Headlines: February, 2011
Peace Corps Online:
Peace Corps News:
Breaking News:
Peace Corps News: 2011:
Headlines: February, 2011
In February 2011, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers 
 | How Volunteers Remember Sarge
As the Peace Corps' Founding Director Sargent Shriver laid the foundations for the most lasting accomplishment of the Kennedy presidency. Shriver spoke to returned volunteers at the Peace Vigil at Lincoln Memorial in September, 2001 for the Peace Corps 40th. "The challenge I believe is simple - simple to express but difficult to fulfill. That challenge is expressed in these words: PCV's - stay as you are. Be servants of peace. Work at home as you have worked abroad. Humbly, persistently, intelligently. Weep with those who are sorrowful, Care for those who are sick. Serve your wives, serve your husbands, serve your families, serve your neighbors, serve your cities, serve the poor, join others who also serve," said Shriver. "Serve, Serve, Serve. That's the answer, that's the objective, that's the challenge." |
 | Support Independent Funding for the Third Goal
The Peace Corps has always neglected the third goal, allocating less than 1% of their resources to "bringing the world back home." Senator Dodd addressed this issue in the "Peace Corps for the 21st Century" bill passed by the US Senate and Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter proposed a "Peace Corps Foundation" at no cost to the US government. Both are good approaches but the recent "Comprehensive Assessment Report" didn't address the issue of independent funding for the third goal at all. |
 | Memo to Incoming Director Williams
PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Puzey family gets apology from Peace Corps in wake of...
Puzey family gets apology from Peace Corps in wake of daughter's murder 1 February 2011
Peace Corps apologizes to Puzey family...
Peace Corps apologizes to Puzey family 1 February 2011
Elise Pagel is rallying the people of Las Auyamas in...
Elise Pagel is rallying the people of Las Auyamas in the Dominican Republic to construct and install 20 pit latrines at homes that don't have proper facilities 1 February 2011
Filmmaker Alrick Brown's Path to Sundance Success Led Through Rwanda...
Filmmaker Alrick Brown's Path to Sundance Success Led Through Rwanda 1 February 2011
Obituary for Sierra Leone RPCV Gloria Seldin...
Obituary for Sierra Leone RPCV Gloria Seldin 1 February 2011
Tanzania RPCV Tim Hickey coached Willam Penn High School track...
Tanzania RPCV Tim Hickey coached Willam Penn High School track girls on a 20-year regular-season unbeaten streak, winning 18 Public League championships and 18 Pennsylvania Coaches' Association indoor state championships along the way 1 February 2011
Rep. Garamendi Encourages Egyptian Government & Opposition to Embrace Peaceful Transition...
Rep. Garamendi Encourages Egyptian Government & Opposition to Embrace Peaceful Transition to Democracy 1 February 2011
Rep. John Garamendi honors Sargent Shriver...
Rep. John Garamendi honors Sargent Shriver 1 February 2011
Costa Rica RPCV Sandra Bailey is new principal of the...
Costa Rica RPCV Sandra Bailey is new principal of the South County Career Center in Tampa Bay 2 February 2011
John Limbert writes: "Iran: At War with History"
John Limbert has authored three books: Iran: At War with History, Shiraz in the Age of Hafez and, most recently, Negotiating with Iran (2009) 2 February 2011
President of Macedonia Visits Direcotr Aaron Williams at Peace Corps...
President of Macedonia Visits Direcotr Aaron Williams at Peace Corps Headquarters 2 February 2011
John Freivalds writes: Egypt compared to Iran in 1970's
Panama and Colombia RPCV John Freivalds writes: As we confront the growing diplomatic mess in Egypt and throughout the Middle East, I recall when the U.S. found itself in the same predicament some 30 years ago when the Shah of Iran fell from power 2 February 2011
Togo RPCV Todd Braje's shortest run is 9 miles...
