May 1, 2002- PC as Independent as ever? - Vasquez meets with RPCVs - PC in Korea

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Peace Corps Library: Previous Issues of Peace Corps Online: May 1, 2002- PC as Independent as ever? - Vasquez meets with RPCVs - PC in Korea

By Admin1 (admin) on Tuesday, April 30, 2002 - 11:32 pm: Edit Post

Peace Corps Online - May 1, 2002


Welcome to Peace Corps Online

A summary of Peace Corps News and Issues from
around the world.

Also available at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/board-topics.html


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - I. FEATURE STORIES - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


..........A. PEACE CORPS AS INDEPENDENT AND AUTONOMOUS AS EVER?

PCOL published an op-ed piece in March raising concerns about provisions
of last year's anti-terrorism bill - the USA Patriot Act - and how one
interpretation of the new law is that it could allow confidential Peace Corps
information to be disseminated to the intelligence gathering community.

Peace Corps has sent us their official response in a piece called
"Peace Corps as Independent and Autonomous as ever." Read the original
op-ed, the Peace Corps' view and our response at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/7461.html?1016305449


..........B. PEACE CORPS BASKS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

There has been a resurgence of interest in the Peace Corps after the
President's pledge to double the size of the Peace Corps. Requests for
applications are up 77 percent.

But Bush’s emphasis on expanding Peace Corps service to more countries
in the Islamic world has provoked concern about whether the administration is
attempting to alter the mission of the organization. The Peace Corps says
no. What do you say?

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007702.html?1019487979


..........C. THE PEACE CORPS WILL NEED SOME BACKUP IN AFGHANISTAN

Read and comment on this op-ed piece by the last Peace Corps volunteer
evacuated from Afghanistan in 1979 who advocates that the Peace Corps
return to Afghanistan - but only if the administration agrees to extend the
mandate of the international peacekeeping force there, and expand it to
cover the provinces.

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/7422.html?1016030269


..........D. DIRECTOR VASQUEZ MEETS WITH RPCVS IN LOS ANGELES

PC Director Gaddi Vasquez traveled to California on April 19 to speak at a
Hispanic Youth Convention in Orange County, to present the LA County
Volunteer of the Year Award, and to meet with local RPCVs. PCOL was there
with our Special Correspondent for Southern California. Read what the Director
had to say in his first meeting with RPCVs at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007742.html?1019459104


..........E. THE LEGACY OF THE PEACE CORPS IN KOREA

The Peace Corps departed from Korea in 1981 but many RPCVs stayed
in country and made lives for themselves there. Read this story written for
a Korean newspaper which looks back on the legacy of the Peace Corps
in Korea and what a few thousand volunteers accomplished between 1965
and 1982 at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007759.html?1019573138


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - II. PEACE CORPS NEWS IN BRIEF - - - - - - - - - - - - - -


..........A. ALL PCVS NOW OUT OF MADAGASCAR

Peace Corps has completed pulling all volunteers out of Madagascar .
Fighting has been sporadic for the past several months since the
contested election results in the Presidential election held last December 16
and claims by the opposition that the elections were rigged.

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007756.html?1019493910


..........B. PEACE CORPS REOPENS PROGRAM IN TURKMENISTAN

Seven T-9 volunteers arrived back in Turkmenistan on April 17 for
the reopening of the Peace Corps Program in Turkmenistan. Read the story
at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007806.html?1020222812


..........C. CAROL BELLAMY - FROM CITY HALL TO WORLD STAGE

Read this profile from the New York Times on Carol Bellamy, our first
RPCV Director of the Peace Corps, who now heads UNICEF at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007745.html?1019485816


..........D. COUNTRY DIRECTORS COMPLETE TRAINING

Ten new Country Directors have completed their training in Washington and
are ready to head out. Read profiles of the new Country Directors and where
they will serve at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007722.html?1019329099


..........E. VASQUEZ SPEAKS AT ORANGE COUNTY WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL

PC Director Gaddi Vasquez was in Orange County on April 27 as the keynote
speaker at the World Affairs Council of Orange County 35th anniversary
celebration. Read about his appearance at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007753.html?1019493268


..........F. TROOPS IN AFGHANISTAN A KIND OF PEACE CORPS?

"Soldiers are doing more than firing their weapons in world trouble spots.
They’re also handymen, math teachers, well diggers, road builders — a
kind of peace corps," says the Army Times in a recent story. What do
you think?

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007694.html?1019105140


..........G. PEACE CORPS CARTOON

Take a look at this month's Peace Corps Cartoon - Country Director -
from Charley Stough. This month -YOU think up the caption for the cartoon.

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/1007685.html?1020116406


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - III. SECOND LOOK - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

There have been many posts by RPCVs in the last month commenting
on previous stories PCOL has posted. Be sure and take a look at what
RPCVs had to say about the following stories:


.........A. BUSH PUSHES HOMELAND SECURITY WITH USA FREEDOM CORPS

Many RPCVs had comments on President Bush's speech in Knoxville about
how USA Freedom Corps Volunteers will increase Homeland Security through
Citizen Corps Programs like the Terrorism Information Program, the Police
Services Program, and Community Emergency Response Teams and
how the Peace Corps can help spread America's values.

Read what other RPCVs had to say and leave your opinion at:

http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/2629/1010003.html?1018368801


..........B. NEW TV SHOW ON FOX WITH RPCV CHARACTER

Read the dozens of titles that RPCVs came up with for Fox's new TV show
that has a Returned Volunteer as a main character. Our personal favorite:
"Lost in the Supermarket." BTW - Jill Clayburgh has now signed up to play
the RPCV's mother. Some RPCVs say this could be a good way to present
the Peace Corps - others are more skeptical - what do you think?

http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/2629/1010131.html?1018850612


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - IV. REGULAR FEATURES - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Peace Corps Online presents it's regular news sections with what is going on
with: This Month's Features, Breaking News, Special Reports, the Archive of
Recent Headlines, RPCV News, Service, the RPCV Directory, Speaking Out,
Peace Corps News, The Third Goal, Advocacy and the Sign up for our Directory at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/board-topics.html

We are always looking for Returned Volunteers who have something to
say. If you would like to contribute an article about the Peace Corps,
a visit to your Country of Service, work your group is doing, an op-ed piece,
a cartoon, or a story, please contact us at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/475/6127.html?1007409912


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - V. INFORMATION ABOUT PCOL - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

..........A. Add your name to our Directory of over 12,000 RPCVs, by going
to the following url and then clicking on "Instant Registration":

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/cgi-bin/discus/board-profile.cgi


..........B. Help us grow by adding a link from your Group's web page to
Peace Corps Online at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/index.html


..........C. Help with the Third Goal by downloading, printing, and displaying
the mini-poster "Ask me about the Peace Corps" at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/2629/6792.html?1012516723


..........D. If you or your group have news or an event that should go
in our next Monthly Newsletter, post it directly to the PCOL web site or
contact us at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/475/6127.html?1007409912


..........E. If you have already registered in our Directory and are
interested in receiving PCOL News Stories as they happen, sign up at:

http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/messages/messages/475/6096.html?1006557798


..........F. Please forward this email to your RPCV listservs, message
boards and to other RPCVs.


..........G. To unsubscribe from this Monthly Newsletter, send an email
reply with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.


..........H. Peace Corps Online is an independent news forum dedicated
to the free exchange of ideas among Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
and is not affiliated with the US Peace Corps or any other returned
volunteer organization.


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