March 2, 2004 - Dayton Daily News: Dayton Daily News wins award for "Casualties of Peace"

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Headlines: March 2004 Peace Corps Headlines: March 2, 2004 - Dayton Daily News: Dayton Daily News wins award for "Casualties of Peace"

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-188-54.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.188.54) on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 - 12:04 am: Edit Post

Dayton Daily News wins award for "Casualties of Peace"



Dayton Daily News wins award for "Casualties of Peace"

'Dayton Daily News' wins award

Peace Corps series honored

Dayton Daily News

Caption: Russell Carollo and Mei-Ling Hopgood, reporters for the Dayton Daily News series on "Casualties of Peace," the newspaper's investigative series on the safety and security of Peace Corps volunteers.

The Dayton Daily News won top honors in the 70th annual National Headliner Awards competition for "Casualties of Peace," the newspaper's investigative series on the safety and security of Peace Corps volunteers.

The Daily News series, published Oct. 26-Nov. 1, 2003, won for investigative reporting and was named "Best of Show," the highest honor given a newspaper in the annual contest sponsored by the Press Club of Atlantic City.

"Bravo to the Dayton Daily News for its perseverance, its dedication of resources and for just caring enough to get out the story of how hazardous being a Peace Corps volunteer can be," the Headliner judges said.

The awards will be presented May 15 in Atlantic City.

For its report, Daily News reporters interviewed more than 500 people in 11 countries, and conducted an analysis of never-before-released computer records obtained after the newspaper filed a lawsuit against the Peace Corps.

The examination, by reporters Russell Carollo and Mei-Ling Hopgood, found that assaults against Peace Corps volunteers increased 125 percent from 1991-2002, while the number of volunteers increased 29 percent.

The newspaper report also revealed that volunteers with little or no experience traveling outside the United States, minimum language skills and virtually no background in their assigned jobs are sent to live alone in remote areas of some of the world's most dangerous countries and left unsupervised for months at a time.

Following publication, both Ohio senators requested a congressional hearing, and Senate and House committees overseeing the Peace Corps have now scheduled separate hearings for this month.

The Daily News series also is among six finalists for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting, awarded by the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University. That award is announced March 17.




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Story Source: Dayton Daily News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Investigative Journalism; Journalism; Awards; Safety and Security of Volunteers

PCOL10338
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By daniel (0-1pool136-19.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.19) on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 - 11:23 am: Edit Post

There you go Peace Corps. Because you covered up Safety, Health and separation issues, you have enabled these stories.

Peace Corps, If you were so Peaceful, you would help the victims of the violence, help volunteers during and after service in health issues and the wrongful separations. You don't. You hurt volunteers in these areas by blaming the volunteer who has gone through these situations or attack them.

The negative public image comes from "narrow minded federal employees who work there". Those federal employees should be exposed for their shortsighted vision and cover up in our cases during the 1980's, 1990's up until present day. Also, we should know who placed these volunteers and who work in the policy area of placement of volunteers. These folks flawed logic hurt us and put thousands of volunteers at risk.

Gaddi Vasquez never served and the federal employees at the top of Peace Corps never went through these types of situations in service, let alone a violent situation at their site or face a life threatening health issue.

We got our hearings,you will learn something now.


We don't paid for it either.

Daniel

By anon (66-44-0-240.s240.apx1.lnh.md.dialup.rcn.com - 66.44.0.240) on Wednesday, March 03, 2004 - 6:15 pm: Edit Post

Be careful what you wish for. Other reporters have won awards, only later for it to be revealed that the reporters were unethical frauds. Repeating and exaggerating will not make false stories into true ones. It is not the job of reporters to mislead the public in order to win awards for themselves. Your hearings may reveals truths you do not expect. Will you finally get the revenge on Peace Corps that you want?

By daniel (0-1pool136-13.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.13) on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 3:03 am: Edit Post

No, Hearings won't get everything we want. People who served and been killed, have died due to safety and health issues and considered missing have families. Putting people in dangerous situations because of short sighted planning and leaving them "high and dry will end". That is already beginning to happen. Carollo and Hopgood have certainly helped, "kick start lazy bureaucrats" to understand they are serving people not numbers.

