February 13, 2003: Headlines: Safety and Security of Volunters: Bankass: Separated Peace Corps Veterans

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By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-239-147.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.239.147) on Sunday, August 15, 2004 - 1:16 pm: Edit Post

Separated Peace Corps Veterans



Separated Peace Corps Veterans

Bankass.com

Separated Peace Corps Veterans

See our Goals and Solutions to Peace Corps Security, Attrition Rates and Medical Service Improvement on the last page.

(Click The Egyptian Dog, Anibus,) to Buy Books, Services and Retail Internet Items to Support Separated Peace Corps Veterans. Daniel Pailes is a Separated Peace Corps Veteran. There are many books on politics and all the developing countries including a huge section on Africa.

Peace Corps Administration is Advertising False Security Death of Volunteers, disappearance, medical malpractice, putting volunteers in harms way and an estimated 45% Drop out/Attrition Rate is normal course of action for Peace Corps.

The regular course of action for Peace Corps is to continue dangerous safety policy. Though eighteen volunteers have been killed died or missing, the Peace Corps refuses to place two volunteers in every village. The Director Gaddi Vasquez (Republican Administration) and Former Director Charles Baquet (Democratic Administration) have done nothing substantial to prevent the deaths of Volunteers. Why? Because the Peace Corps as an Agency has been arrogant to change in security. Separated Peace Corps Veterans have been warning Peace Corps and all members of the House and Senate of these programming security breaches for years. Current volunteers should be warned that, if Peace Corps puts you in a village, alone. You are in jeopardy. We Want two volunteers at every site Peace Corps serves in. It increases communication and security between American volunteers and provides added manpower and womanpower in villages Peace Corps serves in.

Champions of Peace Corps Safety in the Congress: Congressman Martin Meehan of Lowell and Congresswoman Cynthia Mckinney requested a GAO report on Peace Corps Safety that came out on July 25th called "Peace Corps Initiatives for Addressing Safety and Security Challenges Hold Promise, but Progress Should be Assessed" July 2002. What is sad is the Peace Corps is a Peace Organization dedicated to life and understanding, yet they have treated volunteer death and safety issues as if it is part of territory. Each life is important and each volunteer's service should be valued.

As Separated Peace Corps Veterans, we think American Volunteers deserve two volunteers at every site or village. Since, the disappearance of Walter Poirier and September 11th, we feel as former volunteers Peace Corps should be in service teams. Larisa Jaffe, a sixty three year old volunteer was killed in Zimbabwe one year ago. Larisa was serving by herself. The government of Zimbabwe was unstable at the time, yet they placed her by herself in her assignment. In the death of Jang Lee, no one was serving with him either. How can our can the administration ensure the safety of volunteers without having another American serving with them? Now, the Peace Corps and the President and the democratic Senate want to place 4,000 more volunteers in service without a change in " volunteer placement security policy". The Congress should mandate two volunteers at every site in upcoming legislation. Now the Peace Corps puts out statements about safety of volunteers saying there are risks. Over the forty years they have never made such claims, now they are.

Ultimately Peace Corps is under the Secretary of State through the Peace Corps Act. State Department is the Agency that deems it safe to serve in the rural areas of a particular country. Their employees get large salaries, rough pay for serving in a developing country, danger pay for serving in difficult or hostile posts and are protected by living in safe compounds (usually around the capital city) while a volunteer in the same country, serves in areas where most of the problems may arise. Yet our government doesn't provide us with the danger pay after our service, no legal rights as a volunteer, no veterans rights nor will they pay for our student loans (Stafford Guaranteed Student Loans) after service. Yet, they want your sister, brother, daughter, son to go to Muslim countries and border hot spots alone. Yes, if volunteers serves in difficult place, we as volunteers should get the same benefits after our volunteer service as a State Dept employee in terms of putting our safety on the line. Remember our government and the host government are getting our services for free. The world is a different place today. Many pundits and members of the media don't know that Peace Corps volunteers are sometimes a vital link to our foreign policy today and tomorrow.

