Senators call for Peace Corps hearings

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Quote:

DeWine and Voinovich wrote, "While we recognize that the majority of the 170,000 previous Peace Corps volunteers have served without incident, we feel the Daily News findings merit further congressional review. As such, we respectfully request that the Foreign Relations Committee hold an investigative hearing on this urgent matter so that the volunteers, their friends and families, and the American people can maintain confidence that the Peace Corps program is safe and secure.

"We strongly value the mission of the Peace Corps, and we believe that these problems have the potential to undermine the important work that is being done by Peace Corps volunteers, if left unchecked," the letter says.

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By bankass.com (0-1pool136-25.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.25) on Sunday, November 02, 2003 - 9:29 am: Edit Post

Mike Dewine and Voinovich should also ask Henry Hyde the chairperson on the International Relations Committee to Hold hearings. They should also ask Chris Shay's and Henry Waxman to hold hearings on Safety and Security on the National Security sub Committee on government reform. I know they are Senators, but there is another body of the Legislature if Norm Coleman is buffering these requests for the President. I hope he is not putting politics over human life and safe policy. By the way Senator Coleman (two volunteers would have prevented alot of these problems).

Whatever Vasquez says is now in "lame duck status", and you Senators know it. A briefing means he will show his concern, say that the Program's safety is fine and the acting Director will be able to continue the nonsense.

The fact is he couldn't recruit because of the facts that violence against volunteers is out of control. Americans know it. Why should they join if they see that volunteers who go through these things are at home with problems and not serving the third goal as a model. Why?


The American Public has known this before the Dayton Daily's courage to print the story. Major newspapers wouldn't print it because it was not politically correct and Senators and Congress people are afraid of the political fall out. The real problem is that Senator's aren't from this Generation who have gone through these acts and are not one of the families who lost a son or daughter.

I think the Senators and Congress people need to really think to themselves about their constiuents. Kerry is on this committee. He wants expansion. From the 14,000 Bush proposed to 20,000 volunteers. That makes him a better candidate? Perhaps Kerry will surge in the polls if he finally recognizes his constiuents like me and others Massachusetts who have been raising the safety and attrition subject, but he keeps sweeping it under the rug. The Pile of dirt is just too big now.

If you (Kerry) act properly, get two volunteers at every site, streamline health care, get a lawyer and mediation center for separated and current volunteers to reduce attrition etc.... perhaps we will help his friend Mike Whouley Inc, who helps run his campaign.

This is a seriuos subject. We are getting an idea,of what would happen, if he became President of these subjects. It would be Four more years of stalling and putting volunteers at risk

So I ask you third ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee to finally listen and call for hearings. Think of what you went through and understand it is, "the right thing to do".


Don't be part of the Corporate YUPPY cop out like Vasquez. Quit when you can't accomplish your goals. The reason he is quitting is that he knows recruitment won't go up without fundamental change with the Federal Bureaucracy at Peace Corps. Kerry or some other Senator must get up speak on our behalf.

Senators of this committee who have had volunteers with Safety problems are below.

Dodd- Volunteer in Eurasia

Kerry- Myself and others

Bill Nelson- Susan Fagan

Bennett- Larissa Jaffe

Remember the 27 sent to Peaceful nations.
Daniel

By Daniel (0-1pool136-32.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.32) on Saturday, November 15, 2003 - 10:07 am: Edit Post

Certain Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee have done it again. They have gone into a conference committee discussing the problems. These are meetings without the public.

I think public needs to know that staffers on the committee are making the decision to cover up having a hearing on Peace Corps safety,security and management. They are in conference with who they want to talk with the National Peace Corps Association and Peace Corps themselves. These two groups have hampered our efforts for hearings and change with Peace Corps. They are doing it again. They are aiding and abetting Peace Corps on continuing dangerous policy by not coupling volunteers together.

Corruption is at the bottom of secret meetings.

Senator Lugar's staff needs to stop listening to the staff of Senator Dodd who never served in Peace Corps and uses Dodd's service to avoid and play politics with people's lives and careers.

She has been there too long and needs to retire. Nature takes care of people who are stubborn and inflexible. We origninally had two volunteers placed in the language of the House bill by in the authorization Dodd's staff member had it removed for her personal reasons.

