Peace Corps Polyglot

Chesapeake Bay Polar Bears

The Shriver Peaceworkers group came out in force for the annual “Keep Winter Cold” polar bear jump organized by the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

Shriver Fellow participants included (l to r) Kyrgyzstan RPCV Meghann Shutt, Honduras RPCV Katie Long and South Africa RPCV Rian Parent.

Meghann reported on her experience!

 

On January 23rd, four Peaceworkers, one alumn, a few friends, and the director of the Shriver Peaceworker Fellows program headed down to Annapolis, Maryland to take part in the Chesapeake Climate Action Network’s 5th Annual Polar Bear Plunge, and man was it cold!  The Peaceworker program has been a friend and supporter of CCAN's Founder, Mike Tidwell (RPCV Zaire) for a number of years, and our group was proud to continue the tradition of taking a frigid swim to help "Keep Winter Cold"!  So, donning nothing but our swimsuits we joined 150 other bathers plunging into the Chesapeake Bay to raise awareness about the impact of climate change.  Compared to the Nordic temperature of the water (someone said the Bay was 36 degrees), the 40 degree day felt like summer.  We enjoyed the rest of it warming up, noshing at The Rockfish and rehashing the classic Bill Murray movies of our youth..."I said Good Morning, Gill!"  (for the What About Bob geeks out there)  What a day!

Hope to see you there next January!!

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers in Washington Raise $1,000 for Haiti

(l to r: RPCVs Bryan Schaaf of Haiti Innovation and Lenny Teh, President of Friends of Haiti, speak at last night's RPCV Happy Hour/Haiti Fundraiser in Washington DC)

In his remarks to an overflow crowd at the monthly Happy Hour hosted by the RPCVs of Washington DC, Bryan Schaaf (Haiti 00-02) referred to a proverb he learned as a volunteer: “Haiti has teeth.  It bites onto you.  It doesn’t let you go.”

That connection and commitment to the country was in evidence as numerous Haiti RPCVs, including Leslie Koo (00-02), Josh Kunin-Goldsmith (01-04), Christine Fontecchio (03-04) and Lenny Teh (97-00) turned out as the Happy Hour was quickly transformed into a Haiti relief fundraiser that collected $1,023 for the Red Cross.

Teh, who serves as President of the Friends of Haiti RPCV Group, fought back tears as he told the audience one-third of the country’s population was impacted by the massive earthquake that struck on Tuesday.  Those affected included Teh's sponsor family in Port-au-Prince.  While all are safe, children in Teh's family were in a house that collapsed during the quake.  “They are now living in the street, and they are scared.”

The Haiti RPCVs we spoke with shared common thoughts and reactions to the crisis.  There is worry as they seek to learn the fate of friends.  There is frustration over the distance and limits they face in responding to the crisis.   There is unanimity in the need for an infusion of cash donations to support established organizations moving in to offer relief.  And they say there will be the need over the long term for skilled RPCVs to stay engaged and volunteer for Haiti after the immediate crisis has stabilized.

There is also a belief in the resilience of the Haitian people. Schaaf is one of the founders of Haiti Innovation, an organization created by RPCVs to bring attention to the many positive initiatives and developments in Haiti.  Saddened because the earthquake is a massive setback after a year of positive economic and social development, Schaaf noted there is tremendous suffering.  But, he added, “I worry that the (media) footage makes Haitians look helpless.  They are not.”  As is the case with citizens elsewhere, “It is the local communities and local people that are first in responding to the crisis.”

RPCV Visionary Brings Innovative Eyewear to Liberia

This photo may bring back nightmarish memories of those Peace Corps replacement glasses volunteers used to receive!  But in fact, it represents a potential dream come true for up to a billion people.

One billion is the estimated number of people with poor vision in rural communities around the world who don't have access to eyecare services.  But RPCV Nancy Wallace of Annapolis, Maryland is involved in an innovative enterprise to address the challenge.

It all began in Liberia, where Nancy served as a Peace Corps Response volunteer from 2008 - 2009.  A friend connected her with Kevin White, the Executive Director of Global Vision 2020, an international organization working to prevent avoidable blindness.  One of the organization's projects involves the distribution of self-adjusting eyeglasses.  The glasses are designed to allow users to turn a dial on the side of each lens to correct their own vision in regions that do not have access to eye care professionals.

With the hope that glasses could be distributed through existing local networks, Nancy jumped at the invitation when White asked her if a pilot project could be launched at the Kakata Rural Teacher Training Institute.  In September, a training was held for 40 volunteers to distribute glasses.  An initial scanning of 1,200 teachers, students and market women revealed that 700 were in need of (and received) glasses to correct their vision.