We have contacted President Bush. We have had the same response as the last democratic administration. The President and the National Security Council feel that the policy of placing volunteer alone in a village is safe. Now, the President 14,000 volunteers in service through a bill coming out of Congress by Congressman Mark Kirk.

In Honor of Volunteers who have been Killed, Died or are missing Since 1996. 18 have been Killed, Died or are missing Since 1996: March 13, 2002 Elizabeth Bowers, Oregon, 22 years old was serving in Zambia, Africa. She apparently fell off her bicycle. Peace Corps Volunteer Susan Fagan Dies WASHINGTON, D.C., December 3, 2001—Acting Deputy Director Lloyd Pierson announced today the death of Peace Corps Volunteer Susan Fagan, 39, of Vero Beach, Florida. Ms. Fagan, a recently returned volunteer, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the village of Akwida, Ghana. Ms. Fagan died on Friday, November 30, in East Liverpool, Ohio, where she was visiting her father. She finished her Peace Corps service on November 2, 2001. The cause of death is suspected to be malaria; however, the results of an autopsy are not yet known. Peace Corps Volunteer Larisa Jaffe Dies WASHINGTON, D.C., October 12, 2001—Peace Corps Acting Deputy Director Lloyd Pierson announced today the death of Peace Corps Volunteer Larisa Jaffe, 63 of Salt Lake City Utah in Zimbabwe. Now they have temporarily suspended the program in Zimbabwe. Ms. Jaffe was another victim of a homicide in Peace Corps Service. She was serving alone. Peace Corps Volunteer Jang Lee Dies Washington, D.C., August 20, 2001—Acting Peace Corps Director Charles R. Baquet III announced today the death of Peace Corps.... Jang Lee was in his late thirties. He was an English Teacher in Uzbekistan. July 13, 2001 Boston Globe Article: Unity, Maine: Peace Corps Volunteer Dies on Zanzibar. Wyatt Simeon Pillsbury, 23, a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania, has died while vacationing on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar, the Agency Director Baquet said the death was accidental, but gave no details. January2, 2001, Jennifer Rose of Glenview, Illnois was serving in Malawi, West. She was travelling in Namibia, Africa and was involved in a fatal automobile accident. January 9,2001 Natalie Waldinger of Huntington, New York died while traveling in a game park in Tanzania. She served as Physics and Math Teacher. Here is a memoriam to her service and life. Click Here for Lowell Sun Articles about Walter Poirier,23, Peace Corps Volunteer, From Lowell, Massachusetts. Walter is currently missing in Bolivia. William DiDiego of Greenwood, South Carolina was killed in a Car Accident in the Ivory Coast, West Africa on February 2000. Justin Bhansali, of Huntsville, Alabama and Jesse Thyne, of Pasadena, California were killed in the rear of Taxi cab when a truck hit the cab in Pita, Guinea, West Africa. Nancy Coutu, of Nashua, New Hampshire was slain in 1996 in Madagascar as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Click here for a memorial service for work as a Park Ranger. Her mother has just published a book of Nancy's letters. Her mother rightful so, has been calling for Peace Corps to place volunteers in teams. -Kevin Reveille, 26, of Ventura, Calif., was beaten to death at his home in Tanda, Ivory Coast, in February 1998, allegedly after having reported house robberies on three occasions to local police and to his Peace Corps supervisor. Karen Phillips, 37, of Philadelphia was raped and stabbed to death while walking to her home in Oyem, Gabon, late one night in December 1998, after attending a Peace Corps mixer for new volunteers and then stopping at a bar with friends. Victor Verloo, 64 of Sacramento, California was serving in the Ukraine. He was stabbed to death in his home by a local who was charged with the death penalty. Brian Krow, 27, of Fremont, Calif., died after falling from a bridge in Cherkasy, Ukraine, in July 1999. Krow's death was reported as a suicide and later was ruled an accident by police. Family members suspect foul play. Kathryn MacGillvary of Macomb, Michigan died in a drowning accident in Malawi, Africa on October 1998. John Bock of New York was serving in the Phillippines. Mr. Bock was gunned down by locals who went on a shooting spree of passing vechicles, apparently in a drunken rampage. The accused have been sent to prison. Two volunteers who were serving in the Fiji Islands died on their way home from Peace Corps while vacationing. A man was charged in the drowning death.

