• Where is Ken Ayares Tuesday, December 20, 2005 - 1:41 am [1]

D - Other Topics



D - Other Topics

• Dairy Farming: Moldova RPCV Tom Habermann finds roots in Ukrainian city 17 July 2003

When this story was posted in January 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:

Ask Not As our country prepares for the inauguration of a President, we remember one of the greatest speeches of the 20th century and how his words inspired us. "And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man."

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January 15, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Bellamy finishing term - Veneman to head Unicef 15 Jan 230 RPCVs volunteer for Crisis Corps 14 Jan Peace Corps Fund needs silent auction items 12 Jan Matt Gould in one-man Peace Corps show in Hollywood 12 Jan Taylor Hackford's "Ray" Nominated for Golden Globe 12 Jan Ambassador Johnson shares memories of Thailand 11 Jan Senator Dodd suggests PC return to Venezuela 11 Jan Ambassador Hull wants PC to return to Sierra Leone 11 Jan Poiriers unhappy with PC investigation of missing son 10 Jan Emile Hons reflects on the Deborah Gardner murder case 10 Jan Judge Paul A. Bastine criticized for stalling Divorce 6 Jan Volunteer Patricia D. Scatoloni dies in Macedonia 4 Jan more top stories...

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Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Senator Norm Coleman, Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee that oversees the Peace Corps, says in an op-ed, A chance to show the world America at its best: "Even as that worthy agency mobilizes a "Crisis Corps" of former Peace Corps volunteers to assist with tsunami relief, I believe an opportunity exists to rededicate ourselves to the mission of the Peace Corps and its expansion to touch more and more lives."

RPCVs active in new session of Congress In the new session of Congress that begins this week, RPCV Congressman Tom Petri has a proposal to bolster Social Security, Sam Farr supported the objection to the Electoral College count, James Walsh has asked for a waiver to continue heading a powerful Appropriations subcommittee, Chris Shays will no longer be vice chairman of the Budget Committee, and Mike Honda spoke on the floor honoring late Congressman Robert Matsui.

Latest: RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid Peace Corps made an appeal last week to all Thailand RPCV's to consider serving again through the Crisis Corps and more than 30 RPCVs have responded so far. RPCVs: Read what an RPCV-led NGO is doing about the crisis an how one RPCV is headed for Sri Lanka to help a nation he grew to love. Question: Is Crisis Corps going to send RPCVs to India, Indonesia and nine other countries that need help?

The World's Broken Promise to our Children Former Director Carol Bellamy, now head of Unicef, says that the appalling conditions endured today by half the world's children speak to a broken promise. Too many governments are doing worse than neglecting children -- they are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children. Read her op-ed and Unicef's report on the State of the World's Children 2005.

Changing of the Guard With Lloyd Pierson's departure, Marie Wheat has been named acting Chief of Staff and Chief of Operations responsible for the day-to-day management of the Peace Corps. Although Wheat is not an RPCV and has limited overseas experience, in her two years at the agency she has come to be respected as someone with good political skills who listens and delegates authority and we wish her the best in her new position.

Our debt to Bill Moyers Former Peace Corps Deputy Director Bill Moyers leaves PBS next week to begin writing his memoir of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Read what Moyers says about journalism under fire, the value of a free press, and the yearning for democracy. "We have got to nurture the spirit of independent journalism in this country," he warns, "or we'll not save capitalism from its own excesses, and we'll not save democracy from its own inertia."

RPCV safe after Terrorist Attack RPCV Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, the U.S. consul general in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia survived Monday's attack on the consulate without injury. Five consular employees and four others were killed. Abercrombie-Winstanley, the first woman to hold the position, has been an outspoken advocate of rights for Arab women and has met with Saudi reformers despite efforts by Saudi leaders to block the discussions.

Is Gaddi Leaving? Rumors are swirling that Peace Corps Director Vasquez may be leaving the administration. We think Director Vasquez has been doing a good job and if he decides to stay to the end of the administration, he could possibly have the same sort of impact as a Loret Ruppe Miller. If Vasquez has decided to leave, then Bob Taft, Peter McPherson, Chris Shays, or Jody Olsen would be good candidates to run the agency. Latest: For the record, Peace Corps has no comment on the rumors.

The Birth of the Peace Corps UMBC's Shriver Center and the Maryland Returned Volunteers hosted Scott Stossel, biographer of Sargent Shriver, who spoke on the Birth of the Peace Corps. This is the second annual Peace Corps History series - last year's speaker was Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn.

Read the stories and leave your comments.

