Peace Corps Polyglot

Only 3 Weeks Until Our National Day of Action!

Our advocacy team has been working hard preparing for the March 3^rd National Day of Action.  We have been updating congressional contact information. We have been posting resources on the state pages of http://morepeacecorps.org/. 

Another thing the advocacy team has been doing is compiling lists of  all the great comments from the More Peace Corps Petition into categories by state and district.  These comments will be taken to Capitol Hill on March 3^rd to be given to the senators and representatives so they can see that their constituents support the More Peace Corps Campaign. 

You can also get involved with the More Peace Corps Campaign by meeting with the district offices in your state.  Florida, Illinois, and Missouri advocates are already reaching out to their lawmakers in to give them a heads up on the National Day of Action. 

We are getting ready for our March 3^rd day of action.  This is the day that is most important for volunteers to get involved in the push for More Peace Corps.  We are looking for volunteers to join us on Capitol Hill on March 3^rd to bring information about the More Peace Corps Campaign to different congressional offices.  Do you want to help us in DC on our National Day of Action?  We are halfway to our goal of 30 volunteers. If you want to help our efforts for pushing More Peace Corps and you do not live in DC you can help us by calling or emailing your senator and representative on March 3^rd. 

If you want more information about the More Peace Corps National Day of Action or if you want to volunteer you can email the advocacy team at [email protected] or you can email Jonathan Pearson at [email protected]. 

 

Join our advocacy team in their push for a bigger, better, bolder Peace Corps!

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington D.C. Raise Funds for Solar Panel Project

Every year the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington D.C. (RPCVw) demonstrate their continuing commitment to the work of the Peace Corps by sponsoring a Peace Corps Partnership Project. The year they teamed up with Sarah Mendelsohn, a PCV from Ohio who is helping her village in Cape Verde build solar panels for a community center.

The community of Hortelao where Sarah is serving does not have access to electricity. This lack of electricity has, among other things, put serious limitations on the village's jam business. When the solar panels are up and running the jam business will be able to expand its product base by using refrigerators they already own. Expenses will decrease since there will no longer be a need for a generator to mix the fruit. Sarah commented on the powerful impact the solar panels and the RPCVw partnership will have, stating:

I cannot tell you how excited my community of Hortelao is for our solar panels. A couple of weeks ago a group of girls began forming a study group, which will take place in our Community Center once they have lights. The women involved in our jam-making income generating project are currently receiving a workshop from a Portuguese NGO. During this workshop the women asked for suggestion of new products that will be possible with refrigerators, this is the first time I have ever seen them speak in workshops; normally they are painfully shy. Also, this NGO looked over our proposal for the solar panels and is interested in pursuing the idea for the entire town of Hortelao. I thank each of you for your generosity and promise to keep you up-to-date, with pictures and messages from Hortelao.

RPCVw plans to donate $1,000 to the project and they need the support of members to reach that goal. They are holding their annual Partnership Reception on June 26, 2008 to raise funds for the project. The event will be held at Toro Mata - The Art of Peru, 2410 18th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009. The suggested minimum donation is $20 for RPCVw members and $30 for non-members.

Click here to RSVP to the event and learn more about the Partnership Program.

Give a Gift in the Spirit of the Peace Corps

It's the season of gift giving and although tonight is the last night of Hanukkah, I'd be remiss if I didn't point out two great sources for gifts for that globally-minded person on your list. You won't find these in any mall!

• Global Giving Gift cards - NPCA has partnered with GlobalGiving to promote high-impact grassroots initiatives in locations where the Peace Corps works.  You can learn all about our partnership by clicking here.  Purchase a gift card or make a donation in someone's name to one of these great RPCV Projects!
• NPCA's Online Store - NPCA is the source for a wide array of Peace Corps-related gifts:  shirts, ornaments, bumper stickers and more. Click here to visit our store. Your purchase supports the efforts of NPCA: dedicated to connecting, informing and engaging returned Peace Corps volunteers, former Peace Corps staff and all who support the values of Peace Corps.

Friends of Burkina Faso Project Ready for its Close Up

NPCA's partner GlobalGiving is holding its first-ever GlobalGiving FilmFest. They've gathered raw footage (photos and video) from more than twenty high-impact projects around the world, then handed the footage over to film makers who have created compelling and interesting videos that tell stories about the projects and the people being helped. 

Now it's your turn. Your vote will determine which videos do the best job of telling the project’s story. Check out all of the finalists’ videos at http://www.karmatube.org/ff and decide for yourself.

However, while they are all great causes, we will shamelessly admit our bias -- because, hey, this is a Peace Corps community  blog -- and urge you to vote for the Friends of Burkina Faso project video, Noon Day Meal. 

Even better, get all of your friends and family to vote too! And even if we don't agree on which video is best, the more people who get to know these projects, the more positive change we can create around the world. Vote Today! You have until June 29th at 11:59pm to make your vote heard. Scholarships for students or a gift to a project will be awarded for the videos with the most votes.

(GlobalGiving FilmFest videos can also be viewed on YouTube.)

Creative Collaboration

NPCA is excited about is its collaboration with GlobalGiving.com to promote high-impact grassroots initiatives in locations where the Peace Corps works.  Dubbed "RPCVs Project!," the initiative uses the power of the internet and interactive tools on the Global Giving website to promote projects near and dear to the hearts of the Peace Corps community.  Last fall three projects were included in a pilot phase which resulted in increased donations and visibility. 

Phase II is now underway and we’re accepting project nominations. Applicants/applicant organizations must be a member of the NPCA and/or a leader of an NPCA affiliate group. The deadline is April 30 (today...yikes!).

Click here for more information from our website.

Click here for the application.  Completed application can be sent to NPCA President Kevin Quigley:  [email protected]