Peace Corps Polyglot

2009 NPCA Board of Directors Election Results

The National Peace Corps Association is pleased to announce that the 2009 elections for three open, member-elected Board of Directors seats are now complete.  The following candidates were elected and will take up their three-year terms beginning with the June 26, 2009 Board meeting in Washington, DC.

•    James Gore (Mid-Atlantic and Nationwide)
•    David Magnani (Northeast)
•    Jensy Patterson Richards (Europe, North and East Africa)

Congratulations to returning Board members Jensy Richards and Dave Magnani.  And a special congratulations and welcome to new board member James Gore!

Honoring Their Service: Fallen Peace Corps Volunteers

Yesterday--Memorial Day--our nation remembered those who have given their lives to defend our country in times of war.

We at the National Peace Corps Association also want to pause and honor those Peace Corps volunteers, staff and returned volunteers who have lost their lives far from home while in service to the ideals of a world shaped in peace and understanding.

Pictured is the Peace Corps headquarters plaque commemorating their sacrifice. To read the names of the 273 Peace Corps volunteers who have died in service over the past 48 years, click here.

And the Next Director Is...

Actually we still don't know.  But there are plenty of rumors.  We understand candidates have been interviewed, that the White House (as well as we) have a strong preference for an RPCV, and that ideally the next director will come to the job with with senior experience in international development and/or philanthropy.  And we also expect the announcement to come very soon.

The only thing we can say with any certainty is that once we know and have the okay, we'll get the information out to you as quickly as possible.

In the meantime, if you haven't already, take a look at the letter the NPCA Board of Directors sent to President-elect Obama in December outlining principles for selecting the next Director. 

"Twin Towers" -- Play by Peace Corps Writer -- Set to Debut

Returned Peace Corps volunteers are nothing if not multi-talented.  Exhibit A:  Damian Wampler. 

Wampler served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Kyrgyz Republic from 1999 to 2001, teaching English. Following his service he earned his Master's degree and was a Fulbright researcher in the Kyrgyz Republic, before returning to New York City to work as a Peace Corps recruiter.  He is currently a professional photographer and full time graduate student of the School of Visual Arts, earning a Master’s degree in digital photography.  For the past few months he's been helping with the MorePeaceCorps campaign.  This fall he will enter the Foreign Service.

Oh, and he's written a play.

Twin Towers, an original play by Damian Wampler and directed by Angela Astle, will premiere at The Planet Connections Theater Festivity on Friday, June 12th through Sunday, June 28th for six  performances only at the Robert Moss Theater at 440 Studios, 440 Lafayette, in New York’s East Village.

Set in the Bush Era, Twin Towers "explores the struggle between natural law and positive law - what we know in our hearts to be right versus what society and our government tell us."  Trevor and Jamal, the "Twin Towers" of the title, were once inseparable schoolyard buddies. Now, years later, Trevor has returned from Iraq a war hero, while Jamal has returned from years of overseas work in the Peace Corps searching for purpose. "The two clash as the fantasy of their childhood innocence fades to reveal the truth of their character."

The play benefits the New York based non-profit ENACT, which uses professional teaching artists to inspire and education urban youth using drama therapy techniques. “ENACT really embodies what the play Twin Towers is all about,” says Suzanne Lee, the play’s liaison at ENACT and a returned Peace Corps volunteer herself.  “ENACT shows that everyone has the power to make change in the world, as long as they recognize that the skills they have are valuable. It might take creativity, collaboration and patience, but everyone can do their part to improve the lives of others."

You can learn more about the play at the Twin Towers website:  http://www.twintowersplay.com
You can see a video clip on the Twin Towers YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/TwinTowersPlay.

SHOW TIMES: Friday, June 12th, 5:30pm, Sunday, June 14th, 9:0pm, Wednesday, June 17th, 4:00pm, Thursday, June 18th, 4:00pm, Friday, June 19th, 7:30pm, Sunday, June 28th, 1:00pm. 

Robert Moss Theater at 440 Studios
440 Lafayette, 3rd floor
TICKETS: $18 adult 212 352-3101 or www.planetconnectionsfestivity.com

Resources for RPCV Jobseekers

No doubt about it, times are tough.  For example, this morning we were greeted by a Washington Post profile of South Africa RPCV Michael Volpe, who has taken to standing outside of downtown Metro stations with a sign around his neck:

After relentlessly pounding the industrial carpet at scores of job fairs, firing off hundreds of cover letters and knocking on dozens of doors since November, Michael Volpe was desperate.

The 25-year-old college graduate with a degree in physics and a couple of years with the Peace Corps is learning that the nation's capital is also the networking capital. And if you don't know the right people, landing a job can be daunting.

This week, he took his job search in a new direction, standing outside downtown D.C. Metro stops during morning rush hour with a sign around his neck reading, "ENTRY LEVEL JOB SEEKER."

While Michael's initiative is right in line with that "can-do" Peace Corps spirit, there ARE other ways that newly returned Peace Corps volunteers get a toe hold in this tough job market.

