2006.11.30: November 30, 2006: Headlines: Miss LonelyHearts: FAQ: Blogs: Blog Policy: Live Journal: Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: Has anyone had issues with blogs or personal websites in the peace corps, or do they really only care about what you say about them?
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2006.11.30: November 30, 2006: Headlines: Miss LonelyHearts: FAQ: Blogs: Blog Policy: Live Journal: Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: Has anyone had issues with blogs or personal websites in the peace corps, or do they really only care about what you say about them?
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: Has anyone had issues with blogs or personal websites in the peace corps, or do they really only care about what you say about them?
Here is PCs official blog policy, garnered using the FoIA: http://peacecorpsjournals.com/rules.html. It's basically "you're welcome to maintain a blog/personal website, but you should do so with cultural sensitivity, discretion for private information/etc/etc". They don't care if you have a blog/website, but if you do, they want to know about it, and they want to make sure you're well, playing nice. Peace Corps maintains that it owns everything you create, write, design, or communicate during your service. They also maintain the right to kick you out if you reveal too much information about where you are posted, your work, etc.
Dear Miss Lonelyhearts: Has anyone had issues with blogs or personal websites in the peace corps, or do they really only care about what you say about them?
Hi guys,
So I leave for service in Thailand on January 8th, and I have what might be the stupidest issue regarding peace corps service...should I friends lock my entire lj? On the one hand I don't care...I am very open about who and what I am and believe that hiding things hurts people and does more harm than good. On the other hand peace corps seems pretty concerned with its image and the image volunteers present. While I certainly wouldn't post a rant about my host country or something embarrassing about the peace corps in a public post, do I need to friends lock existing entries?
How have you guys dealt with this in service? Has anyone had issues with blogs or personal websites in the peace corps, or do they really only care about what you say about them?
Yes, lock it. Peace Corps maintains that it owns everything you create, write, design, or communicate during your service. They also maintain the right to kick you out if you reveal too much information about where you are posted, your work, etc.
This has come up before for volunteers; those who had read restrictions on their blog aren't considered in violation of PC policy; also, a locked blog is not as accessible to PC staff.
Keep in mind though that if you use the computers at the Peace Corps office, they maintain the right to monitor everything you do on those machines, and if they are anything like the Uzbek office, they do keep pretty close tabs on everything you write on office machines and every website you go to. If you want to blog, do it from an internet cafe.
Locking it isn't bad advice... it's a good better-safe-than-sorry measure, and will prevent you from getting any unwanted attention. But you can probably also maintain a mixed security journal easily, as long as you're being careful about what information is public, and what is protected.
Here is PCs official blog policy, garnered using the FoIA: http://peacecorpsjournals.com/rules.html. It's basically "you're welcome to maintain a blog/personal website, but you should do so with cultural sensitivity, discretion for private information/etc/etc". They don't care if you have a blog/website, but if you do, they want to know about it, and they want to make sure you're well, playing nice.
There are definitely serious repercussions if you post information which is unflattering to the PC/your community/your country/etc. But really, that's not that different than if you were to mouth off at work at a regular job, only to have your boss come across it.
But on the other hand, many many volunteers do maintain public blogs, and they're amazingly interesting, and helpful, and help fulfill the third goal of the PC. And that's a fantastic resource. As an applicant, I've spent many hours reading blogs of volunteers placed in the region I'm nominated for. And I think that makes me a more mentally/emotionally prepared for what I'm putting myself into for it. It's not like the blogs out there represent the PC as all butterflies, sunshine and moondust... it's just a line that you have to be careful about.
Malwae is definitely right about the PC computers though... as you'll see if you read through that whole memo that I linked to, PC uses activity logging software to keep track of what people are using the comps for... so I wouldn't write any sensitive emails/blogs/anything on a PC computer.
My husband works for PC/Burkina Faso, and in conversation with the country director, she mentioned that she reads Burkina PCVs' blogs. Just as a heads up.
Here's some extra information that I've gathered while trying to make that decision myself:
This started wayyy back in the early days of the PC, when a group was training at a university in an African country (Kenya I think?). At the time, there was a strong anti-imperialism movement in the progressive youth of the country, and they already had mixed feelings about the PC there. One young female volunteer dropped a postcard (?) to her boyfriend before she mailed it, and some students found it. She didn't think what she had written was objectionable at the time --although this was the 1960s/70s. She wrote that she loved it, but it was a big adjustment, and something about "primitive technology" I think. At any rate, the students were VERY upset and started protesting and harrassing the trainees. They had to leave, or at the very least, I believe the girl who wrote it was kicked out and had to make a public apology.
The point of this is, that while most mail may not be searched anymore, blogs are easy to find. If you have a frustrating day, or even if you don't think what you're writing is bad, someone may take it a different way than you intended it. There have been numerous instances of HCNs or PC staffers finding objectionable comments in blogs in recent years that have caused problems for certain volunteers or their country's PC program as a whole. It can do a suprising amount of damage. Part of it is the PC's image, but part of it is your personal safety (there are many people who shouldn't know exactly where to find you) and/or your ability to make a difference to the people you live with. Find the thirdgoal site; it's by a volunteer who had just that problem, and he was admin seperated. He started the site as a way to give other volunteers a safer means to anonymously express their true feelings about serving in the PC, negative or positive.
So as the end result of this, I am putting up the disclaimer recommended by the PC on my livejournal and myspace accounts, but I'm locking up pretty much everything anyways. A month before I leave, I've told family and friends that I will send an email asking who would like to be included in occaisional email updates on what I am doing. I'm going to post the same things, and possibly more, in my livejournal as friends-only. I've also seen lots of people make Yahoo groups for their families/friends, so they can allow certain people to join and see what they write, then comment back. Not a bad setup either!
So give it some more thought, and see what you think.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: November, 2006; Miss Lonelyhearts; Blogs
When this story was posted in December 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
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All Volunteers in Fiji are safe and accounted for. The Peace Corps is monitoring the situation very closely. Volunteers are on standfast but there are no plans for evacuation at this time. Peace Corps is working closely with the US embassy and with host country partners to monitor the situation. Peace Corps is confident that volunteers are not in harm's way. The military seized control of Fiji on December 5 after weeks of threats. Subscribe to our news feed to read the latest breaking news. |
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On his first official trip since being confirmed as Peace Corps Director, Ron Tschetter (shown at left with PCV Tia Tucker) is on a ten day trip to Morocco and Jordan. Traveling with his wife (Both are RPCVs.), Tschetter met with volunteers in Morocco working in environment, youth development, health, and small business development. He began his trip to Jordan by meeting with His Majesty King Abdullah II and Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah and discussed expanding the program there in the near future. |
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Senator Chris Dodd (RPCV Dominican Republic) spoke at the ceremony for this year's Shriver Award and elaborated on issues he raised at Ron Tschetter's hearings. Dodd plans to introduce legislation that may include: setting aside a portion of Peace Corps' budget as seed money for demonstration projects and third goal activities (after adjusting the annual budget upward to accommodate the added expense), more volunteer input into Peace Corps operations, removing medical, healthcare and tax impediments that discourage older volunteers, providing more transparency in the medical screening and appeals process, a more comprehensive health safety net for recently-returned volunteers, and authorizing volunteers to accept, under certain circumstances, private donations to support their development projects. He plans to circulate draft legislation for review to members of the Peace Corps community and welcomes RPCV comments. |
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The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process. |
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The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "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." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace. |
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