Peace Corps Polyglot

NPCA Press Conference in Nairobi

On the Friday before Christmas, the National Peace Corps Association held a press conference in Nairobi, Kenya to announce formally the winner of the Africa Rural Connect $20,000 Grand Prize. Present along with me were the Prize Winner himself, Jacky Foo, who flew there from Sweden, and Ernesto Gluecksmann, who has helped to build the Africa Rural Connect (ARC) website for NPCA. We invited press from all over the city and 25 of them attended to hear about the winner and ARC’s online community for African agricultural development.

Ernesto and I first spoke about the goals of the website, the technology behind it and how we spent the last 9 months building it and trying to reach out to as many relevant groups as possible to be involved. Then, Jacky spoke about his winning project idea.  His project is located in Meru, a village only a 4-hour drive outside of Nairobi and some of the project leaders from the sisters of Nazareth were able to attend the conference. I was delighted to meet Jacky in person and hear about his experience on the ARC website, and also to meet the sisters who are helping to put his plan into action. Many of the reporters had questions about his idea and how it could be replicated in other villages.

Later that day, we had dinner with Crystal Kigoni, an American woman who works with Voices of Africa.  Crystal’s mission is to put a solar-powered internet kiosk in every rural village in Kenya.  For a setup cost of $4,000-$5,000, hundreds of people can have access to the internet, which would provide monumental communications and educational opportunities for them.  We think that it would be a great way for people in rural areas to post their ideas on Africa Rural Connect, too.

 

Two RPCVs Win Prestigious Whiting Writers' Award

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Ravij Joseph (Senegal 97-00) and Michael Meyer (China 95-97) were among the ten writers receiving the 2009 Whiting Writers’ Award at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York City yesterday evening. This prestigious $50,000 award recognizes young writers for their extraordinary talent and promise and is one of most coveted prizes for up and coming writers. These awards have been given annually since 1985 and past recipients include Michael Cunningham, Kim Edwards, Tobias Wolff, Jeffrey Eugenides, and Mary Karr – all winners before they were acclaimed, bestselling authors.

A native of Minnesota, Michael Meyer joined the Peace Corps with a degree in education from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Following graduate school at the University of California-Berkeley he settled on a hutong in 2005, Bejing’s oldest neighborhood in shared courtyard home. At the time, the Chinese government was razing such ancient neighborhoods in its bid to become a modern city for the 2008 Summer Olympics. Meyer volunteered as an English teacher at the local elementary school and recorded the hutong’s vibrant life in his first book, The Last Days of Old Beijing: Life in the Vanishing Backstreets of a City Transformed, published by Walker & Company in 2008. NPCA’s WorldView magazine carried an excerpt in its Fall 2008 issue.  Meyer is currently working on a second book, In Manchuria, which details daily life on a rice farm in Northeast China. Meyer currently resides in New York City, and is moving back to China this fall.

Playwright Rajiv Joseph is the author of Animals Out of Paper, produced at the Second Stage Theatre and published by Dramatists Play Service; Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, produced at the Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theater in Los Angeles and named Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts; and Gruesome Playground Injuries, scheduled for production in 2010 at the Alley Theatre in Houston and at Washington’s Woolly Mammoth Theatre.  He has received a Paula Vogel Award from the Vineyard Theatre and has been a Kesselring, Lark Playwriting and Dramatists Guild Fellow.  Mr. Joseph received his BA from Miami University and his MFA from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts.  Living in Brooklyn, he is a founding member of the Fire Department Theater Company and currently a lecturer in NYU’s Expository Writing Program.

Director of the Writers Program, Barbara Bristol says, “This group of writers brings delightful surprises and pleasures. Two transcendent non-fiction writers, one preoccupied with the fascinations of the insect world, and the other with the vibrant life of an ancient Beijing neighborhood; four fearless, dazzling writers of novels and short fiction; three fresh poetic voices; and a provocative, risk-taking playwright.  We warmly welcome them into our now distinguished 25-year roster of Whiting Award recipients and look forward to these writers enriching American letters for many years to come.”

Congratulations Rajiv and Michael!

Tim Shriver Presents 2009 Shriver Award to John Hatch

This year’s recipient of the Sargent Shriver Award for Outstanding Humanitarian Service is John K. Hatch, founder of the non-profit microfinance organization FINCA International.  To celebrate his achievements and highlight our community's ongoing commitment to Peace Corps's Third Goal, NPCA hosted a reception and ceremony in his honor on Friday, June 26^th.

