January 17, 2005: Headlines: Advocacy: Budget: NPCA: Make a call for the Peace Corps

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Peace Corps Library: Advocacy: January 23, 2005: Index: PCOL Exclusive: Advocacy : January 17, 2005: Headlines: Advocacy: Budget: NPCA: Make a call for the Peace Corps
Make a call for the Peace Corps Date: February 19 2005 No: 453 Make a call for the Peace Corps
PCOL is a strong supporter of the NPCA's National Day of Action and encourages every RPCV to spend ten minutes on Tuesday, March 1 making a call to your Representatives and ask them to support President Bush's budget proposal of $345 Million to expand the Peace Corps. Take our Poll: Click here to take our poll. We'll send out a reminder and have more details early next week.


By Admin1 (admin) (pool-141-157-21-200.balt.east.verizon.net - 141.157.21.200) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 3:24 pm: Edit Post

Make a call for the Peace Corps

Make a call for the Peace Corps

Make a call for the Peace Corps

Dear NPCA Network Advocates:

As you may be aware, the National Peace Corps Association is gearing up for a "National Day of Action" in support of Peace Corps on Tuesday March 1st, (Peace Corps Day).

The concept is very simple. One day. Ten minutes. Three phone calls or emails to your representatives in Congress, expressing support for increased funding for Peace Corps in the next federal budget.

We are reaching out to the much broader community via other listserves. For example, a message was sent to Affiliate Group Leaders earlier today. But as active members of our Advocacy Network, you represent the core of NPCA’s Advocacy Program. IF EVERYONE RECEIVING THIS MESSAGE commits to participating on March 1st, that will ensure more than 700 people taking action!

Of course, we hope you will consider doing even a little more! Here are a several possibilities from which to choose:

--FIND FIVE OTHERS TO ACT: Along with taking action yourself, commit now to making sure five other people you know will take similar action. You could involve your spouse or other family members, fellow RPCVs you served with, and/or friends and colleagues who support the Peace Corps.

--STAFF A MARCH 1ST INFORMATION TABLE: For a few hours on March 1st, make arrangements to set up an information table at a local coffee shop, bookstore or other public venue. NPCA’s Advocacy Program will work with you by sending materials you can download, allowing you to reach out to others where you live, urging support for adequate Peace Corps funding.

--FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD? DISTRICT MEETINGS WITH YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: As our network advocates, we want to encourage you to work with us in seeking meetings with your representatives when they are back in your district. The first good opportunity for such meetings will likely come during the congressional spring recess (currently scheduled for March 21st through April 1st). PLEASE contact us if you are interested in organizing such a meeting.

LOOK FOR FURTHER RESOURCES NEXT WEEK: Next week we anticipate having a "Day of Action Mobilization Page" posted on our website, and should begin forwarding some initial outreach materials.

Thanks for reading! Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or want to find out other ways you can help.

Jonathan Pearson
NPCA Advocacy Coordinator

Jonathan Pearson
Advocacy Coordinator
National Peace Corps Association
1900 L Street NW, Suite 205
Washington, DC 20036
202-293-7728, ext. 21
fax: 202-293-7554
advocacy@rpcv.org
http://www.npca-advocacy.net





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

The Peace Corps Library Date: February 7 2005 No: 438 The Peace Corps Library
Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in over 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related reference material in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can use the Main Index to find hundreds of stories about RPCVs who have your same interests, who served in your Country of Service, or who serve in your state.

WWII participants became RPCVs Date: February 13 2005 No: 442 WWII participants became RPCVs
Read about two RPCVs who participated in World War II in very different ways long before there was a Peace Corps. Retired Rear Adm. Francis J. Thomas (RPCV Fiji), a decorated hero of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, died Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 at 100. Mary Smeltzer (RPCV Botswana), 89, followed her Japanese students into WWII internment camps. We honor both RPCVs for their service.

February 12, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Date: February 12 2005 No: 443 February 12, 2005: This Week's Top Stories
Peter McPherson keeping busy in DC 12 Feb
Martha Ryan wins Award for pre-natal program 12 Feb
John Perkins reveals dark side of U.S. aid 10 Feb
Kathleen DeBold involved in lesbian activism 10 Feb
Jim Doyle to fix Wisconsin deficit without raising taxes 10 Feb
Chris Dodd proposes Class Action Fairness Act 10 Feb
RPCVs create Tsunami Assistance Project for India 9 Feb
Donna Shalala talks about her Peace Corps days 8 Feb
Senator Frist proposes Global Health Corps 8 Feb
Bush's budget to end Perkins loan forgiveness for PCVs 8 Feb
Tom Petri's Direct Loan Reward Act to save $18 billion 8 Feb
Izaak Edvalson helps educate a Doctor 7 Feb
Carol Bellamy condemns Female genital mutilation 7 Feb
Carl Pope criticizes Bush environmental priorities 7 Feb
Mike Tidwell defends wind farms 6 Feb
Kinky Friedman for real? Voters may not care 5 Feb
Bruce Anderson's Newspaper folds amid money woes 5 Feb

Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps Date: February 7 2005 No: 436 Bush's FY06 Budget for the Peace Corps
The White House is proposing $345 Million for the Peace Corps for FY06 - a $27.7 Million (8.7%) increase that would allow at least two new posts and maintain the existing number of volunteers at approximately 7,700. Bush's 2002 proposal to double the Peace Corps to 14,000 volunteers appears to have been forgotten. The proposed budget still needs to be approved by Congress.
RPCVs mobilize support for Countries of Service Date: January 30 2005 No: 405 RPCVs mobilize support for Countries of Service
RPCV Groups mobilize to support their Countries of Service. Over 200 RPCVS have already applied to the Crisis Corps to provide Tsunami Recovery aid, RPCVs have written a letter urging President Bush and Congress to aid Democracy in Ukraine, and RPCVs are writing NBC about a recent episode of the "West Wing" and asking them to get their facts right about Turkey.
RPCVs contend for Academy Awards  Date: January 31 2005 No: 416 RPCVs contend for Academy Awards
Bolivia RPCV Taylor Hackford's film "Ray" is up for awards in six categories including best picture, best actor and best director. "Autism Is a World" co-produced by Sierra Leone RPCV Douglas Biklen and nominated for best Documentary Short Subject, seeks to increase awareness of developmental disabilities. Colombian film "El Rey," previously in the running for the foreign-language award, includes the urban legend that PCVs teamed up with El Rey to bring cocaine to U.S. soil.
Ask Not Date: January 18 2005 No: 388 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."
Coleman: Peace Corps mission and expansion Date: January 8 2005 No: 373 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 Date: January 8 2005 No: 374 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.
RPCVs and Peace Corps provide aid  Date: January 4 2005 No: 366 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?

Read the stories and leave your comments.






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Story Source: NPCA

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Advocacy; Budget

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By RPCV (ca1462-ch01-bl04.ma-cambridg0.sa.earthlink.net - 207.69.137.203) on Saturday, February 19, 2005 - 9:49 pm: Edit Post

When you call, ask your congressperson what the Peace Corps has done to protect the rights of volunteers who have served and gone through a safety issue. Ask them to initiate an ammendment to the bill to provide all separated Peace Corps volunteers who gone through problems with the agency the right to a Federal attorney appointed by Congress, so they can be on equal footing with the Office of General Counsel in reviewing his or her service record. This intiative of the bill would provide trained man or woman power back in the field without discrimination. This would resolve the on-going dilemma the agency has had with volunteers and families of volunteers who have gone through safety issues while working for Peace Corps. Volunteers and former volunteers would be able to serve again, be provided with appropriate health care for service related issues, assist in FECA claims, provide representation in court for any volunteer or family member who has had safety issue to resolve conflict with the agency over the given volunteer's service record. By calling about this an ammendment of this kind, you are truly calling the Congress on behalf of volunteers and former volunteers who have served or are serving. Your calling to protect the rights of all persons who serve in Peace Corps.

The ombudsman's office was cut out of this bill. We ask you to go a step further and ask for a federal attorney who is funded by Congress to be appointed to review and assist volunteers and families of volunteers who have been victims of crimes, been discriminated against because they served and had an incident, and assist family members who have had volunteer die while serving in Peace Corps or have volunteer missing while serving in Peace Corps. There has been no where to go for the victims of violence or the family members of victims to go to get resolution to their problems with the agency. These people served and deserve better than continous denials, that there are any problems in these cases. Most of these individuals can't afford an attorney to properly challenge Peace Corp's decisions which are hurting families of former volunteers, former volunteers and the program itself. Accountability starts with proper investigation into these cases.

Ask not, to put volunteers in jeopardy without there rights as American citizens while serving and after service, but to provide their service with the full extent of the US law during and after serving.

The NPCA has done nothing for the victims of violence in this regard.

Many Congress persons have done the same. Call and tell them they should not sign it, unless you provide this provision to people who have served and been a victim of a rape, injury, violence from a terrorist act, been threatened to the point of being killed, taken hostage or the worst been killed while serving.

Call them and tell them that this is missing in the bill.


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