March 3, 2005: Headlines: Congress: Appropriations: Budget: Advocacy: NPCA Advocacy: RPCV Congressmen ask Colleagues to support full funding for Peace Corps

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Library: Peace Corps: Congress: Congress and the Peace Corps: March 3, 2005: Headlines: Congress: Appropriations: Budget: Advocacy: NPCA Advocacy: RPCV Congressmen ask Colleagues to support full funding for Peace Corps
Call the Capital Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask the operator to connect you to the office of your Representative in Congress.

RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC Date: March 5 2005 No: 482 RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC
RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.
When you are connected, ask if your Representative supports the expansion of the Peace Corps and if so, are they willing to call Ann Vaughan in Rep Farr's office at 5-2861 and sign onto the letter calling for full funding for the Peace Corps.


By Admin1 (admin) (pool-151-196-123-27.balt.east.verizon.net - 151.196.123.27) on Saturday, March 05, 2005 - 3:25 pm: Edit Post

RPCV Congressmen ask Colleagues to support full funding for Peace Corps

RPCV Congressmen ask Colleagues to support full funding for Peace Corps

RPCV Congressmen ask Colleagues to support full funding for Peace Corps

RPCV Congressmen ask colleagues to support full funding for Peace Corps



Letter from RPCV Members of Congress to their Colleagues in Congress

Following is a letter signed by the five RPCV Members of Congress asking other Members of Congress to add their names to a letter calling for full funding for the Peace Corps:

March 3, 2005


Dear Colleague:

We would like to invite you to sign the attached letter to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee urging full funding of the Peace Corps at the President's request of $345 million for FY 06.

The Peace Corps has been an effective and cost efficient grassroots development program for over 40 years. Since 1961 Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) have worked in every corner of the world, including the Middle East, and demonstrated the 'human side' of American assistance: promoting friendship, cross cultural understanding along with sustainable international development.

Peace Corps has evolved to meet the changing needs of the developing world and grows in importance as a vehicle for promoting long-term international development. PCVs continue to work and train locals in essential sectors such as water sanitation and agricultural development, but Volunteers have also branched out to build local capacity in sectors such as Information Technology, Small Business Development and HIV/AIDS education.

As Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, we believe that grassroots international development assistance and the creation of goodwill towards America through the personal involvement of over 7,000 American PCVs a year is worthy of robust funding and we urge you to sign the attached letter requesting that the House Appropriations Committee fund the Peace Corps at the President's request level of $345 million for FY 06.

To sign on to the letter please contact Ann Vaughan in Rep Farr's office at 5-2861 or ann.vaughan@mail.house.gov.

Sincerely,

Sam Farr, M.C. RPCV Colombia 1964-66

Christopher Shays, M.C. RPCV Fiji 1968-70

Thomas Petri, M.C. RPCV Somalia, 1966-67

James Walsh, M.C. RPCV Nepal, 1970-72

Mike Honda, M.C. RPCV El Salvador, 1965-67




Letter to Chairman Kolbe and Ranking Member Lowey

Dear Chairman Kolbe and Ranking Member Lowey:

We respectfully request that you fully fund the President's FY06 request for Peace Corps at $345 million. This funding level, scrubbed by OMB, demonstrates our strong commitment to the Peace Corps and our recognition of the importance of the agency's mission of promoting international grassroots development and a better understanding of Americans abroad.

In President's Bush second inaugural address, he called on Americans to "Make the choice to serve in a cause larger than your wants, larger than yourself - and in your days you will add not just to the wealth of our country, but to its character." Service in the Peace Corps does not just add to the wealth of the US by educating Americans in diverse languages and cultures, it adds to the wealth and peace of the world at large. Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) help create grassroots development in 72 countries throughout the world and work to build local capacity so that long-term sustainable development is possible and builds international understanding and friendship.

According to many U.S. diplomats and host country officials, the Peace Corps is the most effective and cost efficient U.S. agency working at the local, grassroots development level. The President's budget request of $345 million, a modest increase from FY 05 enacted level of $318 million, will allow the Peace Corps to optimize the number of Volunteers and staff in existing countries, strengthen and expand recruiting efforts, and maximize safety and security training and compliance efforts.

We thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.

Sincerely,

Ann Vaughan
Legislative Assistant
Office of Congressman Sam Farr
(202) 225-2861






When this story was posted in March 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.

Top Stories and Breaking News PCOL Magazine Peace Corps Library RPCV Directory Sign Up

March 1: National Day of Action Date: February 28 2005 No: 471 March 1: National Day of Action
Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.
Coates Redmon, Peace Corps Chronicler  Date: February 26 2005 No: 457 Coates Redmon, Peace Corps Chronicler
Coates Redmon, a staffer in Sargent Shriver's Peace Corps, died February 22 in Washington, DC. Her book "Come as You Are" is considered to be one of the finest (and most entertaining) recountings of the birth of the Peace Corps and how it was literally thrown together in a matter of weeks. If you want to know what it felt like to be young and idealistic in the 1960's, get an out-of-print copy. We honor her memory.