It is not revenge. It will be justice in every case a volunteer was manipulated by ignorant staffers in their separation, health and safety issue. Its being able to put a check on uneducated staffers who try to ruin people with their abitrary and capricious nature for their upwardly mobile desires. Stepping on young volunteers will be exposed and the frauds will be exposed at some point in our cases.

It is not revenge. It is justice. Hearings aren't the end. Legal ramifications have occured. Careers have been ruined and families have been serverely hurt. There will be compensation for those intentional inflictions of duress for the victims who had to deal with cover up, lies, and spiteful people.

Just the beginning until we get our cases resolved properly.

How have you helped us get our cases resolved? You probably won't question about our cases will you?

The facts remain, thousands have been victimized by Peace Corps and they will have to prove they are helping them all. They can't because they want to define our experiences with their bogus cover ups in health services and in safety issues.

Remember Anon people have died, been raped, had their lives threatened and been beaten while serving. I think Carollo wanted to know, how is Peace Corps handling these cases in planning and after they happen?

Call Peace Corps tommorow and ask them how General Counsel is going to handle our compensation claims.

Good Luck with your employment.

To Carollo and Hopsgood, Thank you.

By anon (66-44-6-139.s1663.apx1.lnh.md.dialup.rcn.com - 66.44.6.139) on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 7:01 am: Edit Post

You are not about justice. You are about attack and retribution, manipulation and revenge. This website is your playground, and you are the biggest bully on the playground. You try to represent people who have told you directly that they do not want you representing them.

By Daniel (0-1pool136-11.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.11) on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 9:21 am: Edit Post

The bully's are the perpetrators who committed the acts of violence against volunteers. Peace Corps has enabled these perpetrators by there inactions and turning on volunteers instead of looking at the real problems.

I didn't hear you say you would ask Peace Corps about our cases?

We are about justice. You see it in another way. The National Peace Corps Association and the Peace Corps try to misreprsent us in their reports and strategies for today and in the future.

This web site is not my playground. Peace Corps has intimidated and hurt thousands of volunteers. Personally, I know Peace Corps has serious problems in this area and I will speak up about those injustices so others are not harmed, like many of us are.

You may think it is "over the top", but remember who started the manipulation in the first place in our cases. I don't see the Peace Corps trying to mend fences. They won't. That is why it is about cover and lies. Come clean anon. Still haven't had the guts to indentify yourself.

In most cases, Peace Corps was not there during a victims attack, so how can there officials continue to misrepresent our real experiences.

I will be waiting for the repair in and amending of our cases with compensation.

Good luck in your work.

Daniel

By 2XRPCV and Staffer (64.83.42.62.res62-nova-dsl.cavtel.net - 64.83.42.62) on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 9:21 pm: Edit Post

I'm the RPCV, former staffer and assault victim you don't represent, Daniel. Remember, from the other post? I promised myself that I wouldn't respond to your rants but I just can't let this go. You're attempting to speak for every single victim - for me - again. You don't. Stop asserting that you do. You only speak for yourself.

Look back at your posts here. You are actually saying that Peace Corps made it possible for volunteers to be assaulted. You slander numerous hardworking, dedicated, caring Peace Corps staff members many of which are RPCVs. Clearly Peace Corps could make improvements but any dispassionate observer would look at your posts and come to the conclusion that you are not to be taken seriously. You're not stimulating discussion. You're looking for revenge and compensation.

I'm torn between wanting you to be a part of the hearing proceedings so that the larger public and Congress can see how irrational you are and afraid that if you get the opportunity that irrationality will hurt what we're trying to do. As I said earlier, progress is not made because of you. It is made in spite of you.

By daniel (0-1pool136-1.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.1) on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 10:24 pm: Edit Post

If you and your other friends are so dedicated than why are so many volunteers who served slandered by the agency in their files. Why?

Too many people have died or been killed. If I don't speak for you, than so be it. However, we are moving forward and not going to listen to irrationality from inside staff people who didn't speak up during the late 1990's and to present.

You must be one of these folks. I am truly sorry for what you went through. But, you were treated right by Peace Corps, weren't you? You were staff, so you did alright for yourself.

We are not looking for revenge, we want justice. We want just policies in Peace Corps so people don't get harmed. 2,800 are way too many.

After a volunteer went missing, I decided to start getting the word out. We got it out.

Thanks to Carollo and Hopsgood, Congressman Meehan, Senator Dewine and Voinvich.

