2007.07.27: July 27, 2007: Headlines: Congress: Legislation: Speaking Out: PCOL Exclusive: 21. Testimony of Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff on S. 732: The Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act: Proposed Technical Amendments
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2007.07.27: July 27, 2007: Headlines: Congress: Legislation: Speaking Out: PCOL Exclusive: 21. Testimony of Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff on S. 732: The Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act: Proposed Technical Amendments
21. Testimony of Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff on S. 732: The Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act: Proposed Technical Amendments
Section 103 should be amended so that RPCV groups can receive funding to build their capacity to provide funding for PCV projects. This is not funding for the projects themselves, but for capacity building to fund these projects (e.g. securing charitable tax exempt status, setting up and enhancing their websites, and covering expenses associated with making grants to Volunteers). The country-specific "friends" groups can be a valuable source of funding for PCV projects and other development projects in country. In short, this provision can serve to supplement the seed funding provisions of the legislation.
21. Testimony of Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff on S. 732: The Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act: Proposed Technical Amendments
Proposed Technical Amendments
In this testimony we've proposed a series of technical amendments to improve the legislation, which are summarized here.
1. Minimum Seed Money Account: Section 101(c)(4) provides a $1000 limit on seed funding grants. We recommend that the legislation make clear that the Volunteer may apply for multiple grants as long as the total grants during his/her service does not exceed $1000. We recommend that each Volunteer be entitled to a minimum of $250 in seed funding as part of the standard toolkit for service.
2. Clarification Regarding Seed Fundraising: Section 102(b)(1)(A) provides that a Volunteer may fund raise "including by working through the Peace Corps Partnership Program." It might be clearer to say that it's "including but not limited to…" working through this program. We believe this is the intent of the legislation.
3. Expansion of Authorized Projects for Third Goal Funding: Section 103 should be amended so that RPCV groups can receive funding to build their capacity to provide funding for PCV projects. This is not funding for the projects themselves, but for capacity building to fund these projects (e.g. securing charitable tax exempt status, setting up and enhancing their websites, and covering expenses associated with making grants to Volunteers). The country-specific "friends" groups can be a valuable source of funding for PCV projects and other development projects in country. In short, this provision can serve to supplement the seed funding provisions of the legislation.
4. Clarification Regarding Survey of Older Volunteers: Section 104(c) provides that the Director shall conduct an annual survey of older Volunteers. It might be preferable for the survey to focus on the quality of the Peace Corps experience and ways to enhance it and not just on "disincentives and barriers to service."
5. "Substantial Weight": Section 201 provides that "appropriate weight" be given Volunteer views regarding reviews of senior staff and programs. (Page 12, line 4 and line 20). Yet in Section 203—focusing on Volunteer recommendations regarding sites and training—the legislation provides that the views of the Volunteers shall be given "substantial weight." (13, lines 17-18). The "substantial weight" standard should be applied to Volunteer reviews of senior staff performance under Section 202 as well. Effective management and support of Volunteers is the most relevant measure of the effectiveness of these senior staff. This same change needs to be made at page 13, lines 12-13. Section 201 is the most important provision of the legislation and this technical amendment is what's needed to make it effective.
6. Inspector General Access to Survey: The Section 201 surveys of Volunteers should be forwarded to the Peace Corps Office of Inspector General (IG), not just the Peace Corps Regional Directors. This will enhance the effectiveness of the IG Office in improving Peace Corps management and programs.
This is one section from the testimony read into the record on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act by Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff, two RPCVs who are now serving their second tour in Senegal. The rest of the sections can be found by following this link. Their entire report in MS Word format can be downloaded by following this link.
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When this story was posted in July 2007, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
 | Senator Dodd's Peace Corps Hearings Read PCOL's executive summary of Senator Chris Dodd's hearings on July 25 on the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act and why Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter does not believe the bill would contribute to an improved Peace Corps while four other RPCV witnesses do. Highlights of the hearings included Dodd's questioning of Tschetter on political meetings at Peace Corps Headquarters and the Inspector General's testimony on the re-opening of the Walter Poirier III investigation. |
 | Dodd issues call for National Service Standing on the steps of the Nashua City Hall where JFK kicked off his campaign in 1960, Presidential Candidate Chris Dodd issued a call for National Service. "Like thousands of others, I heard President Kennedy's words and a short time later joined the Peace Corps." Dodd said his goal is to see 40 million people volunteering in some form or another by 2020. "We have an appetite for service. We like to be asked to roll up our sleeves and make a contribution," he said. "We haven't been asked in a long time." |
 | Public diplomacy rests on sound public policy When President Kennedy spoke of "a long twilight struggle," and challenged the country to "ask not," he signaled that the Cold War was the challenge and framework defining US foreign policy. The current challenge is not a struggle against a totalitarian foe. It is not a battle against an enemy called "Islamofascism." From these false assumptions flow false choices, including the false choice between law enforcement and war. Instead, law enforcement and military force both must be essential instruments, along with diplomacy, including public diplomacy. But public diplomacy rests on policy, and to begin with, the policy must be sound. Read more. |
 | Ambassador revokes clearance for PC Director A post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision. On June 8 the White House announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Latest: Senator Dodd has placed a hold on Mark Green's nomination to be Ambassador to Tanzania. |
 | Peace Corps Funnies A PCV writing home? Our editor hard at work? Take a look at our Peace Corps Funnies and Peace Corps Cartoons and see why Peace Corps Volunteers say that sometimes a touch of levity can be one of the best ways of dealing with frustrations in the field. Read what RPCVs say about the lighter side of life in the Peace Corps and see why irreverent observations can often contain more than a grain of truth. We'll supply the photos. You supply the captions. |
 | PCOL serves half million PCOL's readership for April exceeded 525,000 visitors - a 50% increase over last year. This year also saw the advent of a new web site: Peace Corps News that together with the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps serve 17,000 RPCVs, Staff, and Friends of the Peace Corps every day. Thanks for making PCOL your source of news for the Peace Corps community. Read more. |
 | Suspect confesses in murder of PCV Search parties in the Philippines discovered the body of Peace Corps Volunteer Julia Campbell near Barangay Batad, Banaue town on April 17. Director Tschetter expressed his sorrow at learning the news. “Julia was a proud member of the Peace Corps family, and she contributed greatly to the lives of Filipino citizens in Donsol, Sorsogon, where she served,” he said. Latest: Suspect Juan Duntugan admits to killing Campbell. Leave your thoughts and condolences . |
 | Warren Wiggins: Architect of the Peace Corps Warren Wiggins, who died at 84 on April 13, became one of the architects of the Peace Corps in 1961 when his paper, "A Towering Task," landed in the lap of Sargent Shriver, just as Shriver was trying to figure out how to turn the Peace Corps into a working federal department. Shriver was electrified by the treatise, which urged the agency to act boldly. Read Mr. Wiggins' obituary and biography, take an opportunity to read the original document that shaped the Peace Corps' mission, and read John Coyne's special issue commemorating "A Towering Task." |
 | Chris Dodd's Vision for the Peace Corps 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. |
 | He served with honor One year ago, Staff Sgt. Robert J. Paul (RPCV Kenya) carried on an ongoing dialog on this website on the military and the peace corps and his role as a member of a Civil Affairs Team in Iraq and Afghanistan. We have just received a report that Sargeant Paul has been killed by a car bomb in Kabul. Words cannot express our feeling of loss for this tremendous injury to the entire RPCV community. Most of us didn't know him personally but we knew him from his words. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends. He was one of ours and he served with honor. |
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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Congress; Legislation; Speaking Out
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