Why are these young Volunteers dying or being killed? One good reason is unsound Peace Corps programming in placement of Volunteers, the agency's leadership apathy toward retaining volunteers and lack of focus on safety concerns.

Fear of Reprisal and Separation by the Agency: Volunteers who are in service are concerned with "speaking up" about their concerns about safety because of Peace Corps reputation for separating volunteers once a volunteer has serious concerns. The fear of reprisal from the Agency and the continued "blame the volunteer" mentality hampers the program. The agency will quickly dismiss a volunteers concerns for the so called "good of the program". In the past, Peace Corps used Medical Services as a vehicle to separate a volunteer who they deemed "wasn't coping properly". Or if a volunteer was attack at there site, Peace Corps directed them to medical services, where the volunteer goes through a bureaucratic morass until they are ultimately separated without resources.

Once you have been separated in this fashion through medical services, Peace Corps directs you to the Federal Employee Compensation program (FECA). FECA is a very complicated bureaucratic response to Separated Peace Corps Veterans. Many utilize the government program and thrive well through it. However, there are thousands of us who are un-served by the Agency we served. For example, if a volunteer has concerns with the decision made by the agency, there is no real place for them to go, except home. The third goal of Peace Corps is to bring your experiences home. Many want to highlight the wonderful experiences, they did have, but the administration makes sure there decisions stand, not matter how wrong or how many years they are hurting the veteran. That is why volunteers will put themselves at risk. It is simply fear of reprisal.

Five Year Rule Abused by Appointees and Employees in Human Resources: All Employees are subjected to serving with the Agency for Five Years Only. This is Congressionally Mandated:

Violations of 5 year Rule as an Employee have hampered the program: Yet, the new GAO Report on safety and security says employees should stay longer. SPCV's disagree strongly with this recommendation:

Leadership Update: Former Director Baquet and Former Chief Medical Officer Guttnick have finally left their post. They should not have been able to manipulate the system the way in which they did. Regulations should be proposed to Congress to protect us against a Director like Baquet. Having him Director, Deputy Director, and Acting Director for a 10 year period really hurt the program of Peace Corps. These extensions at Peace Corps violate their own rules, yet it continues. Just look at the Inspector General, a crony of Baquet and violator of Volunteer Security. Charles Smith has had his contract extended for a year. Can you believe it? 15 Volunteers have been killed, died or are missing yet he says to Congress," he is going to make another "Office of security", inconceivable. As of today, we have found that he has left his post as well. Congressman Chris Shays, a former Peace Corps Volunteer should know setting up an office is not going to prevent many security breaches. The GAO found that they lost track of a volunteer in Bolivia. What does the IG and Peace Corps Administration do to cover their tracks. They started blaming the missing volunteer. How appropriate? Now, a new GAO report has proven that assaults on volunteers has been on the rise in the 1990's and into today.

2001 Report to Congress: Inspector General at Peace Corps Charles Smith, crony of former Director Charles Baquet was incorrect in his congressional testimony relating to Medical Services performing adequate care. (See GAO Report performed by Congress in 1991, Long Needed Improvements to Health Care Medical Delivery Systems.) SPCV's believe over the forty years of Peace Corps medical services has performed sub-standard care. (see goals below) How can the IG make independent decisions without being biased to the Director. How independent are they? They are hired by the Director themselves. This why we as volunteers need legal rights.

The General Counsel's office for Peace Corps is the same. All the attorney at Peace Corps work for the rights of the Agency and against the volunteers who served them.