Featured above with NPCA Advocacy Coordinator Jonathan Pearson (l) and Tom Jacobs (r), host of the annual Maryland RPCV summer picnic, Nancy attended the gathering to share the experience of trying on the spectacles and urge fellow RPCVs to help with the initiative.  "It's incredible to watch", she says.  "For people in other countries who don't even know they need glasses, and to see their reaction when the world around them comes into focus.  It's exciting!"

GlobalEd Goes to Atlanta!

I've worn many hats over the years at NPCA, but the one that I've had on since Day One back in October of 1996 is that of the director of the Global TeachNet program.  I treasure my experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer fulfilling Goals One and Two, but the Third Goal is at the heart of my current work and one key reason why I traveled to Atlanta this past weekend.  (That’s me in the photo, but my co-presenter Deb Hutton is the one literally wearing all of the hats.)

International Alley – Here We Come…

Why Atlanta?  This year, that city hosted the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Annual Conference – a highlight of which was the International Alley, with NPCA at its entrance!  For two days, educators collected resources to bring global perspectives into classrooms and communities through our Global TeachNet exhibit.  Atlanta Area RPCVs (AARPCV) joined in to sell calendars and “We All” poster sets from the RPCVs of Wisconsin-Madison.

I loved seeing familiar faces (including Merry Merryfield, RPCV Sierra Leone 1977-1979 - shown in the middle here with Kathy Parker and Susan Neyer - who won not just one, but TWO awards from NCSS this year!) and connecting faces with emails.  It just makes my day when I hear a teacher say “You’re the Anne Baker that sends me those great emails each week!”  (You, too, can get those great GlobalEdNews emails.  Learn more or subscribe.)

 We’ve been working with NCSS since 2002 to put together the International Alley in the exhibit hall – growing from just ten exhibitors in its initial year to 30 now.  I understand there will be even more of a “global” focus next year in Denver.  That’s just one of NPCA’s Third Goal efforts!

… Plus a Happy Hour with RPCVs!

To top off a great weekend, I joined the AARPCVs for their Happy Hour on Friday evening.  While enjoying the local brew (always go with the local brew!), I had a chance to brainstorm about the 50^th anniversary with RPCVs working for Habitat for Humanity, catch up with current and potential AARPCV board members, and meet a very recent RPCV, back just four days from Kazakhstan.  He isn’t even from Atlanta, but he came to town to talk with his buddy’s middle school class about Peace Corps.  (The teacher-buddy was there, too, and he isn’t even an RPCV.)  That’s dedication to the Third Goal.

Thanks, AARPCV, for a great weekend and for your help promoting the Third Goal.

Missouri RPCVs Host Successful Film Festival

Small groups can do great things! Case in point: the Central Missouri Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

Earlier this month this NPCA member group hosted the “Third Goal” International Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri. The festival featured films made by or about the work of Peace Corps Volunteers in Afghanistan, Mali, Latin America and Vietnam. The headliner film was "I Bring What I Love," about the international recording artist, Youssou N'Dour. 

So, why a "Third Goal" International Film Festival? Because it fulfills Goal Three of the Peace Corps: "Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans."

After the event, group leader Karen Davis wrote us:

We had a great turn out… RPCVs, PC recruits and community members. We had two articles in newspapers and lots of PR on radio stations. RPCVs from our group did a great job speaking following the films to add a direct link between the film and our group. And, best of all, it took over 25 RPCVs to pull off the event, which is fantastic for our little group! I loved that so many RPCVs were willing to come together to get the event off the ground. This is truly our strongest film schedule yet!

Well done!

Click here for a story about the film festival that appeared in The Missourian.

RPCVs of Madison Calendar Photos Now Available as Posters

Over the last decade, classroom teachers have asked Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Madison, Wisconsin for poster-size versions of the beautiful photos from the RPCV International Calendar.  The group has now produced a set of five posters ready for purchase, with plans to create two more sets of five by 2011, the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps.  The first set of WE ALL International Posters illustrates basic common needs that people share across the globe:  the needs for food, water, housing, work, and clothing.  Like the calendar, they have the dual purposes of sharing what volunteers have learned with the people back home, as well as raising money for grassroots projects in the countries where Volunteers served.  The posters, measuring 24" x 36", are packaged in a mailing tube and sell for $30 per set, plus shipping and can be ordered at www.rpcvmadison.org.

Williams Peace Corps Director Confirmation Could Come Quickly

It was an exciting afternoon on Capitol Hill as Aaron Williams (Dominican Republic 67-70), President Obama's nominee to be the next Director of Peace Corps, went before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.  The meeting was chaired by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT), who also served in the Dominican Republic. 

Both Dodd and Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA) expressed support for Williams.  Dodd said he is excited at the prospects of working with Williams, while Isakson added "I commend the President on your appointment."  Dodd says he plans to speak with Senate leadership to see if the confirmation can be completed before Congress breaks next week for its August recess.

