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C Caro
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 24.176.210.143
Posted on Sunday, January 16, 2011 - 6:08 pm:   

I have been considering and researching peace corps for some time. I am a female about to finish my bachelors degree this year and the perfect time for me to commit myself for service would be before I go to graduate school.
After seeing the special on 20 20, which aired January 14, I was shocked to hear about the Peace Corps actions regarding Kate Puzey's case, and those of other women who were put in danger and mistreated after attempting to seek help.

As a young women myself - I am forced to consider my safety and what actions the Peace Corps would or wouldn't take if something were to happen. I don't think those cases ruin the mission or discount the many more thousands of positive experiences, but poor actions in regards to even one case (when there were several exposed on the special), make me question whether the Peace Corps values its image more than the individuals who serve for them.

Kate Puzey's family was meet with little condolence from the organization - they did not willingly give the family any information about Kate's death, and only after it was revealed that a special regarding the case would be on broadcast television, did Peace Corps make an effort to come out to the family, years later. Also the sheer lack of sympathy for the other woman who were raped while serving utterly disgusts me. To offer little or no psychological services or council, and to go as far as question whether the woman themselves were at fault is completely outlandish and suggests that the priority is not on the safety and well being of the volunteers. None of these woman interviewed or the Kate Puzey family were offered sincere apologies.

Again I know that these cases do not overall make the organization a bad one, but it does point out some serious faults in their infrastructure and "humanitarian" priorities. How can an organization be completely humanitarian when they don't even take care of the people who are the at the foundation, making the mission possible? Every single volunteer should receive complete support from the Peace Corps, and the ones who may scare the organization with bad PR should not be silenced and swept under a rug.

Just because I saw this heart breaking special does not mean I am completely ruling out serving - but now I am much more cautious and want to get opinions from negative and positive experiences that reflect how well they really do treat their volunteers when the circumstances present difficulties.

Has anyone ever been in a position that would potentially reflect poor actions/infrastructure of the organization? Or where the Peace Corps had to make a decision that providing adequate assistance and potentially earning bad PR was more or less important?

Any opinions on the Peace Corps actions regarding the Kate Puzey case or those of the raped and silenced/ignored volunteers?

Here's a link to the video:

http://www.hulu.com/watch/207532/abc-2020-fri-jan- 14-2011#s-p1-so-i0
Admin1 (admin)
Moderator
Username: admin

Post Number: 5597
Registered: 7-2008
Posted From: 98.188.147.225
Posted on Monday, January 17, 2011 - 1:00 pm:   

Read the comments and responses of RPCVs, Staff, and Friends of the Peace Corps to the murder of Kate Puzey.
Fred Thompson
Unregistered guest
Posted From: 152.131.15.18
Posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2011 - 2:53 pm:   

You have to remember that the Peace Corps is a bureacracy like any other federal agency and will always put its image/reputation first, even above what may seem like the best interest of the volunteer and their family. This is the way it has been and always will be. Why do you think congress created the GAO?

My advice: proceed with caution
Lawrence F. Lihosit (lawreflihosit)
New member
Username: lawreflihosit

Post Number: 6
Registered: 7-2010
Posted From: 76.194.167.197
Posted on Friday, January 21, 2011 - 7:01 pm:   

For a complete, uncensored Peace Corps History refer to Peace Corps Chronology; 1961-2010 which was released on Amazon.com in November, 2010.

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