Among those in attendance were Hatch family members and friends, Rupert Scofield (President of FINCA), Sam Daley-Harris (President and Founder of RESULTS), Timothy Shriver (son of Peace Corps founder Sargent Shriver and Chair of Special Olympics International), Senator Harris Wofford, NPCA board members, Group Leaders, Director’s Circle members and NPCA and Peace Corps staff.  

Kevin Quigley, president of NPCA, gave a warm welcoming speech and was followed by NPCA staffer Molly Mattessich, who offered a "sneak peek" of the soon-to-be launched Africa Rural Connect initiative. Rupert Scofield offered remarks in praise of Hatch and read a letter from Hatch's brother.  He was followed by Tim Shriver, who gave an engaging introduction of Hatch. Shriver touched upon the importance of the Award and the reasons why it was so fitting that Hatch be honored.  He told Hatch,

"You get this award with strings attached. [laughter]  He (Hatch) told me he retired.  C'mon!  Retired!  My father left the office for the last time at the age of 89 probably four years after he'd been diagnosed with Alzheimers', still trying to get into the office to write a few more letters to members of Congress in pursuit of a bolder and better peace Corps...so you have no chance of being able to make retirement into a reason for not continue to grow the work you're doing and fulfill the vision that you've brought to life in such a dramatic and powerful way.  So if he were here today, he would say that the future would be a heck of a lot better if we followed the example of Dr. John Hatch.

John Hatch, accompanied by his wife and seated beside his 94 year old mother, was visibly honored and pleased with receiving the Award. He spoke fondly of his Peace Corps service, recalling it with a familiarity that made one forget he had served decades, not just years, ago. During the speech, Hatch connected his volunteer service with what he ended up doing for a living: helping the poor and underprivileged gain better access and advantages through means of microcredit and entrepreneurship. 

The night ended with an exclusive screening of “Youssou N’Dour: I Bring What I Love,” a recently released documentary chronicling the musical journey of Senegalese world music star Youssou N'Dour.  The film's production company and NPCA’s are partnering to further promote the values of tolerance and mutual understanding. 

You can see photos from the evening on our Facebook Fan Page, on Flickr, or on our website.

Many thanks to the Academy for Educational Development for providing a wonderful venue for this event, and to GEICO, who helped underwrite the reception.

Trees, Water and People Non-Profit Wins Big

 One million dollars is a huge amount of money. For a relatively young non-profit, a million dollars is even bigger.

On June 9,  at an economic conference in Montreal, the non-profit organization Colorado-based Trees, Water and People (TWP) was awarded the Rio Tinto Prize for Sustainability.  Rio Tinto, a leading mining group based in the UK, awards the $1 million dollar Rio Tinto Prize annually in an effort to recognize and reward non-profit, civil society and non-government organizations for their significant contributions towards economic, environmental and social sustainability.

TWP focuses on preserving the North and South American natural reserves and wetlands through education and reforestation. TWP also deals with watershed protection and renewable energy to help maintain the wildlife and vegetation in these Central American and American West areas.

Not surprisingly, there's a Peace Corps connection to this story.  In fact, three! 

• Before co-founding TWP, International Director Stuart Conway (pcitured) worked in the Peace Corps and served for eight years as the Director of the Washington D.C.-based New Forests Project. During that time, Stuart initiated reforestation and watershed protection projects in Central America, Africa, and the Philippines.
• Director of Watershed Protection Jim Webster joined TWP in 2007. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University and worked for the Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa and for the World Wildlife Fund in Madagascar and Washington, D.C.  Most recently he provided technical assistance to the Western Center for Environmental Decision Making.
• And Assistant International Director Allison Shaw worked in the Peace Corps as a municipal agroforestry extension agent in Guatemala, completed a preserve stewardship internship with The Nature Conservancy, and interned with the National Park Service to provide ecological monitoring and data management before joining TWP.

“We are absolutely thankful, delighted and overwhelmed with gratitude at being announced the 2008 Prize winner." said Conway.  "We now have the opportunity to expand our community reforestation and improved cook stove programs in Honduras, Nicaragua, and Haiti. In particular, we will look to use the Prize to leverage additional sources of funding, and increasingly share the work we are doing with other interested organizations."

>> Trees, Water, People (Website)

>> Trees, Water, People Blog, Sustainable Change that Works

John Hatch Named 2009 NPCA Sargent Shriver Award Recipient

The National Peace Corps Association today announced that John Hatch, founder of the microfinance organization FINCA International, is the 2009 recipient of the Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service.