Togo RPCV Todd Braje's shortest run is 9 miles 2 February 2011
The Congo Cookbook is a collection of recipes from Africa...
The Congo Cookbook is a collection of recipes from Africa compiled by epicurean Peace Corps volunteer Ed Gibbon 3 February 2011
Guatemala RPCV James Warner has joined the newly-constituted advocacy...
Guatemala RPCV James Warner has joined the newly-constituted advocacy organization of the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association as its Director of Policy 3 February 2011
Obituary for Kenya RPCV James Nowak...
Obituary for Kenya RPCV James Nowak 3 February 2011
President Gjorge Ivanov of Macedonia meets with Aaron Williams...
President Gjorge Ivanov of Macedonia meets with Aaron Williams 3 February 2011
Eric Czuleger writes: Starting on March 15th or thereabouts, I...
Eric Czuleger writes: Starting on March 15th or thereabouts, I leave the well-upholstered womb that is Redondo Beach to serve as an English teacher in the Peace Corps… in Albania 4 February 2011
Puzey Family Expects More from the Peace Corps...
Puzey Family Expects More from the Peace Corps 4 February 2011
RPCV Michael J. Snarskis writes: Costa Rica 10,000 Years Ago...
RPCV Michael J. Snarskis writes: Costa Rica 10,000 Years Ago: Evidence of the Earliest Known Peoples 4 February 2011
Michael Snarskis Discovered Ancient Civilizations
RPCV Michael Snarskis discovered ancient civilizations in Costa Rica 4 February 2011
Malaysia RPCV Dr. Paul Frommer spoke at the lecture: "Giving...
Malaysia RPCV Dr. Paul Frommer spoke at the lecture: "Giving Avatar Its Voice: Creating the Na'vi Language" 4 February 2011
The Consentinos met as Peace Corps volunteers in 1964 posted...
The Consentinos met as Peace Corps volunteers in 1964 posted to southeastern Nigeria 4 February 2011
Kay Jurgenson writes: Thought some of the readers might appreciate...
Kay Jurgenson writes: Thought some of the readers might appreciate an update on a few Peace Corps results in the Philippines 4 February 2011
Turkey RPCV Linda Ballard, a 40-year employee at the...
Turkey RPCV Linda Ballard, a 40-year employee at the University City library who has been director for the last 18 years, will retire 4 February 2011
Morocco RPCV Linley Wartenberg has taken just about any job...
Morocco RPCV Linley Wartenberg has taken just about any job she can find since returning to Florida in late 2009 after a two-year stint with the Peace Corps 6 February 2011
One American citizen who has been a friend of Sierra...
One American citizen who has been a friend of Sierra Leone for many years is Mr. Gary Shulze 6 February 2011
University of Hawaii loses PC Training Contract
The University of Hawaii has lost its contract to train Peace Corps volunteers bound for the Trust Territory 6 February 2011
Samoa RPCV Robert Strong brings science to life for communities...
Samoa RPCV Robert Strong brings science to life for communities 7 February 2011
Solomon Islands RPCV Keith Selman to retire as City of...
Solomon Islands RPCV Keith Selman to retire as City of Laredo Planning & Zoning Director 7 February 2011
RPCV Rachel Freed writes: Civility: A Legacy of Peace...
RPCV Rachel Freed writes: Civility: A Legacy of Peace 7 February 2011
RPCV Jud Dolphin has become a world traveler since joining...
RPCV Jud Dolphin has become a world traveler since joining the Peace Corps and being shipped to Ukraine 7 February 2011
Peace Corps Mourns the Loss of China Peace Corps Volunteer...
Peace Corps Mourns the Loss of China Peace Corps Volunteer Cannon Stamm in Thailand 8 February 2011
Lauraine Effress writes: Guinea RPCVs get together for 46th anniversary...
Lauraine Effress writes: Guinea RPCVs get together for 46th anniversary 8 February 2011
Mahlon Barash writes: My own two years (1965-67) as a...