The hour-long hearing included a question and answer session in which Williams indicated he wants to engage in a listening tour to engage the Peace Corps community, a "very rich and diverse population." 

Williams noted he wants to look at every possible process Peace Corps is involved in, and conduct a wide-ranging assessment.  This would include the country assessment process and possible re-alignment of country placements; medical screening of volunteers; recruitment practices, including making sure volunteers represent the face of America, and the monitoring and data collection on early termination rates.

Williams also spoke of the importance of Peace Corps' Third Goal, an issue that was raised further during questioning.  Senator Isakson stated the agency is doing a "magnificent job" on the first two goals of Peace Corps, but more attention is needed to educate American citizens about the world, adding, "The Third Goal is going to fall on your shoulders."  Williams said he wants to advance a Third Goal that has a robust focus, and stated in response to a comment by Senator Dodd, "I will be your ally on (Third Goal initiatives) because it is important to our nation."

(Photo credit:  Office of Sen. Dodd)

• Photos from the hearing (Sen. Dodd's office)
• Photos from the hearing (NPCA)
• Senator Harris Wofford Introduction of Aaron Williams (.pdf format)
• Full Text of Dodd’s Opening Statement, As Prepared for Delivery
  (Dodd Senate website)
• Statement of Aaron S. Williams - Nominee, Director of the Peace Corps (.pdf format)

United We Serve - The Peace Corps Community

The Peace Corps community has been invited to join in President Obama's summer service initiative - United We Serve - challenging all Americans to help lay a new foundation for growth in this country by engaging in sustained, meaningful community service this summer.  The initiative will be led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency dedicated to fostering service in communities across the country.  Peace Corps community is a natural ally in this effort and recently Acting Peace Corps Director Jody Olsen released this statement:

Dear Returned Peace Corps Volunteers:

I am proud to invite you to join President Obama's summer service initiative - United We Serve - a call to all Americans to join a volunteer effort this summer and be part of building a new foundation for America, one community at a time.

United We Serve officially starts on June 22 and runs through the National Day of Service and Remembrance on September 11. Since his inauguration, the President has called on all Americans to serve their communities and be a part of building a better future for our country.

At nearly 200,000 strong, returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) have a tradition of making a difference in their communities by selflessly contributing their skills and experience through their dedication to service. Across America, individual RPCVs and RPCV groups are engaged in grassroots projects like restoring hiking trails in Denver, providing assistance and education opportunities to refugees in San Francisco, and offering volunteer translation services for families with medical emergencies in St. Louis.

The President believes that America's new foundation will be built one community at a time, through an ethic of service and volunteerism and the personal commitment of individuals willing to give of themselves to build a better future. This is a commitment that is well understood by everyone in the Peace Corps community.

When volunteers commit to long-term service projects in their communities, they build expertise and strengthen their community's capacity to meet its challenges.  In many places, community-based organizations' capacity is strained, so we are calling on all RPCVs to take a leadership role in recruiting and organizing their friends, family, and neighbors to bring about the change that is needed. Maybe that is organizing a neighborhood to rebuild a playground, creating a clothing drive, or volunteering to refurbish a local school.

I encourage you to visit www.serve.gov, to find service opportunities near you and to post your own projects. Throughout the summer, the Obama administration will look to highlight examples of exemplary service - both in existing programs and new ones - that meet the President's call by building a community's capacity to address our most pressing problems. These stories of service will lay the groundwork for future efforts.

You can learn more about RPCV United We Serve participation and share your own story of service by visiting www.peacecorps.gov/unitedweserve.

I intend to contribute to United We Serve in my local community. I hope you will consider completing a project in yours.

Sincerely,

Jody K. Olsen
Acting Director

The National Peace Corps Association joins with the Peace Corps in supporting greater community involvement and sharing stories about the many ways that we continue to serve.

(Photo courtesy of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Phoenix, AZ)

Florida RPCVs Fulfilling the Third Goal of Peace Corps

The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of North Florida is an active group of former Peace Corps Volunteers who each year raise funds for development projects, promote global awareness through community events, and help local assistance organizations meet local needs.  

 

On Saturday March 28 they were in the Springtime Tallahassee parade with kids from Hartsfield Elementary who have learned over the past few months about the Peace Corps.  They helped the RPCVs of North Florida make a 60-ft long banner representing the 50+ countries where they served.

The Hartsfield Elementary students were troopers as they walked in the parade with the RPCVs of North Florida the group fought the 20 MPH winds (& stronger gusts!) that day!  This is just one demonstration of the many ways that Returned Peace Corps Volunteers Bring the Third Goal Home.

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