The Shriver Award is presented by the National Peace Corps Association to a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who continues to make a sustained and distinguished contribution to humanitarian causes at home or abroad, or is an innovative social entrepreneur whose actions will bring about significant long-term change. Established in 1986, and with over 20 recipients to date, it honors the tremendous contributions of the first Peace Corps Director, Sargent Shriver, in the founding and development of the Peace Corps.

“John Hatch and his life’s work, beginning with the Peace Corps and continuing today, reflects Sargent Shriver’s hopes for all volunteers; that the Peace Corps service will lead to a life-time commitment to assisting the under-served,” said Kevin Quigley, NPCA president. “John’s pioneering role in Village Banking and creating FINCA are these hopes made real, and he is an inspirational example for the Peace Corps community.”

John Hatch began his service to the Peace Corps in 1962, as a community development volunteer in Colombia and later as a regional Peace Corps director in Peru.  After completing his Ph.D, Hatch founded the non-profit microfinance organization FINCA (Foundation for International Community Assistance) International, whose mission is to provide financial services to the world’s lowest-income entrepreneurs so they can create jobs, build assets and improve their families’ standard of living.  He developed a new microfinance methodology called Village Banking, which brings together ten to thirty people in a community—mostly women—who guarantee small business loans for each other, enabling them to create income-generating opportunities for themselves. FINCA operates in 21 countries of Africa, Eurasia, the Greater Middle East and Latin America, and is currently providing financial services to more than 750,000 people.

Timothy Shriver, son of Sargent Shriver and Chair of Special Olympics International, will present Hatch with the Award at NPCA's "Third Goal" Celebration on June 26th in Washington, D.C.

For additional information, or media interested in attending this event, please contact Erica Burman, Director of Communications, at news@peacecorpsconnect.org, Tel. 202.293.7728 ext 16.

>> Learn more about past Shriver Award recipients.
>> See NPCA press release.
>> Learn more about FINCA and village banking.

Deadline Approaching for 2009 Shriver Nominations

Nominations are now open for the 2009 Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service!

The award is given annually by the National Peace Corps Association to a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who continues to make a sustained and distinguished contribution to humanitarian causes at home or abroad, or who is an innovative social entrepreneur whose actions will bring about significant long-term change.

Does someone you know typify the best qualities of the Peace Corps community? If so, nominate him or her for the Shriver Award. Last year, the award went to Joan Velasquez, founder of Mano a Mano, an organization that serves the most impoverished Bolivians. In previous years, the award has gone to David Schweidenback, who distributes bicycles to villages in the developing world, Congressman Tony Hall, who served on the Hunger Caucus, and many other distinguished RPCVs.

To nominate someone, click on the link below or visit our website at http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/awards. The deadline is April 10th.

The award was named to honor the contributions of the first director of the Peace Corps, Sargent Shriver, in the founding and development of the Peace Corps.

Click here for a list of past recipients

Download the 2009 Shriver Nomination form

NPCA and SIT Graduate Institute Announce 2008 Scholarship Winners

Access to higher education can help today's young leaders take the next step toward in changing the world and the SIT Graduate Institute knows this.  The Institute, whose goal is to prepare students to be interculturally effective leaders, professionals, and citizens, recently announced four winners of this year's National Peace Corps Association academic scholarships to pursue master's degrees in international programs at the Institute's Brattleboro, Vermont campus.

The NPCA scholarship was established in 2000 to recognize the long-standing ties between SIT and the Peace Corps. Members of the NPCA who have one year or more of significant intercultural experience are eligible to apply and several awards of $10,000 are made each year.

This year's winners provide an impressive array of experience and exciting potential.  They are:

• Geoffrey Butler (Kyrgyzstan 2003 - 2005) who will pursue a Master of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. While in Kyrgyzstan, Geoffrey taught English language, critical thinking and leadership skills and he collaborated with local teachers on English language methodology as well as renovated and expanded a women's crisis center and initiated and acquired funding for four projects.
• Carolyn Ramsdell (Bolivia 2004 - 2007) who will pursue a Master of Arts in Sustainable Development. In Bolivia, Carolyn's projects included training individuals and families in apiculture methods in an effort to expand their skills and knowledge about beekeeping and the production of natural hive products to be sold in local markets. She remained in Bolivia for an additional year after her volunteer service in the role of Volunteer Coordinator. Since returning to the U.S., Carolyn has worked for a Food Bank, recruiting and managing all of the volunteers that are essential for its operations.
• Joshua Spetter (Paraguay 2001 - 2006) who is pursuing a Master of Arts in Sustainable Development with a concentration in Development Management. During his first two years in Paraguay, Joshua was a Beekeeping Extension Volunteer and promoted beekeeping, soil conservation, crop diversification and organizational capacity-building. He extended his service in Paraguay for an additional two years as the Agriculture Sector Volunteer Coordinator.  After Peace Corps, Joshua accepted a position as Program Director for a non-profit organization, Puente a la Salud Comunitaria, A.C., in Oaxaca, Mexico working to improve nutrition and agricultural production in rural communities.
• Erickson Young (Kenya 2005 - 2007) who will pursue a Master of Arts in Service, Leadership, and Management. Erickson was a Deaf Education Teacher in Kenya, East Africa. As part of his work Erickson taught at Kichakamkwaju Unit for the Deaf. Additionally, he developed resources for local teachers including developing a deaf education curriculum that included HIV/AIDS education for deaf students. Prior to his volunteer time with Peace Corps, Erickson had a variety of experiences working on Capitol Hill for two U.S. Senators.