• Peace Corps Office of Returned Volunteer Services -- Remember, once a volunteer, always a volunteer.  RVS sponsors frequent career events, offers downloadable job guides, publishes Hotline every two weeks, maintains a yahoo! group called rpcvnetwork where they post jobs--and more. You can get detailed information on how to, for example, leverage your non-competitive eligibility for Federal jobs.  If you're headed back to school, they have information on programs that welcome RPCVs.
• NPCA's RPCV Mentoring Program - The NPCA/Peace Corps Mentoring program was started in 2007 with a fundamental goal in mind: to connect recently returned Peace Corps Volunteers with RPCV mentors. Via phone, email and face-to-face meetings, these mentors help ease the difficult transition, provide a connection to the RPCV community at large, and say some of the most comforting words in the English language, namely, “I know what you’re going through. I’ve been there.”
• NPCA's Online Career Center - listings of jobs where the employer is specifically seeking out RPCVs.
• Connected Peace Corps - Sign on to the "Facebook for Peace Corps."  A group for job seekers has already formed. Most Peace Corps countries and geographic groups now have groups.  Join and ask for advice and leads.  Here in Washington, DC, RPCVs of Washington is very active and can, again, be a source of advice, possible job leads and moral support.

Are there other resources that we've left out?  Add them in the comments section

A Milestone for the Peace Corps

Peace Corps got some good news yesterday. 

Here's the message sent out last night by NPCA's MorePeaceCorps Campaign Coordinator, Rajeev Goyal.  Rajeev has been a tireless and savvy advocate for a bigger, better and bolder Peace Corps.

Showing incredible political courage, Representative Howard Berman in today's hearing of the House Foreign Affairs Committee tossed out the administration's $373 million figure for the Peace Corps in FY 2010 and replaced it with $450 million. This is a gigantic step for the Peace Corps, but our legions of returned volunteers must now see to it that the money is appropriated and voted upon and that a new generation of leadership arrives at the Peace Corps ready and able to create a visionary organization that is an integral part of the American presence in the world.

Everyone should pick up the phone between 9 AM to 5 PM and call the White House at 202-456-1111 and tell the operator that we support a bold, new Peace Corps for the new century.

Read the article on the Huffington Post

We are deeply grateful for the legislators such as Sam Farr, Betty McCollum, Howard Berman and others who are working so hard on behalf of Peace Corps.  Now that the domestic service programs have been given a boost, it's time to to ensure that Peace Corps--the oft-cited inspriration for them all--gets its due.

(Thanks to Service Nation for spreading the word.)

Reality Show Looking for Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

Here at the National Peace Corps Association we never know what we'll find in our inboxes late on a Thursday afternoon.  Budget announcements... submissions for WorldView... 

And the there is this message from a Peace Corps Public Affairs Specialist in one of the regional offices:

"Hello there...I was contacted today by a casting director who was looking for a “wholesome, service-oriented” RPCV for their new reality show. Basically you have to be a single female between 28-40 and you have to be cute!"

Yes, it's always interesting.

So, as a "public service" to the Peace Corps community, we're passing this "important information" on to you:

ABC Media Productions

NOW CASTING SINGLE WOMEN who are looking for LOVE anywhere but here!!!

Are you a woman age 25 to 40 who is successful in every aspect of life except one...finding love?

You got the looks, the career, the car, the social network, etc.
Yep, you've got it all...everything except "Mr. Right!"

What if he's looking for YOU in a different city?

Let us treat you to a romantic holiday!  We provide the new city, the new digs, the new guys...
You just have to believe in love...and get on board!

To apply, please email
adiamond@me.com

Some additional information from the casting director.

"This is NOT A COMPETITION SHOW, no eliminations, catches or surprises.  Just a genuine search for love!

Here's a general scoop on time commitment. We start filming in the next couple weeks through mid August. We choose 2 girls from 2 different states per episode. Crews go to their city for 1 week and the girls need to be available for about 3-4 days. We give each girl $500 total for their time.

Time is of the essence, so we like to get in touch with anyone interested ASAP! Please forward this info to volunteers, friends and family!

If you are interested or would like to nominate someone, email the info below to adiamond@me.com :

1. Recent photo (face and full body)
2. Full name, age, occupation, city of residence
3. Phone number(s)
4. Tell us a little about yourself. Why do you want this opportunity? Be as SPECIFIC as possible...everyone has their own story."

Obama Budget Includes $373.5 Million for the Peace Corps

This morning President Obama released a detailed version of his Fiscal Year 2010 budget to Congress which includes a funding request of $373.5 for the Peace Corps. This request represents a ten percent increase in spending above the current $340 Million funding level for Peace Corps.

“President Obama’s Peace Corps funding request is a step in the right direction, but it is only a step”, said NPCA President Kevin Quigley.  “As a growing number of Americans are responding to the President’s call to service, and as more and more countries request Peace Corps volunteers, we need to provide the resources that will allow us to meet these needs and reach the President’s stated goal of doubling the number of volunteers by the 50^th anniversary of Peace Corps. Unfortunately, this budget does not reflect that goal, rather calling for a very modest increase in the number of volunteers to 9,000—an approximately 13% by the time of the 50^th Anniversary.  There is more work to be done in securing the needed resources for the Peace Corps, and we hope Congress will address this in the coming weeks and months by appropriating funding for the Peace Corps that meets - or surpasses - the President’s request.”

Consideration of the President’s budget moves to the Senate Appropriations Committees. If your representative(s) serve on these committees, contact them to express support for Peace Corps funding levels that go beyond the President’s request, such as the $450 Million proposed in the Peace Corps Expansion Act of 2009, legislation before the House of Representatives.

>> Click here for the State Department's Summary and Highlights of the International Affairs Function, FY2010 Budget Request (.pdf format) and then click to page 35 of the document to see the budget details for the Peace Corps.