, informing and engaging Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), and people around the world--powered  by the NPCA.  

Created by us and for us, PeaceCorpsConnect is an inspiring and easy way for PCVs, RPCVs, or any individual or organization sharing the values of Peace Corps to connect with one another. Share your stories, photos, information, projects, and best practices. 

Are you interested in participating in the invitation-only beta?  If so, please e-mail pc.socialnetwork@gmail.com with "Peace Corps Connect Beta" in the subject line by January 5th.    

Third Annual Peace Corps and NPCA Information and Communications Technology Contest

Peace Corps and the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) are calling for submissions from around the globe for the third annual Peace Corps and NPCA ICT Story Contest.

The contest will recognize outstanding activities designed by serving Peace Corps Volunteers and their counterparts and communities in the use of information and communications technology (ICT) including cell phones, computer, Internet, radio, video, and other technology.

The goal of this contest is to see how technology is being effectively used -- not to compare or contrast the quality of specific media products.

The submitted stories must show how Volunteers assisted counterparts and/or community members to develop an ICT activity based on community needs. Stories should show how communities leveraged the power of ICTs to create fresh opportunities and address development challenges in areas such as agriculture, education, environment, gender, HIV/AIDS, health, small enterprise development, youth, and/or other areas important to social and economic development. 

The winning submissions will be recognized in a variety of formats, including being featured in Peace Corps ICT-related news and publications.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, January 9th, 2009 (by 12:00 p.m. EST). The winners will be announced in February 2009.

Click here for Terms and Conditions, Judging Criteria, and Submission Form.

RPCV Organizing Cruise to the Inauguration

In light of the scarcity of Inauguration weekend accommodations in Washington, DC, we are passing on an offer by NPCA member Ulysses Hudson (Ecuador 88-91), Vice President of Yes We Can Cruise, Inc. http://www.yeswecan2009cruise.com/.

Ulysses has organized a 6-day round-trip cruise from Ft. Lauderdale, FL to Baltimore, MD with transportation into Washington, DC for inaugural events.  Writes Ulysses:

I have secured discounted pricing for the Peace Corps community to book passage on this cruise for a limited time.  This offer is good until December 22, 2008.  After that a limited number of discounted rates may still be available, but only on a first come, first served basis.

For now this cruise special is offered to RPCV’s for prices starting at $1,100.00 per person.  After 12/22/08 the prices will start at $1,999.00 per person – which is still a good deal.  So please get on board quickly, because this cruise will most likely sell out fast.

If you are interested in learning full details, you can contact Ulysses at 954-926-2355 or via e-mail.

Board Letter to the President-elect: On Selection of the Next Peace Corps Director

President-elect Obama has said some very encouraging things about the future of the Peace Corps.  Still ahead--the tough decision of choosing a new Director to lead the organization. 

To provide advice, the NPCA board has sent a letter to the presidential transition team, outlining four principles to guide the selection.  (Click here to read the entire letter here.) The principles lay out the most important qualities they would like to see in the next Peace Corps Director. 

• The Director needs to be a forward thinking innovator, prepared to adapt the Peace
  Corps to better meet the needs of the 21st century.
  
• The Director needs to be a passionate advocate for the independence and integrity of
  the Peace Corps.
• The Director must emphasize the success of volunteers.
• The Director should embrace the greater Peace Corps community as a collaborative
  partner with common interests and goals.

Finally, the next Director needs to be prepared to inspire service. 

“We feel the next Director should understand the value and promise of the Peace Corps, have demonstrated experience in grassroots global development, and have sufficient passion to motivate volunteers and the clarity of vision to prepare and strengthen the Peace Corps initiative for the challenges of the coming decade,” they advise.  “The next Director should also be able to raise attention and re-ignite the spirit and imagination of the American public for the need to advance the Peace Corps as part of your service agenda, like the first Director Sargent Shriver did.” 

Discussing "Bigger, Better, Bolder"

NPCA Advocacy Coordinator Jonathan Pearson sent out some very useful information about some resources to discuss the MorePeaceCorps Campaign and what it means to YOU.  Here's what he had to say:

Many have asked the question “What does the MorePeaceCorps Campaign mean by a better, bolder Peace Corps?”
 
The answer to that question ultimately rests with our very large, broad and diverse community.  Over the next weeks and months, you will see a growing number of resources and opportunities so you can take action and help us solicit the opinion of – not several hundred – but thousands of RPCVs, former staff, current volunteers and applicants.
 
We want to alert you to the most recent resource that we think will be of particular interest of RPCV groups as one way to engage the issue and attract people to one of your upcoming meetings.
 
Special thanks to Angene Wilson of NPCA’s Global Education Advisory Group, who has created a group discussion guide based on feature articles from the Fall 2008 edition of WorldView magazine which highlighted provocative articles on the future of Peace Corps.  Additional thanks to the Kentucky RPCVs who tested the guide at a gathering last month.
 
Using your copies of WorldView, you can organize a discussion for your groups, and then post your results (and perhaps a photo) at the MorePeaceCorps forum page.
 
Follow this link to the MorePeaceCorps Forum and look for the 12/04/08 posting from NPCA Advocacy. There you will be able to download a copy of the discussion guide, view the results from the Kentucky group discussion and see a photo from their gathering.  After organizing your own discussion, post your own results on the Forum, or send them to us at advocacy@rpcv.org
 
Along with this new group resource, others are sharing views in several other ways:

• Some are utilizing the comments section of our MorePeaceCorps petition to President-elect Obama to express their views.  If members of your groups have not signed, this petition remains open as we drive toward 15,000 signatures!
• The Worldview discussion guide is one of a growing number of threads forming on the MorePeaceCorps Forum.  Join in on discussions or start a conversation topic of your own.
• Coming in January – We will be developing a check-box survey so members of our community can consider and prioritize the many issues in building a better and bolder Peace Corps, in an effort to see if a consensus of opinion forms around certain key topics.

Where does your state stand in the MorePeaceCorps Petition?

Support for the MorePeaceCorps Petition just keeps growing, topping 11,000 signatures today.  A big push will be underway over the next week, with plans to deliver the petition to the Obama transition team before Christmas.  So please keep gathering signatures!
 
So many of you have done great outreach.  THANK YOU!  But, you may be wondering… How is my state/region faring compared to other parts of the country?
 
Wonder no more!  We broke down the petition signatures into state categories so you can see where your region stands as of Dec 10.  Currently, Northern California has a hundred-vote lead over New York, followed closely by Southern California. 

There are also over 500 signatures from overseas, with a wide representation of countries from Afghanistan to Uzbekistan and many, many countries represented in between.  You can see the full list of results here. 

We'll be updating these rankings next week, so there's plenty of time to move your state up in the rankings!  Sign the petition today and please spread the word!