Mahlon Barash writes: My own two years (1965-67) as a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru were a life-changing experience 8 February 2011
Sierra Leone RPCV Gloria Seldin role model for seniors, and...
Sierra Leone RPCV Gloria Seldin role model for seniors, and everyone else 8 February 2011
Michael McCarthy writes: Who Needs the Peace Corps?
Michael McCarthy writes: Our foreign policy would be better off with Peace Corps 8 February 2011
While many American Peace Corps volunteers experienced culture shock during...
While many American Peace Corps volunteers experienced culture shock during their two-year immersion in Brazil, that wasn't true of Carl Brown who had lived with his family in Rio de Janeiro from age 10 to adulthood 9 February 2011
Claudia Jayne teaches Sewing in Fiji
When Seamstress Claudia Jayne first arrived at Nagado Village as a Peace Corps volunteer, she came up with the idea of a sewing workshop 9 February 2011
Peace Corps brought Pamela and Paul Young together in Belize...
Peace Corps brought Pamela and Paul Young together in Belize 10 February 2011
RPCVs David and Bernadette Miron married in Colombia in 1960s
David and Bernadette Miron met and married as Peace Corps volunteers in Colombia in 1960s 10 February 2011
Bruce Rosen Leads Lawsuit Against Iran
For Ex-Hostage Bruce Rosen, Lawsuit Against Iran Is Unfinished Business 10 February 2011
Niger RPCV Heather Mangan was in Egypt during the protests...
Niger RPCV Heather Mangan was in Egypt during the protests but she says in the beginning, she never imagined things would get this big 10 February 2011
Peace Corps Volunteer Malinda Cotter married as Peace Corps Volunteer...
Peace Corps Volunteer Malinda Cotter married as Peace Corps Volunteer in Saint Lucia in 1960s 10 February 2011
Azerbaijan RPCV Ryan Lee returns a bag of money...
Azerbaijan RPCV Ryan Lee returns a bag of money 11 February 2011
Nepal RPCV Seth Fearey is new Peace Corps Country Director...
Nepal RPCV Seth Fearey is new Peace Corps Country Director for Kyrgyz Republic 11 February 2011
Kenya RPCV Vincent Groh is new Peace Corps Country Director...
Kenya RPCV Vincent Groh is new Peace Corps Country Director for Liberia 11 February 2011
Nicaragua RPCV Carol Barrick is new Peace Corps Country Director...
Nicaragua RPCV Carol Barrick is new Peace Corps Country Director for Nicaragua 11 February 2011
RPCV Congressmen Petri and Farr send a letter nominating the...
RPCV Congressmen Petri and Farr send a letter nominating the Peace Corps for the Nobel Peace Prize 11 February 2011
Patricia McKissick sees history unfolding in Cairo
Iran RPCV Patricia McKissick sees history unfolding in Cairo 12 February 2011
J. Elvis Herman writes: When people ask me about my...
J. Elvis Herman writes: When people ask me about my experiences, I share with them both the good and the bad; and when they ask me whether I would recommend Peace Corps service, I tell them that I'm glad I served because I had some eye-opening experiences that have forever changed me, but I also say that I wouldn't do it again 14 February 2011
House Appropriations-proposed Peace Corps cuts would violate Obama's promise...
House Appropriations-proposed Peace Corps cuts would violate Obama's promise 14 February 2011
South Africa Peace Corps Volunteer writes: Why Do Peace Corps...
South Africa Peace Corps Volunteer writes: Why Do Peace Corps Volunteers Speak Ill of Pre-Service Training 17 February 2011
Robert Textor Writes: The Five Year Rule: How It All...
Robert Textor Writes: The Five Year Rule: How It All Happened 20 February 2011
Thailand RPCV William Conard to be Principal at Galvin Middle...
