As the United States Peace Corps receives the highest single-year increase in
spending in its nearly 50 year history, that National Peace Corps Association
(NPCA) and its MorePeaceCorps Campaign has released the findings of a survey on
how to improve and embolden the Peace Corps to meet key challenges in the 21st
century.
A key overriding message from the survey centers on the need to improve
volunteer projects and programming. Survey participants consistently gave
high rankings to survey questions and categories that dealt with matters such
as training, improving the quality of volunteers, better matching volunteers to
projects and making sure those projects meet local community needs.
While there was strong support for expanding collaboration and partnerships
with other federal agencies, development and humanitarian NGOs and indigenous
organizations, survey respondents also stressed the importance to maintain the independent
nature of Peace Corps in relation to broader foreign policy objectives.
“The recent announcements of Peace Corps’ intention to return to Indonesia and
Sierra Leone and the continued growth of applications from volunteers are
exciting indicators of the opportunities to expand the number of volunteers in
the field”, said NPCA President Kevin Quigley. “As we begin to grow Peace
Corps once again, it is particularly important that the growth of volunteers is
coupled with plans to improve the quality of the Peace Corps experience,
enhance its impact and develop ways to engage fellow global citizens all around
the world.”
Conducted last October, the Better, Bolder Peace Corps Survey drew responses
from more than 4,500 participants representing a broad cross-section of the
Peace Corps community. Nearly 40% of survey respondents identified
themselves as volunteers who served in the past decade. There was strong
consistency in the responses of these individuals with other participants who
served in the earlier years of Peace Corps.
An executive summary and full report from the survey has been posted online and
can be accessed by visiting
www.peacecorpsconnect.org/advocacy/betterboldersurveyresults.
You didn't mention Safety and Security, the new conflict Masters and programs and the new countries being discussed like Sri Lanka,Nepal,Bangladesh and Colombia.
PC is asking a lot for people who get paid below poverty. NGOs pay a lot for these services.
Posted by: Dece | January 09, 2010 at 02:16 PM