The Goals of Separated Peace Corps Veterans: SPCV's are Separated Peace Corps Veterans that have been administratively separated, early terminated or have medically separated. The site is dedicated primarily to all Separated Peace Corps Veterans and in-service volunteers with concerns relating to separations and safety issues at Peace Corps. This site is also for families of volunteers who have died during service or are considered missing as a volunteer. Our number one concern is getting our issues heard related to Separated Peace Corps Veterans in the Congress and Senate.

Advocating Since Since 1993 to Today February 2001: Congressional Activities and Separated Peace Corps Veterans: Thank you! Congressman Marty Meehan and Cynthia McKinney for speaking out for justice. House Leaders: Congressman Martin Meehan and Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney have been our champions. Congressman Meehan has induced a GAO report on safety issues at Peace Corps. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney is making inquiries about the same. These House members are starting to protect volunteers and Separated Peace Corps Veterans. Also, we want to send a Special Thanks to Congressman Waxman and Congressman John Tierney for continuing to push for hearings for these vital issues to SPCV's.

Senate News : Senator Dodd staff says" Peace Corps Volunteers know what they are getting themselves into." We as SPCV's know placing volunteers in remote places, alone, increases their chances of death, being killed or being assaulted as a volunteer. Senator Dodd has not advocated two volunteers at every site for safety. Dodd actually cut out the house provision in the fourth goal of Peace Corps for safety by having two volunteers serve together in every village Peace Corps serves in. Senator Dodd needs to know the world is a different place since you served in the 1960's. We know he was personally involved with Jang Lee's family tragedy. You know placing woman and men borderline hot spots in the world is dangerous for US citizens in the Peace Corps.

Senator Paul Sarbanes has protected our rights to use the RPCV lounge. The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer lounge counselors often discriminate against Separated Peace Corps Veterans by aiding RPCV's get better employment opportunities and educational opportunities post Peace Corps service. December 2001, Joanne Barry, staff Person to Senator Sarbanes will make inquiries with the new appointees, but won't go against Senator Dodd's beliefs on Peace Corps policy.

Senator Patrick Leahy has been very helpful in the past. Fred Kenny was his staff person at the time. His Staff for the Foreign Operations in Senate has not helped us on Safety concerns. Senator Edward Kennedy has helped our cause in the past. Since, Senator Kennedy is from my own state, a champion of health care and labor issues, I am sure he will support our demands for medical services at Peace Corps to change and occupational safety to improve. Now Since July,2002, Senator Kennedy's Office has not done one thing in our direction. We were told after the GAO Report on Safety that his staff will now meet with us on improvements.

Leadership Questioned: In the 1990's, Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts has not helped. Separated Peace Corps veterans know that Senator Kerry will do anything he is told by Senator Dodd tells him to do. Remember, Senator Kerry wants to run for President. Since he is not acting on vital security of American citizens, how can we trust him to ensure our safety and concerns at Peace Corps. We are in disbelief over his inaction. Senator Kerry refuses to meet with us.

House News: My own Congressman Tierney Constituent Services: We have spoken with Congressman Tierney and he indicated he would see what he could do. Has talked with Sam Farr, Congressman from California who proposed Peace Corps Fourth Goal Legislation. Spoke with Henry Waxman on the Government Reform Committee. Still awaiting .... still waiting... still...... He has conferred with Gaddi Vasquez in a meeting Congressman Christopher Shays held in his office regarding safety and security. Still the policy remains the same and there are no scheduled hearings.

We have contacted the Chairman Congressman Henry Hyde and Ranking Majority leader. Awaiting response. Tom Lantos, Minority leader has not much on this issue and still hasn't spoken on it. Congressman Kolbe and Lowey who are the chairpersons of another committee with spending for Peace Corps have done nothing.

