2011.05.11: May 11, 2011: Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams Details Enhanced Volunteer Safety, Health and Support Measures Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
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2011.05.11: May 11, 2011: Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams Details Enhanced Volunteer Safety, Health and Support Measures Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams Details Enhanced Volunteer Safety, Health and Support Measures Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
The Peace Corps has instituted the following reforms to strengthen safety and security procedures and ensure compassionate care for victims of crime. Issued Peace Corps' Commitment to Sexual Assault Victims, a set of core principles to ensure we provide timely, effective, and compassionate support to victims of sexual assault. Implemented and trained staff on our new Guidelines for Responding to Rape and Sexual Assault. The guidelines emphasize a victim-centered approach with specific procedures posts must follow to respond promptly to an incident and provide the best possible support to a victim. The agency's Sexual Assault Working Group is developing a comprehensive sexual assault prevention and response program. The working group includes returned volunteers and survivors of rape and sexual assault, as well as staff with expertise in trauma response. At the suggestion of returned Peace Corps volunteers with First Response Action, Peace Corps hired a nationally recognized leader in victims' rights to be the agency's first victim's advocate. The victim's advocate will make sure victims of crime get the emotional, medical, legal, and other support they need. Created the Peace Corps Volunteer Sexual Assault Panel, made up of outside experts and returned volunteers who were victims of sexual assault, to help Peace Corps design and implement sexual assault risk reduction and response strategies.
Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams Details Enhanced Volunteer Safety, Health and Support Measures Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Peace Corps Director Testifies Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs
Details enhanced volunteer safety, health and support measures
Caption: Aaron S. Williams, the Peace Corps director, apologized to victims of crime on Wednesday before a House committee. Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 11, 2011 – Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams testified before the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Peace Corps' enhanced safety, health and support measures for volunteers serving around the world. The hearing, entitled "Peace Corps at 50", also included testimony from returned Peace Corps volunteers (RPCVs), Peace Corps' Inspector General and members of the Peace Corps community.
In prepared testimony, Director Williams outlined ways the Peace Corps has increased its support to volunteers who have been the victim of a sexual assault or other crime. Since Director Williams took office in August 2009, the Peace Corps has instituted several new measures to improve the agency's sexual assault risk reduction and response program. Director Williams' testimony can be found in its entirety here.
"The health, safety, and support of every member of our Peace Corps family is my number one priority," said Peace Corps Director Williams in a prepared statement. "The Peace Corps of today takes the issue of sexual assault prevention and response seriously and we are dedicated to providing compassionate victim-centered care. Since I became Director, the Peace Corps has put in place new policies to reduce the risks faced by volunteers and to ensure they receive our full support when a tragedy occurs."
The Director continued his statement by detailing the measures the Peace Corps has taken to strengthen global operations and improve the quality of care provided to volunteers. He concluded his statement by offering sincere thanks to the Peace Corps volunteers of yesterday, today and tomorrow for their commitment to public service.
The Peace Corps will continue to make additional changes as the agency works with returned volunteers, other government agencies and leaders in the field of sexual assault risk reduction and response. The Peace Corps has instituted the following reforms to strengthen safety and security procedures and ensure compassionate care for victims of crime.
Issued Peace Corps' Commitment to Sexual Assault Victims, a set of core principles to ensure we provide timely, effective, and compassionate support to victims of sexual assault.
Implemented and trained staff on our new Guidelines for Responding to Rape and Sexual Assault. The guidelines emphasize a victim-centered approach with specific procedures posts must follow to respond promptly to an incident and provide the best possible support to a victim.
The agency's Sexual Assault Working Group is developing a comprehensive sexual assault prevention and response program. The working group includes returned volunteers and survivors of rape and sexual assault, as well as staff with expertise in trauma response.
At the suggestion of returned Peace Corps volunteers with First Response Action, Peace Corps hired a nationally recognized leader in victims' rights to be the agency's first victim's advocate. The victim's advocate will make sure victims of crime get the emotional, medical, legal, and other support they need.
Created the Peace Corps Volunteer Sexual Assault Panel, made up of outside experts and returned volunteers who were victims of sexual assault, to help Peace Corps design and implement sexual assault risk reduction and response strategies.
For more detailed information on Peace Corps' safety and security practices, including the agency's commitment to volunteers, please visit the Safety Section on the Peace Corps website.
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Headlines: May, 2011; Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams; Sexual Assault and Harassment; Congress; Legislation; Safety and Security of Volunteers
When this story was posted in May 2011, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Peace Corps: The Next Fifty Years As we move into the Peace Corps' second fifty years, what single improvement would most benefit the mission of the Peace Corps? Read our op-ed about the creation of a private charitable non-profit corporation, independent of the US government, whose focus would be to provide support and funding for third goal activities. Returned Volunteers need President Obama to support the enabling legislation, already written and vetted, to create the Peace Corps Foundation. RPCVs will do the rest. |
| 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." |
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Story Source: Peace Corps Press Release
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Williams; SA; Congress; Legislation; Safety
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