It is time for Peace Corps folks to demand these hearings take place. No more monkey business with American lives especially my colleagues in Peace Corps. I won't sit by and watch Dodd's staff have influenced to the point of making Peace Corps dangerous for Volunteers to serve.

We won't put up with that non sense any longer. There have been so many articles on Peace Corps safety now and still Senator Dodd has blocked hearings and Senator Lugar now has too. We called everyday during the period when alot of volunteers persished. We called and We called and then Jang Lee died. Senator Dodd went to visit with his parents. Jang Lee was serving by himself, the policy should have been changed before he perished. The Unscrupulous individuals involved in his death continue to harass, threaten and kill volunteers. Yea, I am saying it.

It is unAmerican not to place two volunteers at every site after 9/11 and the "big Senator know it all" knows it. These "type" of criminals came to my site to threaten me too. Dodd did not serve in Africa or face the enemy America is facing now. Many Peace Corps volunteers have. He has no experience in these type of encounters, so his voice should be mute when it comes to safety. However, the priviledge of putting people in harm's way is his and he has Connecticut people saying its ok to poor plan at Peace Corps.


Here are the blockers and Congress people slowing the progress and putting Peace Corps Folks in harms way.

International Relations Committee- Chairperson
Henry Hyde's office. (said hearings may come in March).


Foreign Relations Committee- Blockers- Dodd, Kerry, Biden, Lugar now,and others. (Senator Dewine and Voinivich know that it is unsafe and have sent a letter to have hearings, they are even getting blocked) Call there respect offices and tell them to stop unsafe policy at Peace Corps.

"Politics with Peace Corps lives"

Foreign Operations- Senator Mitch Mcconnell and and Leahy are not going to hold hearings. Call them


Government Reform Committee- Sub Committee on National Security and International Relations and Veterans Affairs. Chaired by Chris Shay's another volunteer who refuses to have hearings. See they are aiding and helping Vasquez cover up death, rape and incidents of violence through these reps and former Peace Corps folks. It is a cover up. Call Tom Costa and David Rappollo on this committee for hearings.


You Peace Corps folks are active on this web site, but when speak with the staffers on the hill they tell me that they don't get many calls on Peace Corps in General. For the families of victims and the victims themselves please call and voice your concerns to these committees. 202-224-3121.

To all Volunteers, you owe your colleagues you served with who have had problems and future Peace Corps folks a safe and effective Peace Corps program. These problems will change with policy changes at Peace Corps.


27 Volunteers killed, died or missing since 1996. 75% approximately serve with another person. 25% serve alone. Within that 25% of volunteers who served alone 86% were alone with their assailent. Two Volunteers at every site will reduce safety gliches and breeches at Peace Corps. However, this will not happen unless the legislators do it because Peace Corps staff who have not gone through a safety breech continue to preach its safe. Its not from statistics and the many volunteers whe have served.

Call these committee's and your Congressional and Senatorial Staff. If you are worried about the long distanced call. Buy a phone card for $5.00. Isn't another volunteer's life worth the call. 202-224-3121. Ask for those committee's when you call and ask for the staffer handling Peace Corps. If they send you to voice mail, leave your message, they get the message.

Thanks for help on the safety of volunteers in advance. Don't Gaddi get away with "lame duck dangerous policy on the hill."

By daniel (0-1pool136-56.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.56) on Sunday, November 23, 2003 - 9:10 am: Edit Post

You see this is the place Peace Corps gets away with bad Safety policy. In the congress and the Senate because no one calls for improvements up on the hill, so they get away with murder.

No Hearings yet. The hearing briefing was not tough enough on Vasquez and did not call for systematic change. Nothing will turn around until these things happen. Its full force until there is change. We will be in the Congress, the Press, at your bus stop conversation, at your lunch time talk until we secure Peace Corps and get our rights back.

Remember we put the pressure on so hard before that you opened the Safety office. This time we are going harder and harder. Because we are right and you who didn't experience a safety breech are flat wrong to cast blame and do nothing.

We know an RPCV staff person was in that discussion of the briefing hearing. They did not go through what many of victims went through. How can that person stand up for our views. We are in dialogue with many Senators and we have meetings coming up.


Daniel