February 26, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Date: February 26 2005 No: 454 February 26, 2005: This Week's Top Stories
Folk-Singer Steve Schuch releases "Trees of Life" 26 Feb
Christopher Bartlett maintains Marine Protected Area 25 Feb
Joseph Frey uses amputation experience to help others 25 Feb
James McCann concerned by maize in Ethiopia 25 Feb
Sen. Obama says PC can help improve diplomacy 24 Feb
PCVs help remove batteries in Belize 24 Feb
Jimmy Carter praises mother's PC service 24 Feb
Craig D. Wandke's lunar passion began in Honduras 23 Feb
Char Andrews discusses her experience with cancer 23 Feb
Beverly Seckinger tells stories through film 23 Feb
J. Tyler Dickovick: As Togo goes, so may go Africa 23 Feb
Andres Hernandez searches for PCV for 40 years 23 Feb
Bulgaria is now like second home to Aaron Wills 22 Feb
Bernadette Roberts to serve as diplomat in Albania 22 Feb
USA Freedom Corps downgraded at White House 22 Feb
Tom Skeldon seeks to control pit bull trade 21 Feb
Gabriela Lena Frank writes music on Dad's PCV service 21 Feb

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.
Peace Corps Calendar: Tempest in a Teapot? Date: February 17 2005 No: 445 Peace Corps Calendar: Tempest in a Teapot?
Bulgarian writer Ognyan Georgiev has written a story which has made the front page of the newspaper "Telegraf" criticizing the photo selection for his country in the 2005 "Peace Corps Calendar" published by RPCVs of Madison, Wisconsin. RPCV Betsy Sergeant Snow, who submitted the photograph for the calendar, has published her reply. Read the stories and leave your comments.
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.
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.

Read the stories and leave your comments.






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Story Source: NPCA Advocacy

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

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By formerVolunteer (ca32-ch01-bl07.ny-newyorkc0.sa.earthlink.net - 207.69.138.12) on Saturday, March 12, 2005 - 8:39 pm: Edit Post

Call your Representative and let them know that Peace Corps has wrongfully separated thousands of volunteers and does not provide adequate health care and Federal Employment Benefits who have been victims of violence during their service.

By wrongfully stigmitizing these volunteers, who served both Peace Corps and in a developing countries, the Peace Corps is discriminating against this population within Federal service and in employment development associated with contracting to federal service. These people volunteered their time to the organization. Now, they are left on their own for service related problems and definitely shunned after a wrongful separation.

Tell your representative it hurts the program when Peace Corps lies about the rape of a volunteer, a terror type of attack on a volunteer, or an assault or threat by groups or individuals while serving. By covering up this population of people who served their country in a very unique fashion, you hurt the fabric of why the organization was created in the first place.

Peace Corps and members of Congress will someday have to understand we are individuals and we served just like for example Chris Shays, Chris Dodd, or any other member of Congress who served.

Discrimiation is a menacing deed. It hurts families and works to hurt careers and people's spirit. Know that your service is valuable and should have been treated differently. Peace Corps should own up to that, instead of slandering or undermining your life. The projects and people you served know this the best.

For Volunteers who have survived a safety incident, I especially applaud your service and courage to tell the truth about your experiences regardless of any bureaucrat,country director or volunteer who second guest your integrity or degraded your truth and commitment. You will have your redemption some day. Keep your head high.

Remember the qualifications you have and leadership qualities that you were chosen to serve with. There are former volunteers who know you deserve all the best and you should be honored for service and you should be able to serve your government again.

Call your Congress person and ask them why they did not adopted a venue or law to assist this population of people, who serve, went through a difficult incident or horrible health problem. Keep telling them that they should adopt monies and funds to assist either you serving again or being able serve your third goal without discrimination from USAID, State Department, or any other nationally related agency. Most of those individuals who discriminate, never served and hold your horrible event or circumstances over your head to hold back careers of former volunteers.

This hurts safety and integrity of the program and members of the Congress know it.

2,900 approximate Victims of violence during the late 1980's to present, were separated wrongfully from service or are not receiving proper benefits for their service and are being discrimated against in getting federal type of service related jobs.

Ask the International relations members and appropriate committees. Don't let your congress person off easy. Let that staffer know about your service and experiences truthfully.

Most staffers don't even know what Peace Corps service entails and for that matter most Congress persons,that is why Peace Corps continues to get away with this discrimination and lies about certain volunteer's service.

Thanks for listening. The number to the capitol is 202-224-3424

By formervolunteer (ca32-ch01-bl01.ny-newyorkc0.sa.earthlink.net - 207.69.138.9) on Sunday, March 13, 2005 - 7:14 am: Edit Post

We have spoken with Marty Meehan about our concerns and let him know about this letter above.

As you know, Marty Meehan brought the GAO report on Safety and Security that was one of the impetus steps in getting the Dayton Daily news series accomplished and hearings.

Marty Meehan is the Congressman from Walter Poirer's district, a volunteer who continues to be missing.

I told Marty nothing would happen and everything would be washed over with nothing done. Peace Corps has done just that.

Stop Corruption and discrimination at Peace Corps.


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