Thailand RPCV William Conard to be Principal at Galvin Middle School position 22 February 2011
Hugh Pickens says PC to Win Nobel Peace Prize
Hugh Pickens writes: 2011 is the Year Peace Corps will win the Nobel Peace Prize 22 February 2011
In an age of globe-trotting American college kids, ubiquitous...
In an age of globe-trotting American college kids, ubiquitous Internet access, and cell phone networks that reach even sub-Saharan cattle herders, does the world still need the Peace Corps? 22 February 2011
Returned Peace Corps volunteers Angene and Jack Wilson of Lexington...
Returned Peace Corps volunteers Angene and Jack Wilson of Lexington wrote a book on fellow Kentucky volunteers' experiences 23 February 2011
Rachel Savané finds love during her Peace Corps tour in...
Rachel Savané finds love during her Peace Corps tour in Guinea 23 February 2011
Haiti RPCV Linda Layfield of Yakima has agreed to host...
Haiti RPCV Linda Layfield of Yakima has agreed to host a "house party" commemorating the corps' golden anniversary 23 February 2011
Obituary for Senegal RPCV Andrew F. Clark, Professor of African...
Obituary for Senegal RPCV Andrew F. Clark, Professor of African Studies 23 February 2011
During her two years in Turkmenistan working for the Peace...
During her two years in Turkmenistan working for the Peace Corps, Jeanne Walsh learned that the children listened to her lessons about nutrition, sanitation and exercises the best 23 February 2011
In honor of Colorado State University's historic involvement with the...
In honor of Colorado State University's historic involvement with the Peace Corps, the university will host a month-long series of events to celebrate the anniversary 23 February 2011
David Kinchen reivews "When the World Calls...
David Kinchen reivews "When the World Calls" 24 February 2011
Trevor Cottle's service in Ecuador helped calm his dissatisfaction with...
Trevor Cottle's service in Ecuador helped calm his dissatisfaction with his forestry career 24 February 2011
The memory of a mentally disabled girl whom Annette Mandeville...
The memory of a mentally disabled girl whom Annette Mandeville helped during her service in Jamaica stays with her 24 February 2011
Kimberly Luz garnered two years worth of memorable experiences as...
Kimberly Luz garnered two years worth of memorable experiences as a health education teacher for sixth and seventh grades in Falesti, Republic of Moldova 24 February 2011
Obituary for Philippines RPCV Dodie Captiva...
Obituary for Philippines RPCV Dodie Captiva 24 February 2011
Edie Sternberg was a Peace Corps volunteer in Western Samoa...
Edie Sternberg was a Peace Corps volunteer in Western Samoa between 1967-1969 24 February 2011
Zambia Country director Cynthia Threlkeld named new executive director of...
Zambia Country director Cynthia Threlkeld named new executive director of MANNA Food Bank 24 February 2011
Camden Public Library will host a local celebration of the...
Camden Public Library will host a local celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps 24 February 2011
Stanley Meisler writes: The corps' celebrity and size may have...
Stanley Meisler writes: The corps' celebrity and size may have diminished, but its longevity is a testament to its importance 25 February 2011
Alexandra Woodhouse, daughter of Afghanistan RPCV Colin Woodhouse, works in...
Alexandra Woodhouse, daughter of Afghanistan RPCV Colin Woodhouse, works in Egypt for the United Nations International Labor Organization 25 February 2011
Chris Polen, along with fiancee Alexis Cohen, returned last week...
Chris Polen, along with fiancee Alexis Cohen, returned last week from two years of Peace Corps work in Azerbaijan 25 February 2011
When asked how the Peace Corp affected her life after...
When asked how the Peace Corp affected her life after Fiji, Dr. Dona Gessell said the Peace Corps taught her how to be "adaptable and flexible" and "how to communicate in small and large groups 25 February 2011
Doris Ditchfield volunteered for the Peace Corps in 1991 in...