I am not in this to make friends. I am in this because I don't anybody to go through what I have been through and other who have been victims who feel Peace Corps dropped the ball.

If you are so dedicated to assaults on victims try getting our cases resolved. There is a task for you.

I promised the spirit of volunteers who had fallen and who were separated wrongfully, that I would not stop advocating until we get what we deserve our true experiences in the record and prevent death from happening.


I was nice when I joined Peace Corps. But when your friends (staff people) tried to besmirch my character because I reported a safety incident, you hurt my family and other colleagues of Peace Corps as well.

Irrationality is 31 Volunteers since 1996. Irrationality are 2,800 volunteers falling victim to violence. You should have had different staff people working there.

You don't know my situation and you don't know the other volunteers who are working with us.

I am not going to stop anything, Bubba.

Good Luck

By Anon (66-44-1-155.s409.apx1.lnh.md.dialup.rcn.com - 66.44.1.155) on Friday, March 05, 2004 - 12:15 am: Edit Post

I have read what you have written. There is no evidence of any compassion in your voice, or caring in your heart. You write very selfishly mostly about yourself, and how you have been wronged an unfair world.

You wrap yourself in a cloak about a "we" that you don't represent, hoping that you can make people think that the real problems lie elsewhere. They don't, your biggest problems are within you. Can't you see when your self-righteous rantings make people want to avoid you and want to not be associated with you? Certainly they don't want you to be a spokesman in any way? You hurt many more than you help. You destroy your cause. Because in the end, your "cause" was not really that important to you. What you really wanted was to get back at those who you think didn't do enough to solve your problems for you. You are more irresponsible than the people that you criticize.

By daniel (0-1pool136-3.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.3) on Friday, March 05, 2004 - 3:09 am: Edit Post

Who like Carol Bellamy and Chuck Banguet and the people who served with them?

Do you know how many people were victims during that period?

We were calling the Peace Corps then. Nobody listened. Finally a Congressman listened when a young man went missing with adequate responses or planning at that young man's site. Finally, a reporter started listening to the facts, didn't he?

As for your so called "cause". I certainly don't have to justify to you how our efforts have improved Peace Corps. Our efforts have just begun. We helped with that GAO report on Safety, and what did that lead to, we brought attention with our web site which helped the DDN to do their articles. Now, there are hearings. If you are a staffer or former staff, we are still volunteering our time for a better Peace Corps.


As for a "Cloak". Look at yourself with your critism. You can't even put your name out to the public. Good at sniping behind a cloak aren't you. I am not involved in this to make friends.

As for hurting people and "my so called Problems". I haven't hurt anybody. I pointed out facts, some staffers, who know they are guilty have gotten their ego beaten up, big deal. What is important are the people who are victimized.

We are not out for revenge. We want our records cleaned up, we want a recongnition of mistakes from Peace Corps to the families and SPCV's who have been victimized and wrongfully separated to be helped shown compassion.

I really don't care if you or anybody else don't want to associated with me because of the way we have gone about getting changes made.

Personally, Peace Corps did try to besmirch my character and in some cases they have already done some of that harm. But, unlike what you think and speculate and make up, we have done alot to change safety and we plan to do more for separated veterans who have been wronged.

If it is in "spite" of me well so be it, it got done, didn't it.

You think I am out for myself don't you? Well, we are all out for ourselves in some fashion aren't? You wrote this rebuttal, so you are out for yourself, though you are anon?

It is not about me. Yea, I want my case cleared up and it is why I utimately started to see Peace Corps doing it to others, more and more. I couldn't be silent anymore knowing that I went through a safety incident and didn't try hard enough to change it. Change, the real problems with safety and attrition, the people in charge need to change their minds. They (staffers and detractors) can choose not to, but we are moving in a direction that will better Peace Corps.

Thanks Victor Carollo and Ms. Hopsgood, I appreciate your care for volunteers in the field and volunteers in the future. Some don't get it.

By Safety First (ip170-110-108-3.ita.doc.gov - 170.110.108.3) on Friday, March 05, 2004 - 9:48 am: Edit Post

I don't know about the rest of you out there but my decision to remain anonymous is based on safety and security. Having seen Daniel's unreasonable rants and raves, I don't want him to be able to identify me. He attacks anyone who disagrees with him and villainizes everyone who served as a staff member. Several victims have adamantly stated that he does not represent their views. In fact, I've not seen anyone say that he represents them. (Maybe the "we" he's referring to are different aspects of himself. Perhaps it's the royal "we".) He promised the "spirit of volunteers" he would do this. Given his blustering, I have to wonder if the "spirits" are also talking to him. He thinks Peace Corps keeps a special file on him and has ruined his career.

