NPCA sees two scenarios playing out in proposed Peace Corps Legislation
Read and comment on the latest email from NPCA's advocacy listserv. There are two interesting items in this month's advocacy newsletter: First is the start of a new NPCA Peace listserv under the direction of Leo Cecchini's NPCA Peace Committee.
The other interesting item is news from the NPCA about House Bill HR 5255 (Shays, Kirk), introduced on behalf of the Administration that simply authorizes doubling the Peace Corps. This is the alternate bill to Dodd and Farr's bill (S 2667 in the Senate and HR 4979 in the House) that doubles the Peace Corps, affirms Peace Corps independence, and funds RPCV projects. The message says that:
Two competing scenarios are at play and have not yet been resolved: (1) Senate Democrats hope to resolve all issues in Conference Committee between the two Houses during September: (2) House staffers foresee a possible hearing no earlier than the end of September, if the issue is not preempted by other more pressing issues, followed by a mark-up (amendment) session in the House International Relations Committee at an indefinite later date.
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NPCA ADVOCACY LISTSERV
For more information on NPCA-Advocacy, visit the Advocacy Network webpage at www.NPCA-Advocacy.net.
September 1, 2002
NPCA ADVOCACY NEWSLETTER
The National Peace Corps Association presents to its Advocacy Listserv a regular advocacy e-newsletter on topics of current and continuing interest. In addition, it presents urgent short-notice action requests on matters being decided within a short period of time.
DEVELOP APPROPRIATE ACTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER 11!
It is important that the Peace Corps community join in properly remembering 9/11 as we grieve deep personal and national losses. By our example, and by organizing appropriate events, we can add something special by encouraging a spirit of tolerance and by promoting an outward-looking proactive engagement with the world. Please consider what you can do along these lines!
For a general NPCA perspective, see the Board’s statement on “Ending Terrorism by Working for Peace and Reconciliation at Home and Abroad,” on the web at http://www.rpcv.org/pages/sitepage.cfm?id=399.
For information on interfaith efforts including American Muslims, see http://www.cair-net.org/dayofunity/.
JOIN THE NPCA
The NPCA urges non-members who value NPCA advocacy and other NPCA services to become NPCA members and support these services. You may join on the web at https://secure.schoolyard.com/rpcv/howtojoin.cfm, or by mail to NPCA at 1900 L St NW #205, Washington DC 20036, or by phone at 202-293-7728 x15.
SIGN UP FOR NEW NPCA PEACE LISTSERV
NPCA is now implementing its new Peace Listserv. To subscribe to this List, receive the Peace e-newsletter and other peace notices, send a blank e-mail to mailto:NPCA-Peace-L-join@list.vita.org, or sign up on the web at http://list.vita.org/scripts/lyris.pl?join=NPCA-Peace-L, or contact Ed Crane at mailto:ecrane@rpcv.org. Also, the comprehensive Charter for the NPCA Peace Committee, chaired by Leo Cecchini, will be posted on the web soon.
LATEST NEWS ON PEACE CORPS BUDGET AND CHARTER LEGISLATION: ACTION NEEDED
The informal Peace Corps mandate group met again under NPCA auspices on August 27. It decided to continue promoting the legislation for a Peace Corps Charter for the 21st Century, introduced on June 29 as S2667 (Dodd) and HR 4979 (Farr), as the vehicles which best incorporate the principles adopted by the NPCA Board. These include doubling the Peace Corps, preserving Peace Corps independence, and funding RPCV projects.
When Congress returns after Labor Day, we expect attention to shift from the Senate to the House, as both parties and Houses maneuver on the Charter and the Peace Corps FY 2003 Appropriation. Another vehicle at play will be HR 5255 (Shays, Kirk), introduced on behalf of the Administration and simply authorizing doubling of the Peace Corps. NPCA will be working on a nonpartisan basis to assure bipartisan support for the best possible legislation.
Two competing scenarios are at play and have not yet been resolved: (1) Senate Democrats hope to resolve all issues in Conference Committee between the two Houses during September: (2) House staffers foresee a possible hearing no earlier than the end of September, if the issue is not preempted by other more pressing issues, followed by a mark-up (amendment) session in the House International Relations Committee at an indefinite later date. House staffers note that the Peace Corps reauthorization is not needed until 2003. We will keep you posted on how this plays out.