July 2, 2001 Separated Peace Corps Veterans Today, SPCV's have sent more letters to House and Senate members to investigate attrition rates at Peace Corps. For 40 years, the Peace Corps has been in existence. During these years, the Congress, Senate, the Government Accounting Office and former volunteers have been suggesting that the 30% to 50% percent attrition rate is too high. We are requesting the following Committees with the Congress review Peace Corps practices and programming issues regarding separations, House International Relations Committee, the Committee on Government Reform; sub-committee on National Security and the Foreign Relations Committee in the US Senate. We have had no response.

*** The Peace Corps has there own policy paper they use to fool the Congress on the actual attrition rates called the Early Termination Report, published in 1996. The numbers are inaccurate.

July 2001 Dear Members of Congress and Senators,

With the recent disappearance of a volunteer in Bolivia, the death of a woman volunteer in Madagascar in 1996 and the death of two volunteers in Fiji in 1999, I hope you will see the issues we are raising regarding volunteer attrition are very real and human. Peace Corps has ignored our warning signs and their budgets keep getting bigger without attention to the detail, the volunteers that serve them. We need legal rights and protection from shortsighted planning at Peace Corps. Peace Corps Volunteers have no legal representation protecting their American citizenship rights. As a "Volunteer", the Peace Corps Act specifies we don't have the same rights as employees of the government. (Separated Peace Corps Veterans believe we need the establishment of non governmental group or organization which advocates for Veterans of the Peace Corps, the organization should provide legal counsel to all Separated Peace Corps Veterans)

Safety Issues and Separated Peace Corps Veterans: Safety is a huge concern at Peace Corps for all volunteers. Separated Peace Corps Veterans are well aware of these issues because many of these SPCV's have gone through safety issues that were not recognized in the past. Instead these SPCV's may have been Separated through the guise of medical services or through the early termination process. If a volunteer has a problem with harassment at their site they should be taken seriously. In many cases of the past, the volunteer or veteran reported the an incident and was deemed to have a major mental illness, thus discrediting the SPCV, and firing he or she through medical services. The SPCV usually has a very difficult time finding work and is shunned by the Agency even though he or she may have been the first indicator of trouble of an area or was a an isolated incident which was serious.

Examples: What if a Volunteer serving in Bolivia did report concerns for Safety? Perhaps he or she was afraid to report their concerns for safety because of Peace Corps methods of discrediting these concerns through administration and through medical services. Remember we are volunteers and not paid to put ourselves in harms way. I ask you, would the Peace Corps ruin this person's career if they voiced concerns for safety?

Examples: What if a woman is concerned about rape or crime at her site? Does she report it? In some cases volunteers have requested "mace" from home, but they didn't want Peace Corps to know perhaps because of their concerns for their career status or they did not want to be labeled by medical services in Washington or the host country. Would medical services discredit these claims? How many claims have they put down over the thirty plus years?

These are just two examples of thousands of scenarios that happen in service to Peace Corps Veterans.

Peace Corps utilizing the skills of their own. A trained work force that is being discriminated against with in the Peace Corps family: Separated Peace Corps Veterans are at least 60,000 strong without having a comprehensive GAO report for an accurate count. Since Peace Corps has now recognized that Safety is an issue, why not use the expertise of SPCV's both at home and abroad.

SPCV’s believe Peace Corps is not providing sound programming in the area of placement of volunteers in service. Many times Peace Corps volunteers are placed in dangerous site locations without having another volunteer with them in their respective village or town placement, the site selections are ill defined and volunteers are not provided with adequate resources, namely funds to start projects in the village they serve. SPCV's also believe that Peace Corps should put more resources into the volunteer site selection, job description and project related activities from the commencement of service.

Since SPCV's are having such difficult times getting their particular issues resolved with the Agency, wouldn't a good solution be to allow these volunteers finish their service either with Peace Corps or another part of the government. These SPCV's went through a rigorous application process and training with Peace Corps. We are a trained work force for the government. Since Peace Corps has a goal of placing 10,000 more volunteers on the ground wouldn't it be in their own interest to utilize a trained work force.