It's definitely a safety and security for me.

By daniel (0-1pool136-10.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.10) on Friday, March 05, 2004 - 10:05 am: Edit Post

You have to wonder about the motives of the folks above. They haven't indentified themselves have they? What are they afraid of?

Daniel

By safety first (ip170-110-108-3.ita.doc.gov - 170.110.108.3) on Friday, March 05, 2004 - 10:59 am: Edit Post

I will not share my name because from Daniels' posts I have learned he is:

vengeful,
unreasonable,
irrational,
paranoid,
looking for compensation
talks to the "spirit of volunteers",
refers to himself as "we",
blames others for his problems.

My motive is:
concern for my safety and security should he learn my name.

By daniel (0-1pool136-39.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.39) on Friday, March 05, 2004 - 12:34 pm: Edit Post

Still afraid, behind the cloak throwing out the slander. Figures.

Victor Carollo presented facts and he was attacked too.

Why don't you make up so more fiction for the readers. You are very creative.

You'll be alright.

Daniel

By Anon (66-44-1-155.s409.apx1.lnh.md.dialup.rcn.com - 66.44.1.155) on Friday, March 05, 2004 - 5:20 pm: Edit Post

You are not involved in this to make friends. Actually, you are involved in this to make enemies. Enemies that you can then go out and defeat. That is what bullies do, justifying to themselves the entire time that it makes them important. Yet, hurting others is never enough for you, is it? You always need to find someone else to hurt the next time.

Why is knowing my identity so important to you? So you can pigeon-hole me. So you can send some goons over to my house to intimidate and beat me up? Maybe you just want to do that yourself. You don't know who I am. I don't have to tell you. I could be anybody. I could be nobody.

Are you really so self-centered as to think that Congress or Peace Corps or even newspaper reporters are doing things because of you? Do you really believe in the swill that newspapers write? Fiction wins awards all the time. No matter how well written, it is still fiction. No matter how many times a falsehood is repeated, it doesn't make it true.

If you are really so important, why haven't you found that person who is missing yet? Do you think Peace Corps is hiding them somewhere? Why don't you go look for them yourself? You must know where they are.

By 2X RPCV and Staffer (64.83.42.62.res62-nova-dsl.cavtel.net - 64.83.42.62) on Friday, March 05, 2004 - 6:48 pm: Edit Post

I agree with you Safety First. Initially, I didn't reveal my name on the postings so Daniel couldn't co-opt my story as he has everyone else's. I still won't allow him to do that but of even greater concern is his mental instability as revealed by his postings. You hear of too many people like him stalking and inflicting injuries to those they feel have wronged them. I don't want him showing up on my doorstep.

I see his postings all over this site. What I don't see is him engaging anyone in dialogue. He just spews illogical, slanderous,nearly illiterate diatribes. I keep wondering what his job assignment was - certainly not an English teacher. I can't believe that after all these years, he still blames Peace Corps for his problems. With the 5 year rule, if every staff member stayed the entire 5 years, since 1990, there would still be a staff turnover rate rate of nearly 300%! If there were an ounce of truth to what he says happened to him someone during that time would have done something for him. If he were so unjustly treated, why didn't he file a lawsuit? In this litigious day and age there must be thousands of lawyers who'd take his case - unless they realize, of course, that it's without merit, he's a wacko and given his job prospects they'd be unlikely to get paid.

I also don't understand why he posts so much to this site. It's not exactly a widely read forum that would generate general public interest in safety and security issues. He's sort of preaching to the choir here but only succeeds in alienating people - including this assualt victim. I can only imagine how much better off he'd been if he'd devoted a little more time to his own recovery.

By daniel (0-1pool136-4.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.4) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 6:17 am: Edit Post

You both don't give your names because you are irresponsible.

For former staffers, perhaps this is why there is so much "blaming the volunteer".

You attack volunteers who have been raped.

You attack volunteers who have had their lives threatened.

You blame volunteers who have gone missing who can't speak for themselves.

