Peace Corps Polyglot

National Peace Corps Association Closes an Historic Year

Dear Peace Corps Community Members,

2009 was a remarkable year for NPCA and the Peace Corps Community.  Memorable bookends include an historic role marching in the inaugural parade and helping secure the highest appropriation in the history of the Peace Corps.  The $400 million appropriation was $60 million more than last year, and nearly $30 million more than the President requested.  This success directly results from the work of thousands in the community who mobilized to secure congressional support. 

In 2009, we lost two dedicated RPCVs in the House of Representatives—Jim Walsh and Chris Shays, but gained two new outstanding members—Steve Driehaus and John Garamendi.  In Congress, Sam Farr was a remarkably energetic and effective champion. 

Aaron Williams was named as the 18th Director and Carrie Hessler-Radelet the deputy director nominee. Both Aaron and Carrie are RPCVS and former NPCA Board members, who have extensive experience in international development and management and bring a bold new vision for re-invigorating the Peace Corps. 

We launched two new websites:  Peace Corps Connect (www.peacecorpsconnect.org) and Africa Rural Connect (www.arc.peacecorpsconnect.org). More than 17,000 community members have posted their profiles on Peace Corps Connect since January. 

NPCA also helped launch the Service World campaign to significantly expand opportunities for Americans to volunteer overseas and increase the impact they have.  And despite the global financial crisis, NPCA had the strongest financial success in its 30-year history.  All of these successes could not have been possible without your support and engagement.  Thank you.  2010, the start of the 50th Anniversary celebrations, promises to be another remarkable year. 

With gratitude and very best wishes for a joyous holidays and a more peaceful 2010.
 
Kevin F. F. Quigley

President

National Peace Corps Association

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 [email protected] 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.

Coming Soon to a Computer Near You... PEACE CORPS CONNECT

The online networking site created by you, for you and with you is coming January 20, 2009!

The platform that is currently in development is going to help you to connect, inform and engage the Peace Corps Community and people around the world inspired by Peace Corps.

For the first time, easily find the people you served with--maybe even your host family!  Share your stories, photos, projects, and best practices.  Create groups around your areas of personal or professional interest--whatever they might be.  Learn what's happening in your Peace Corps country today...or what it was like years ago.  And more.

PeaceCorpsConnect will be an inspiring and easy way for people who share the values of Peace Corps to connect with one another.

This is one of the most crucial times in history to make these connections and to help create mutual understanding and respect for other countries, cultures and religions.  Be part of it.

Check back here for more updates, or join the newsletter to get the newest information sent straight to your inbox!

RPCV Helps Colombian Kids Get Connected

RPCV Maureen Orth--and the Colombian school named after her--made front page news in Medellin, Colombia recently for receiving over 200 laptop computers thanks to One Laptop Per Child.  The organization worked to get laptops donated by Chevron and an internet connection provided by Motorola to the students in the small town of Aguas Frias, Colombia. 

Orth formed a foundation to fundraise and administer the programs which will now be replicated in other Colombian schools.  In the U.S., she founded K12 Wired to "provide a superior, modern education specializing in English and information technology to children who would otherwise be denied this opportunity," according to her foundation's website. 

To read Orth's own account of this success, check out her article in Vanity Fair.

Tech-Head Alert: Fight Malaria with Your Computer

The Peace Corps community is a wondrous thing, and through my fellow RPCVs and supporters of Peace Corps I learn new things every day.  Take, for instance, "volunteer computing."

RPCV Jeff Dahlberg recently emailed:

"Both my wife and I were Peace Corps Volunteers in Niger. We stay active in our community volunteering for various things. I also do quite a bit of work on computers and was wondering if I might get some help from returned volunteers in a project that is on the Internet to combat Malaria. Unfortunately, I've experienced this first hand in Niger and have always been interested in innovative ways to try and control this disease."

The project he directed me to is called AFRICA@home.  I poked around their website, and it's quite fascinating.  AFRICA@home is a website for volunteer computing projects which allow your computer to contribute to African humanitarian causes.  The first application being developed for AFRICA@home is called MalariaControl.net. This application models the way malaria spreads in Africa and the potential impact that new anti-malarial drugs may have on the region.  You can read more about who AFRICA@home is by clicking here.

Continues Jeff:

"What they are asking for is to use people's computer when they are not using them to help run these simulation models. I've been doing things like this for years and have never had any issues with doing this.  It has not effected my computer or processing.

I've actually set up a team called Ex Peace Corps Volunteers (I'm the first and only member so far) to help in this project.

Whatever we can do to rid the world of malaria would be great."

Living in DC area, I've been tempted to join in some of the malaria drug trials taking place at NIH and other local institutions.  This sounds like a different (and less needle intensive!) way to be part of a high level research effort that benefits the developing world.