August 11, 2004: Headlines: NPCA: NPCA: 25th Anniversary Conference in Chicago -- Friday Highlights
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August 11, 2004: Headlines: NPCA: NPCA: 25th Anniversary Conference in Chicago -- Friday Highlights
25th Anniversary Conference in Chicago -- Friday Highlights
25th Anniversary Conference in Chicago -- Friday Highlights
25th Anniversary Conference in Chicago -- Friday Highlights
Opening Ceremony
RPCVs streamed into the Palmer House Grand Ballroom for the Opening Ceremony of the conference. Peace Corps country flags draped the walls of the vast and ornate room. Things got off to a rousing start with the projection of Teresa Heinz Kerry’s Democratic National Convention remarks about Peace Corps onto a giant screen. Welcoming remarks were made by CAPCA Conference Co-Chairs Trina Janes (Morocco 91-93) and Chuck Sheftel (India 69-72), NPCA President Kevin Quigley (Thailand 76-79), Jane Adams Hull House Association President Clarence Wood, Bank One Executive Vice President Linda Bammann (Philippines 78-80), and U.S. Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.
Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez lauded the work of the returned volunteer community, and provided a snapshot of today’s Peace Corps. Speaking of how today’s Peace Corps increasingly “looks like America,” he shared the story of a Philippine woman living in the U.S. who had been so inspired by Peace Corps teachers that she wanted to join the Peace Corps. She visited the recruiting office but was rebuffed because she wasn’t a citizen. Two years later she returned, having obtained her citizenship, and went on to serve in Romania. To Director Vasquez’s complete surprise and the audience’s delight, that very volunteer was in the room! (See her photo below.)
Speeches were also made by Ohio Governor Bob Taft (Tanzania 63-65), incoming NPCA Board Chair Ken Hill (Turkey 65-67), Wisconsin Governor Jim and First Lady Jessica Doyle (Tunisia 67-69) and Dr. Surin Pitsuwan. Dazzling dance performances by Muntu Dance Theater and Natya Dance Theater punctuated the program.
The Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service was presented to Dr. Kevin Denny (Malawi 64-66) and the Loret Miller Ruppe Award for Outstanding Community Service was presented to the RPCVs of Hawaii.
International MarketPlace
Participants browsed through the stalls of 102 vendors participating in the conference’s International MarketPlace. NGOs large and small, graduate schools, government agencies, RPCV affiliates, and businesses of all kind were well represented.
Workshops
Nineteen workshops on a wide range of topics got underway on Friday afternoon. PeaceCorpsWriters.org, an NPCA affiliate, organized author readings throughout the day. The film festival also had wide range of films for viewing, in a schedule that extended through Saturday.
Country of Service Events
In the evening RPCVs fanned out across Chicago to take part in country of service reunions and dinners.
When this story was prepared, here was the front page of PCOL magazine:
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Story Source: NPCA
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