Doris Ditchfield volunteered for the Peace Corps in 1991 in Guatemala 25 February 2011
RPCV Denise Gordon launches her singing career in Kenya...
RPCV Denise Gordon launches her singing career in Kenya 25 February 2011
Nepal RPCV Ofelia Pedroche-Aranda writes: I was in Nepal...
Nepal RPCV Ofelia Pedroche-Aranda writes: I was in Nepal for Peace Corps service that was a dream-come-true for an adventurous immigrant-turned-American citizen in the '70s 25 February 2011
25 years later, RPCV David Briscoe recalls Philippines' 1986 uprising...
25 years later, RPCV David Briscoe recalls Philippines' 1986 uprising against Marcos 25 February 2011
Santa Lucia RPCV Karen McCarthy writes: Making New Friends...
Santa Lucia RPCV Karen McCarthy writes: Making New Friends 25 February 2011
Ukraine RPCV Lynn Jarrett writes: For many years I'd thought...
Ukraine RPCV Lynn Jarrett writes: For many years I'd thought about going to the Peace Corps, and about three to four years before retiring at 60, I set a goal for myself and applied to fulfill a longtime dream 25 February 2011
North Georgia Volunteers Observe Peace Corps' 50th...
North Georgia Volunteers Observe Peace Corps' 50th 25 February 2011
Williams Meyers writes: The practices of the sadhus, the vividly...
Williams Meyers writes: The practices of the sadhus, the vividly decorated or nude Hindu ascetics in Nepal RPCV Thomas Kelly's striking color portraits, are simply beyond me 26 February 2011
Greg Hill writes: There are times when our country's spirit...
Greg Hill writes: There are times when our country's spirit of freedom, independence and open-handed generosity shine forth, and the Peace Corps is a prime example 27 February 2011
Richard Johnson writes: Peace Corps - 50 years of life-changing...
Richard Johnson writes: Peace Corps - 50 years of life-changing experiences 27 February 2011
Sierra Leone RPCV David Magnani writes: 50 years for the...
Sierra Leone RPCV David Magnani writes: 50 years for the Peace Corps 27 February 2011
In 1978, after completing his in-country training in Belize...
In 1978, after completing his in-country training in Belize, Beekeeper Tom Juring said that he was given a posting location and a date to report and basically had to find his own way there 28 February 2011
With her children grown, Lillian Mizrahi felt it was the...
With her children grown, Lillian Mizrahi felt it was the right time to help restore America's former good image abroad by serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Macedonia 28 February 2011
Ryan Ruggiero is a Peace Corps volunteer in KwaZulu Natal...
Ryan Ruggiero is a Peace Corps volunteer in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, with the Community HIV/AIDS Project 28 February 2011
Thailand RPCV Patricia Templeton writes: The first "aha" moment came...
Thailand RPCV Patricia Templeton writes: The first "aha" moment came when the flight attendant handed out customs forms as the plane neared Bangkok 28 February 2011
Kate Scurria, who is currently doing significant service work in...
Kate Scurria, who is currently doing significant service work in Uganda for the Peace Corps 28 February 2011
A group of ambitious students at Rutgers–Camden serve a...
A group of ambitious students at Rutgers–Camden serve a year-long internship in North Camden during their first year in the program before serving in the U.S. Peace Corps for two years or an alternative international assignment for one year 28 February 2011
RPCV Thomas Gouttierre writes: My wife and I spent two...
RPCV Thomas Gouttierre writes: My wife and I spent two years in Afghanistan as Peace Corps volunteers 28 February 2011
Obituary for Headquarters Staff Member Geula Pariser...
Obituary for Headquarters Staff Member Geula Pariser 28 February 2011
To mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the...
To mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Peace Corps, the University of Pittsburgh will sponsor a panel discussion, "Letters From Home" 28 February 2011
The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is this week honoring...
The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing is this week honoring the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps and the 20th anniversary of the school's Peace Corps Fellows Program 28 February 2011
