Peace Corps Nominated for Global Health Leadership Award



Peace Corps Nominated for Global Health Leadership Award

Peace Corps Nominated for Global Health Leadership Award

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 24, 2003 – The Global Health Council, in conjunction with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, have nominated the Peace Corps for the Gates Award for Global Health Leadership. The award recognizes an organization that has made a major and lasting contribution to the field of global health.

The Gates Award for Global Health was established in 2000 by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The recipient of the award will receive $1 million to be put toward the organization’s continued commitment to global health. The Seattle-based foundation is dedicated to improving people’s lives by sharing advances in health and learning with the global community.

Past recipients of the award include the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International and the Centre for Health and Population Research, based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. For a current list of nominees, please visit www.globalhealth.org/awards/gates_nominees.php3. The award will be presented on May 29, 2003, in Washington, D.C., at an award ceremony during the Global Health Council’s Annual International Conference.

Currently, 21 percent of all Peace Corps volunteers are serving in health-related assignments in 70 countries around the world. They are catalysts in their communities, working on a variety of health activities. These include: educating and training in the areas of maternal and child health, basic nutrition, sanitation, oral rehydration therapy, and STDs/AIDS; organizing fundraisers and community groups to obtain needed health care materials; constructing wells, tapping springs, building latrines, and improving potable water storage facilities; and training local leaders to maintain water and sanitation systems and continue health programs after the Volunteer departs.

Since 1961, more than 168,000 Volunteers, have served in the Peace Corps working in such diverse fields as education, health, HIV/AIDS education and awareness, information technology, business development, the environment, and agriculture. Peace Corps Volunteers must be U.S. citizens and at least 18 years of age. Peace Corps service is a two-year commitment.

When this story was posted in October 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Kerry reaches out to Returned Volunteers The Kerry campaign wants the RPCV vote. Read our interview with Dave Magnani, Massachusetts State Senator and Founder of "RPCVs for Kerry," and his answers to our questions about Kerry's plan to triple the size of the Peace Corps, should the next PC Director be an RPCV, and Safety and Security issues. Then read the "RPCVs for Kerry" statement of support and statements by Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz made at the "RPCVs for Kerry" Press Conference. RPCV Carl Pope says the key to winning this election is not swaying undecided voters, but persuading those already willing to vote for your candidate to actually go to the polls. Take our poll and tell us what you are doing to support your candidate. Finally read our wrap-up of the eight RPCVs in Senate and House races around the country and where the candidates are in their races.

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Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before. Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security.

Schwarzenegger praises PC at Convention Governor Schwarzenegger praised the Peace Corps at the Republican National Convention: "We're the America that sends out Peace Corps volunteers to teach village children." Schwarzenegger has previously acknowledged his debt to his father-in-law, Peace Corps Founding Director Sargent Shriver, for teaching him "the joy of public service" and Arnold is encouraging volunteerism by creating California Service Corps and tapping his wife, Maria Shriver, to lead it. Leave your comments and who can come up with the best Current Events Funny?

Peace Corps: One of the Best Faces of America 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 can you come up with a Political Funny?

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