During her professional career, Carol Bellamy has been a lawyer, banker and politician



During her professional career, Carol Bellamy has been a lawyer, banker and politician

Investing in the future of children

BY T.M. MENEES, Staff writer

tmmenees@observer-reporter.com

During her professional career, Carol Bellamy has been a lawyer, banker and politician.

"If you add Realtor into the mix, I'd have done all the jobs your mother wouldn't admit to your next-door neighbors," Bellamy joked.

While demonstrating a keen sense of humor, Bellamy's purpose is much more serious. Bellamy has served as UNICEF's executive director for the past 10 years. UNICEF is the world's leading children's organization.

And Monday night, in the ballroom of Rossin Campus Center at Washington & Jefferson College, she spoke as part of the Francis Asbury Palmer Lecture Series, which is hosted each year by students of Matthew Brown Fellowship. The lecture is a special program of college-age ministry at First Presbyterian Church of Washington, which donated $4,000 to the cause. The topic centered on holding a career in public service.

She discussed her experiences heading UNICEF and her previous jobs as a Peace Corps volunteer and New York state senator.

"I was a banker," Bellamy said, "but it took me coming to UNICEF to realize that something like helping a young woman is more likely to multiply."

She meant that by investing in education of an underprivileged young woman, that person is more likely to raise a family, not get infected with HIV and be a stable adult.

"Where else can you get that return in an investment?" Bellamy said.

Her travels have led her around the world, including her most recent trips to Indonesia and Sri Lanka to assist in the tsunami recovery efforts.

"Natural disasters have always happened," she said. "But they are becoming bigger today."

Bellamy cited deforestation as one example of why floods are having a bigger impact. The explosive spread of HIV, however, is a major concern to UNICEF.

"The urgency (toward HIV) is disappearing in wealthier countries," she said. "But there are 8,000 newly infected people every day."

She blames a basic lack of education for that.

"There are 110 to 120 million school-age kids not in school," Bellamy said. "And they are not in school because of child labor, exploitation and war. There are no rules out there."

A lifelong New Yorker, Bellamy completes her term at the end of April. She will meet this weekend with Nelson Mandela, the South African civil rights leader, at his home. She said when her time ends with UNICEF, she will move on.

"I'm going to get out of the way."

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

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.

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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.

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Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

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March 12, 2005: This Week's Top Stories The Coyne Column: Read Winning Essay by PCV 12 Mar Laura Germino helps Migrant Workers Advocacy Group 12 Mar Sam Farr impresses medical-pot advocacy group 11 Mar Fred O'Regan writes Op-Ed on Canada seal hunt 11 Mar Fern Holland remembered In Oklahoma 10 Mar Mountaineer Charles Houston receives honorary degree 10 Mar Elaine Chao led delegation for President's inauguration 10 Mar Chris Dodd wins Hispanic Capital Award 9 Mar Pat Waak is new Colorado Democratic Party Chair 9 Mar Chris Matthews withdraws from Florida Event 9 Mar Timothy J. O'Brien returns to Korea 8 Mar Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil 7 Mar Christopher Hill to be Assistant Secretary of State 7 Mar Allen Moore is Sen Frist's Deputy Chief of Staff 7 Mar Jim Doyle heads trade delegation to Mexico 5 Mar Al Kamen says Narcissus Is Now Greek AND Roman 4 Mar Diana Gomez says to do something about Peace 4 Mar

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March 12, 2005: RPCV Groups in the News San Diego RPCVs host reception with Gaddi Vasquez on March 6 4 Mar Alaska RPCVs speak for dividend 4 Mar Western North Carolina's RPCVs sponsor Africa Night on March 6 3 Mar Maryland RPCVs lobby their Senators for Peace Corps 3 Mar Connecticut RPCVs hold fundraiser on March 5 3 Mar Charles Baquet speaks at Louisiana PC Breakfast on March 4 28 Feb RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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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.

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? 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 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 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.

Read the stories and leave your comments.