Priorities of the Peace Corps and human rights at home among themselves: All of these SPCV's didn't finish their full tour of duty. Many of these volunteers want to finish their service, so they feel whole, part of the Peace Corps family and not shunned by the government they served. We served our country and we deserve veteran rights just like the military and RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Status) benefits after service. The third goal of Peace Corps is to bring our experiences home to the American People. (John Kennedy's Goal for Peace Corps) We believe many SPCV’s experiences are marginalized and we are not able to signifgantly bring our experiences home to America, when the Agency we served is not serving us. IE: If SPCV's are not getting upwardly mobile employment opportunities after service, how does this help the Peace Corps as an organization. John Kennedy did not create the Peace Corps to have volunteers become blue collar workers. He created Peace Corps to assist other nations and America with a trained work force with foreign experience.

For nearly six years SPCV’s have been lobbying the House and Senate regarding Peace Corps programming. SPCV’s believe over 40,000 and more likely 60,000 (when a GAO report takes place) SPCV’s have been separated early before finishing their term of 2 years. SPCV’s estimate the attrition rates to be over the high rate Peace Corps now estimates at 30% to be more like 40% of volunteers who enter service don’t finish.

Why? The main reasons are ill-defined job assignments, but there are some that are placed in difficult and hostile environments. These volunteers often are the first indicators of trouble in a region, yet they don’t get danger pay, like the State Department employees. Actually, Peace Corps volunteers are under the direction of the Secretary of State ultimately, yet they have little rights when it comes to their own experiences. We need an authorization bill for an organization that protects volunteers and their rights, helps families in a humane way and provide counsel and job development for SPCV’s. Peace Corps will say they have such a place. Yes they do, for the volunteer who has served the full term, not for the SPCV. We need a change at Peace Corps before more tragedy occurs.

We want a strong Peace Corps that is strong with its own volunteers and in its programming. The Deputy Director of Peace Corps, now acting Director is asleep on this issue and will continue to be unless we get our voices across. They won’t change without your help. Enclosed is a boiler plate (Rough Draft) proposal for a GAO report to be done** and recommendations that have been made to former Directors on this issue.

Thanks for your attention,

Daniel Pailes

978-463-4635

*** Most of the footnotes are based on GAO reports especially one done by Congressman Conyers and Inspector General Reports at Peace Corps itself.

CC: All Senators and members of Congress

Daniel Pailes

C.C. Tierney, Kennedy, Sarbanes, Sanford, Leahy, Kerry



Our Mission: To aid all volunteers who have been administratively separated, early terminated or medically separated from Peace Corps. We also will try to aid any family who has a volunteer that has died during service or is Missing while serving (MWS) with informational support about Peace Corps.

Goals:

1. Safety: We demand Peace Corps place 2 volunteers in every village or site in the world. Groups would be a better idea since 75% are now women volunteers at particular Peace Corps locations. That men and women are paired together at site locations due to cultural differences within given countries.

2. A Mediation Service or a Separation Board Establishment: That a Separation Board made up of former volunteers be established to mediate disputed separations with the Agency. ( The Congress should authorize this board to be the mediator in disputed claims such as possible Medical Issues, Coercive Discharge, Constructive Termination cases, physical disability claims, Administrative Separations, Programming disputes and reasonable resolutions, Separations related to United States civic participation issues, sexual lifestyle issues, gender issues, ethnic background disputes and resolutions, Libel and Slander issues in Volunteer's official records including ( Description of Service, Country File and Medical Files), Death related issues and family services and any other reason a volunteer feels they deserve a hearing to continue service once being separated early.) 2 A. Legal Representation: That Separated Peace Corps Veterans have legal representation in disputes with the Agency. (Volunteers did not go through a long application process and service so that they have to spend their own resources defending themselves against an Agency they served.) (Currently, Peace Corps has a legal team in the General Counsel's Office that works on behalf of Peace Corps and does not look out for the volunteer's rights).