You won't give your names because you served during the nineties and your attitude is part of the problem at the agency.

Carollo and Hopsgood reported on real incidents and cover up type tactics at Peace Corps regarding safety and security.


This why they are winning awards around the country. We are glad that someone has written the truth about Peace Corps reactions to volunteer safety.

I get you people to respond with your slander because you know people have been done injustices at Peace Corps.

I am glad I am such an entertainment source for you.

Daniel

By Anon (66-44-1-155.s409.apx1.lnh.md.dialup.rcn.com - 66.44.1.155) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 8:12 am: Edit Post

You are not entertaining. You are frightening.

Remaining anonymous from a person who would obviously try to physically hurt me if you had the chance is not irresponsible. You are dangerous.

You don't know who I am or what I've done. I don't have to say. But you don't represent anyone with your beliefs and actions other than yourself. You are out for revenge on Peace Corps. Nothing else. And it will never be enough for you. That's the way it is with bullies. Will you testify to Congress that you like to threaten people? Will you continue to attack innocent people you know nothing about?

Where is that missing person? You must know where they are. Did you do something to them?

By 2X RPCV and Staffer (64.83.42.62.res62-nova-dsl.cavtel.net - 64.83.42.62) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 12:04 pm: Edit Post

You're doing all the attacking, Daniel. You're attacking those of us who are trying to effect change in an ethical, responsible way. You're treating us the same way you say Peace Corps has treated my fellow victims. You ignore what we say, blame us, threaten and slander us. You blame the victim. I'm sure you keep files on us so that you can use the information in them later to hurt us. You don't entertain me, Daniel. You frighten me.

Maybe we should start a support group for victims of Daniel.

By daniel (0-1pool136-4.nas12.somerville1.ma.us.da.qwest.net - 63.159.136.4) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 12:13 pm: Edit Post

Rubbish.

By Anon (66-44-1-155.s409.apx1.lnh.md.dialup.rcn.com - 66.44.1.155) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 1:01 pm: Edit Post

Where is the missing volunteer, daniel? Did you know them? Did you do something to them?

By 2X RPCV and Staffer (64.83.42.62.res62-nova-dsl.cavtel.net - 64.83.42.62) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 5:49 pm: Edit Post

You have no credibility, Daniel, and given the way you behave, you have no standing to critize Peace Corps. If you want respect, you have to earn it. If you want people to listen to you, you have to listen to them. You earn respect by being respectful to others, by listening, by being truthful, having integrity, doing the right thing for the right reasons. You do none of these. Why do you think people on this site don't respond postively to you? Why do you think you're ignored. You had nothing to do with improving things at Peace Corps. You're a joke. I'd chose Peace Corps over you any day.

By Anon (66-44-1-155.s409.apx1.lnh.md.dialup.rcn.com - 66.44.1.155) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 8:30 pm: Edit Post

Daniel, did you do something to the missing volunteer? Don't you both live in the same area of the country? Is this someone you knew? Did you do something that you are now blaming Peace Corps for, in order to prove that Peace Corps was unsafe? Then you went to your Congressman. Don't you both have the same Congressman?

By Anon (66-44-1-247.s501.apx1.lnh.md.dialup.rcn.com - 66.44.1.247) on Monday, March 08, 2004 - 7:03 am: Edit Post

Where are you now, Daniel? Big bully. You can run, but you can't hide from the truth.

By 2X RPCV and Staff (64.83.42.62.res62-nova-dsl.cavtel.net - 64.83.42.62) on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 8:20 pm: Edit Post

I wonder what happened to Daniel? The truth can be very painful. I hope he's using this time to reflect on what we've said and examine his boorish behavior.

By 2X RPCV and Staffer (64.83.42.62.res62-nova-dsl.cavtel.net - 64.83.42.62) on Wednesday, March 10, 2004 - 8:22 pm: Edit Post

I wonder where Daniel is? The truth can be very painful. I hope he's using this time to reflect upon our words and examine his boorish behavior. Good luck, Daniel.

By Anon (66-44-0-160.s160.apx1.lnh.md.dialup.rcn.com - 66.44.0.160) on Friday, March 12, 2004 - 7:25 am: Edit Post

Daniel's behavior may have been more than boorish. It is difficult for a sane rational mind to understand this, but his behavior may have crossed the line into heinous. He may be in flight from justice, knowing that he has been revealed.


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