Congratulations to this year's winners!

(In the photo from L-R: Erikson Young, Joshua Spetter, Carolyn Ramsdell, and Geoffery Butler.  Photo courtesy of SIT.)

Joan Velasquez Honored with the Shriver Award

Joan Velasquez (Bolivia 67-69) received the 2008 Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service at a reception in San Francisco on Oct 3.

Joan and her husband Segundo (pictured at left) co-founded Mano a Mano, a non-profit organization that has improved the lives of hundreds of thousands of Bolivians. In her acceptance speech she spoke eloquently of how determined volunteers can reach across national boundaries to make a real difference in the lives of others. 

"Last week Segundo attended the dedication of a new road that Mano a Mano constructed in the high Andes. Before that road was built, area farmers had to travel for three days to reach the nearest market, a trip that they simply could not afford to make. Now they will be on a truck route and will arrive in less than an hour. As we celebrate here this evening, these farmers are planting grapes and vegetables because they have a way to get them to market," Velasquez said in her acceptance speech.

You can read more about Joan, Mano a Mano, and the successes they've had here.

Friends of Malaysia wins the Ruppe Award for Outstanding Community Service

This year the Loret Miller Ruppe Award for Outstanding Community Service goes to Friends of Malaysia’s Project Wizard of the World (WOW).

The Ruppe Award is presented by the NPCA to an outstanding member group for a project or projects that promote the Third Goal of Peace Corps or continue to serve host countries, build group spirit and cooperation, and promote service. Eligible projects either have been completed within the past two years or have been on-going for at least three years. The award not only to recognizes the great work that NPCA's groups are doing, but also generates ideas that other groups may emulate in their communities.

Friends of Malaysia's Project WOW brings Malaysia RPCVs to grade school classrooms around the country in an effort to fulfill the Third Goal of Peace Corps - bringing the world back home - by promoting global awareness and cross-cultural understanding among young Americans.

The 42 RPCVs use Malaysian folktales as a gateway for children to gain broader cultural understanding of Malaysia. In 30 states, over 3,300 elementary school students have gained some familiarity with Malaysia via these folktales, multi-media presentations, flashcards, show-and-tell, discussion, and Malaysian memorabilia - all provided by Tourism Malaysia and corporate donors such as Tuttle Publishing, G2, Inc., with support from DHL, Malaysia. Project WOW has been has been remarkably successful in organizing the project, engaging RPCVs, and reaching out to their communities nationwide.

Congratulations to Friends of Malaysia!

(At right, May Maniam accepts the Loret Miller Ruppe Award for Outstanding Community Service on behalf of Friends of Malaysia. May was instrumental in developing the curriculum for the Wizards of the World project. Photo courtesy of Juliet Dervin.)

National Peace Corps Association Announces Awards for Member Groups

We are very pleased to announce the winners for the 2008 NPCA Awards for member groups.  With so many high quality submissions this year, our reviewers had quite a challenge in picking the top groups for each award.  Thank you to all nominees for your outstanding work. 

And the winners are….

Loret Miller Ruppe Award for Outstanding Community Service

• Friends of Malaysia and their “Wizard of the World” project

NPCA Print Media Awards

• First place:   Amigos de Bolivia y Peru
• Second place:  Friends of Nigeria
• Third place:  Central Missouri RPCVs
• Fourth place:  San Diego Peace Corps Association

NPCA Electronic Media Awards

• First place:  Heart of Texas Peace Corps Association
• Second place:  Minnesota RPCVs
• Third place:  San Diego Peace Corps Association
• Fourth place:  Friends of Kyrgyzstan

Thank you to all groups who submitted materials for consideration for these awards!  To learn more about the awards and to link to the winning materials, visit the NPCA website. 

Congratulations!