3. GAO Report: To have the GAO (Government Accounting Office) do a Comprehensive study on all aspects of separations from Peace Corps service over its forty years. (A partial termination GAO report does exist. Congressman John Conyers initiated a GAO report many years ago, Separated Peace Corps Veterans were not included in their study.) We have one coming on Safety Issues, however this does not include Separated Peace Corps Veteran issues.

4. Equal Rights as Veterans: That all Separated Peace Corps Veterans have the same rights as Return Peace Corps Volunteers.

5. Attrition Rate Reduction: That Peace Corps makes it a priority to reduce separations 5% or lower at Peace Corps as a fundamental goal.

6. Health Care, Occupational Safety and Medical Rights: That Peace Corps Medical Service be scrutinized for their practices. Peace Corps medical services is not a hospital and should not be able to diagnose any volunteer until the Agency is formally registered with the American Medical Association and is registered as a hospital in the District of Columbia. Despite the recent testimony by the Inspector General at Peace Corps, we believe Peace Corps Medical Services provides sub standard care and has committed civil rights violations against SPCV's on a class action level. (Last week a volunteer died after being cleared by Medical Services and sent home). All Volunteers should be checked of all Tropical Diseases before they leave service.

7. Medical Services Changes to happen: That any volunteer has the right to have their choice of Doctor (any AMA certified Doctor) if the diagnosis Peace Corps could be separation threatening. (This would assist SPCV's from being mandated that they have to go through Peace Corps contracted Doctor's in order to stay in service.)

8. Rights of Informational Disemination: The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer lounge provides SPCV's with adequate space to post our concerns as SPCV's.

9. Employment Development for Veterans: The Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Counselor is non discriminatory in providing employment opportunities to SPCV's. That is giving us RPCV status for non competitive eligibility to federal jobs. Also, eligibility for educational fellowships provided to RPCV's and not SPCV's.

10. Organizational Sturcture and Rights of Volunteers: Establishment for a Separated Peace Corps Veterans organization with authorization from the US Congress and Senate. Currently, all Military "volunteers" have veteran administrations. We are volunteers who serve our nation too in often very difficult spots. SPCV's were "Volunteers" during service. We need the same protection vietnam veterans, Gulf war veterans and any other war service to our nation receive. Peace Corps has attorney's working for Peace Corps administration rights, we need a lawyer protecting us and our US citizenship rights.






When this story was prepared, this was the front page of PCOL magazine:

This Month's Issue: August 2004 This Month's Issue: August 2004
Teresa Heinz Kerry celebrates the Peace Corps Volunteer as one of the best faces America has ever projected in a speech to the Democratic Convention. The National Review disagreed and said that Heinz's celebration of the PCV was "truly offensive." What's your opinion and who can come up with the funniest caption for our Current Events Funny?

Exclusive: Director Vasquez speaks out in an op-ed published exclusively on the web by Peace Corps Online saying the Dayton Daily News' portrayal of Peace Corps "doesn't jibe with facts."

In other news, the NPCA makes the case for improving governance and explains the challenges facing the organization, RPCV Bob Shaconis says Peace Corps has been a "sacred cow", RPCV Shaun McNally picks up support for his Aug 10 primary and has a plan to win in Connecticut, and the movie "Open Water" based on the negligent deaths of two RPCVs in Australia opens August 6. Op-ed's by RPCVs: Cops of the World is not a good goal and Peace Corps must emphasize community development.





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Story Source: Bankass

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Safety and Security of Volunters

PCOL9273
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By Anonymous (mountida59.erols.com - 208.59.54.59) on Friday, March 31, 2006 - 1:19 pm: Edit Post

"John Bock of New York was serving in the Phillippines."

His name was Robert Bock - Robert John Bock.

By Anonymous (mountida59.erols.com - 208.59.54.59) on Friday, March 31, 2006 - 1:18 pm: Edit Post

"John Bock of New York was serving in the Phillippines."

His name was Robert Bock - Robert John Bock.


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