NPCA asks that during September you continue to (1) transmit requests to your Members of Congress, promoting the features of the current Charter bills, S 2667 and HR 4979, and asking them to cosponsor; (2) promote media attention via OpEds and letters to the editor; and (3) raise the issue directly with your Members of Congress through their local and Washington DC offices.
For information on the bills, including current cosponsors, see http://thomas.loc.gov. If you need contact information for your Senators and representatives, go to http://www.senate.gov and http://www.House.gov. For more NPCA information on the legislation, see “Peace Corps Mandate” at http://www.rpcv.org/pages/sitepage.cfm?id=565 and at “Pending Legislation,” http://www.rpcv.org/pages/sitepage.cfm?id=410.
SARGENT SHRIVER GOLD MEDAL
As previously requested, please continue to urge your Representatives and Senators to sign on to HR 2949 and S 1853 as cosponsors for awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to Sargent Shriver. For status updates and current cosponsor lists, see http://thomas.loc.gov.
In the August 1 issue of the newsletter, we presented some key issues and outlined expected developments as many actors participate in structuring the President’s proposal for a Millennium Challenge Account, to introduce a reformed, more performance-oriented approach to foreign aid, with substantial new funding. As we continue to await release of the Administration working paper, now anticipated at in September, NPCA continues to work with the coalition of 160 NGOs at InterAction to advance our input beyond the May 2002 white paper, “The Millennium Challenge Account: A New Vision for Development.” To this end, a large task force met on August 7 and 20 to consider issues for incorporation in draft legislation. During September this work will continue with a meeting on September 6.
Importantly, all parties seem to endorse incorporation of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the design of the Millennium Challenge Account, thus their similar names. In summary, the goals are by 2020 to:
· eradicate extreme poverty and hunger · achieve universal primary education · promote gender equality and empower women · reduce child mortality · improve maternal health · combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases · ensure environmental sustainability · develop a global partnership for development
For ongoing information on work at InterAction, see http://www.interaction.org at “What’s New?” on the homepage, and http://www.interaction.org/advocacy. Pending release of the Administration working paper, see “Millennium Challenge Account Update” at http://www.usaid.gov/press/releases/2002/fs_mca.html. For related World Bank perspectives, see http://www.worldbank.org/poverty/strategies/overview.htm. For information on United Nations Millennium Development Goals, see http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/index.html
Communicate your suggestions for inclusion in the InterAction draft to NPCA via Ed Crane at mailto:advocacy@rpcv.org.
LINKING AID, TRADE, DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENT
Beyond the reform of aid, there is growing recognition of the necessity for a link between policy and implementation, with an integrated approach to aid and trade, development and environment. The United Nations Summit on Sustainable Development meets in South Africa the first week in September to address this issue. It will air strong differences of opinion regarding the balance of responsibility between the developed and developing societies, for example, the extent to which good governance must be a prerequisite for aid; and the role of the developed societies in requiring developing societies to open their markets for trade, while not reciprocating by opening their own markets, and while heavily subsidizing sectors like agriculture. These debates point directly to the need for good governance of the World Trade Organization, among other things. NPCA will be looking for balanced ways to address these and other issues of the world economy, as part of its promotion of responsible foreign policy for an interdependent world.
For information on the Summit, see http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/
NPCA ADVOCACY NETWORK GROWING: REQUEST TO AFFILIATED GROUPS FOR ADVOCACY CONTACTS
In mid July, the NPCA Group Leaders Digest presented a request to update our contact information for advocacy coordinators. We urge responses from as many of our 140 affiliated groups as possible!
In early August, NPCA communicated directly with self-identified leaders from workshops, Advocacy Day and respondents to the Peace Corps Charter request, to further verify our potential advocacy leaders.
The NPCA Advocacy network will also be strengthened by joint advocacy efforts with the Coalition for a Peace Corps Charter for the 21st Century, led by Dave Hibbard and Roger Landrum. A goal of this effort is to identify leaders in each of the 435 House districts.
ADVOCACY LEADERS, please identify yourselves at mailto:advocacy@rpcv.org or fax to 202-293-7554.
FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information, contact Ed Crane at NPCA, 1900 L Street NW #205, Washington DC 20036, at 202-293-7728 x21 or fax –7554, or mailto:advocacy@rpcv.org.
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