By CarmenBailey (h2-66-137-250.mesh.net - 66.137.250.2) on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 - 9:37 pm: Edit Post

----- Original Message -----
From: "Carmen Bailey"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 7:49 PM
Subject: Fw: Peace Corps News: Open Discussion: Author seeking PC
experiences with Lariam


> Hugh, I haven't figured out how to register with Google
> or Yahoo so cannot return this letter to them but I'd
> like it to be posted on PCOL. Oops! I just discovered
again that I cannot send to PCOL so am pasting this
into a message box to see if it appears.
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Carmen Bailey"
> To:
> Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 7:42 PM
> Subject: Re: Peace Corps News: Open Discussion: Author seeking PC
> experiences with Lariam
>
>
>> If you can't get a Real Body to sign in Federal Court challenging the
>> issue of volunteer and employee, and a Warm Body will do, I'll
>> take it on providing someone colors and labels the legaleze for me.
>> I think though that the real issue is the pathological lying which Peace
>> Corps personnel so mindlessly hands out and is backed up by other
>> agencies which the new Volunteer necessarily believes!
>> Peace Corps personnel will simply change the wording of its lies
>> should a court order appear. It is startling that our Fellow Persons
deliberately send us unprepared, don't want us to know life saving
facts. Why?
>>
>> New Volunteers are required for basic maintenance of Planet Earth
>> and should be apprised of a possible peril with a handout page
>> of information after training and before going to their host country.
>> The possible and unmentioned problems are then foreseen along with
>> "How to teach English and growing okra."
>>
>> Taking care of self in such a vital situation should become a valid part
>> of being a United States Peace Corps Volunteer!
>>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Peace Corps Online"
>> To:
>> Sent: Tuesday, December 20, 2005 7:00 PM
>> Subject: Peace Corps News: Open Discussion: Author seeking PC experiences
>> with Lariam
>>
>>
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Open Discussion:
>>> Author seeking PC experiences with Lariam
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>> By For Vol (ca1462-ch01-bl02.ma-cambridg0.sa.earthlink.net -
>>> 207.69.137.201) on Tuesday, December 20, 2005 - 08:00 pm:
>>>
>>> Mr. West,
>>>
>>> Joanne Roll is right. There was a concentrated effort to get
>>> the ombudsman's office at Peace Corps. However, the
>>> Ombdsman's office is not far enough. We need, a general
>>> counsel that works on behalf of the volunteers in service.
>>> The Military has lawyers representing them in their
>>> activities and they are volunteers.
>>>
>>> The Peace Corps act was written on a military model, but
>>> they just forgot to include the provision to protect the
>>> civil and service rights of volunteers. How convient for the
>>> administrators at Peace Corps, most who did not serve to
>>> separate and violate the rights and experiences of good hard
>>> working volunteers. These people gave their time to country,
>>> some have perished, not a as mechanical fabrication
>>> specialist but swore into the United States government. What
>>> has their government give them? They have given them no
>>> civil rights and a bunch of know it all bureacrats, most who
>>> have never lived in a village let alone work in remote
>>> village without the protection of their troop or a weapon
>>> like in military service.
>>>
>>> Mr. West, believe me some have picketed. Just ask a few at
>>> Peace Corps they will tell you. This fight on people in
>>> Peace Corps getting their civil rights violated in Peace
>>> Corps service especially in the medical service has been
>>> fought on the hill, day in and day out for years. For
>>> commentors to make perojative statements about these efforts
>>> in to be ignorant, not knowing what has been stopped
>>> deliberately by Senator Dodd, and other former members of
>>> Peace Corps woking as staff on the hill.
>>>
>>> Media attention, we have gone to these avenues. There are
>>> certain former volunteers who wrok their who don't want
>>> these issues highlighted because they served and it was not
>>> their experience, so it is dropped as story such as Al
>>> Kamen, Chris Matthews.
>>>
>>> By the way, when I picketed they sent Mr. Stephanopolous out
>>> to speak with me because they knew I worked for Clinton,
>>> Tsongas and at the White House. I waited for him to respond,
>>> he did,saying he could do nothing. So, he is well aware of
>>> the issues related to this subject. The problem is the
>>> political will and the empathy to understand what these
>>> volunteers have done in service.
>>>
>>> Because in the everyday world, people don't really care
>>> about Peace Corps. It is not high on their adgenda's
>>> especially for the few who have been abused, raped, victims
>>> of violence, medical malpratice or who have perished in
>>> service. Most people could give a hoot. The people like Dodd
>>> and the National Peace Corps Association use this apathy to
>>> squash real change and concerns. In doing so, they violate
>>> former volunteer rights, Civil rights as american Citizens.
>>>
>>> What someone should do is file in federal court challenging
>>> this issue of volunteer and employee. What is really strange
>>> is when you agree with Peace Corps medical practices and you
>>> get injured, you get Federal Employment compensation. They
>>> consider you an employee under this act but when it comes to
>>> gross negligence and real medical malpractices and safety
>>> and security seprations, they consider you a volunteer. Many
>>> they use the FECA system to bribe them into "doing it
>>> their way" because they don't want to make waves.
>>>
>>> Medical malpractice is happening at Peace Corps today and
>>> its been happening for years. It needs to be stopped,
>>> eradicated and Peace Corps volunteer civil rights need to be
>>> understood by staff and americans.
>>>
>>> Former Volunteer
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE! It is an automatic e-mail
>>> notification message from the discussion board indicating
>>> that a new message was posted. If you do not wish to
>>> receive further e-mail notification messages from this
>>> discussion board, edit your user or moderator profile to
>>> turn off the e-mail notification option.
>>>
>>> Use this link to go directly to the discussion:
>>> http://PeaceCorpsOnline.org/cgi-bin/discus/show.cgi?2629/2033170
>>>
>>>
>>
>

By Former Vol (ca1462-ch01-bl06.ma-cambridg0.sa.earthlink.net - 207.69.137.205) on Thursday, December 22, 2005 - 10:01 pm: Edit Post

Thanks, Carmen for speaking out. Former Volunteer