Volunteers and RPCVs comment on the Articles

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Library: Peace Corps: Safety and Security of Volunteers: August 3 - Peace Corps Facing New Perils with Safety and Security of Volunteers: Volunteers and RPCVs comment on the Articles


By Admin1 (admin) on Saturday, August 04, 2001 - 8:18 pm: Edit Post

Here is a link to an editorial in the Washington Times about the security of volunteers overseas:

Peace Corps Facing New Perils

The story advocates that:

The Peace Corps needs what other international agencies are routinely given. The Peace Corps needs engaged congressional oversight, common-sense policy guidance on unfamiliar and emerging global threats, cutting-edge communications technology for instant connectivity among volunteers, and the benefits of updated safety procedures.

As an example they cite the case of Nancy Coutu a volunteer serving in Madagascar five years ago:

She was raped and beaten, after being pulled from a bicycle in the rural outpost. What if she had been paired with another volunteer? What if standard operating procedure, as with other agencies, had given her a $1,000 satellite phone or $300 Emergency Locator Beacon?

This story also ties in with the article in USA Today that appeared in June:

Peace Corps Security in Question

By Admin1 (admin) on Sunday, August 05, 2001 - 8:41 am: Edit Post

From the Yahoo Message Board

"Heavy article.... but come-on be realistic. If she had a cell phone (assuming coverage in here area) that along would have made here a target of crime. At the risk of sounding insensitive what good would a location beacon have done for her during her terrible last momments."

Read the full message here:

Re: Peace Corps Facing New Perils

By Ron Seibel (ron) on Sunday, August 05, 2001 - 1:47 pm: Edit Post

President Bush is merely following Peace Corps lead in appointing an unqualified director.
Be it a culture that holds Blacks, Jews, Homosexuals, Women, or whatever in low esteem, Peace Corps seems to enjoy sending PCV who do not fit into the culture.

By Admin1 (admin) on Sunday, August 05, 2001 - 8:43 am: Edit Post

From the Yahoo Message Board:

"Sometimes, its a simple thing. In Paraguay it is dangerous for women to walk alone in rural areas, especially during the siesta hours. However, Paraguayan men, for whatever reason, won't attack women accompanied by little children so, just take a kid along on your walk. It doesn't seem right that you should have to do that but, it works and there are plenty of kids available for short walks."

Read the full message here:

Re: Peace Corps Facing New Perils

By Admin1 (admin) on Sunday, August 05, 2001 - 6:52 pm: Edit Post

From the Yahoo Message Board:

"The truth is (in my opinion), PCVs need to take the common sense precautions that you can to avoid these situations. However, not all situations are avoidable and sometimes you MUST do things that are not always safe."

Read the full message here:

Peace Corps Facing New Perils

By Shawn Hicks on Saturday, November 16, 2002 - 9:54 pm: Edit Post

All I have to say is that I had the pleasure of spending a couple years with Nancy on a very personal level, and if anybody had common sense it was Nancy. People cannot even fathom what this wonderful woman did, and how many peoples lives she had touched. And if she did touch your life, you were a changed person.


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