Nicaragua RPCV Juanita Limas to be recognized with Peace Corps' 2005 Franklin H. Williams Award



Nicaragua RPCV Juanita Limas to be recognized with Peace Corps' 2005 Franklin H. Williams Award

Peace Corps' 2005 Franklin H. Williams Awards Ceremony Will Honor Community Leaders

WASHINGTON, D.C., June 23, 2005 – Eleven former Peace Corps volunteers from across the nation, now contributing domestically as community leaders, will be recognized for their service with the Franklin H. Williams Award tonight at the Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Established in 1999, the Franklin H. Williams Award pays tribute to returned Peace Corps volunteers of color who continue the Peace Corps mission through their commitment to community service, and who support the agency’s third goal of promoting a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans. The award assumes the name of former Peace Corps Regional Director for Africa and U.S. Ambassador to Ghana, Franklin H. Williams. Ambassador Williams was instrumental in assisting the first Peace Corps Director, Sargent Shriver, in advancing the agency’s mission across the globe.

This year’s keynote speaker will be Wilbert Bryant, Counselor to the Secretary for the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). In this role, Bryant is responsible for advising the Secretary of Education on ways to strengthen the nation’s HBCUs, and on ways to advance the opportunities for HBCUs to participate in federally supported programs. Bryant also serves as deputy assistant secretary for higher education programs for the Department of Education.

Peace Corps Deputy Director Jody Olsen will present the 11 Franklin H. Williams Awards, in addition to the Director’s Award, which recognizes an individual who has served the Peace Corps’ mission through a commitment to international development and cross-cultural understanding. Finalists for the Franklin H. Williams Award were selected by the 11 Peace Corps regional recruiting offices across the United States. The 2005 winners include:

Juanita Limas
Juanita Limas acted as a community health education volunteer in Nicaragua from 2000 to 2001. Among her many accomplishments as a Peace Corps volunteer was the formation of disaster preparedness groups. She also created and headed a girls’ group which served as a forum for the village girls to discuss coming of age issues. Limas also planned fundraisers, using the proceeds to finance trips for the girls to visit neighboring villages and towns, giving many of them the opportunity to leave their birthplace for the first time.

Now back in the United States, Limas continues the Peace Corps tradition by volunteering at the Iowa City Free Medical Clinic, where she educates the staff about health problems in Central America. Limas also regularly discusses her Peace Corps experience with various community groups and schools, including the elementary school students where she teaches Spanish. She has also spoken at a high school forum on minority professionals, which she requested be held during Peace Corps week in order to link the two themes. During Peace Corps week this year she and two other former volunteers spoke about their experiences on a local radio program.

When this story was posted in June 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:



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American Taboo: A Peace Corps Tragedy Returned Volunteers met with author Philip Weiss in Baltimore on June 18 to discuss the murder of Peace Corps Volunteer Deborah Gardner. Weiss was a member of a panel that included three psychiatrists and a criminal attorney. Meanwhile, the Seattle U.S. Attorney's office announced that Dennis Priven cannot be retried for the murder. "We do not believe this case can be prosecuted by anyone, not only us, but in any other jurisdiction in the United States." Read background on the case here.

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June 16, 2005: Special Events Philip Weiss, PCV murder writer, speaks in Baltimore June 18 "Rainforests and Refugees" showing in Portland, Maine until June 25 "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 NPCA to hold Virtual Leaders Forum on July 29 RPCV's "Taking the Early Bus" at Cal State until Aug 15 "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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June 14: Peace Corps suspends Haiti program After Uzbekistan, the Peace Corps has announced the suspension of a second program this month - this time in Haiti. Background: The suspension comes after a US Embassy warning, a request from Tom Lantos' office, and the program suspension last year. For the record: PCOL supports Peace Corps' decision to suspend the two programs and commends the agency for the efficient way PCVs were evacuated safely. Our only concern now is with the placement of evacuated PCVs and the support they receive after interrupted service.

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June 6: PC suspends Uzbekistan program Peace Corps has announced that it is suspending the Uzbekistan program after the visas of 52 Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were not renewed. The suspension comes after a State Department warning that terrorist groups may be planning attacks in Uzbekistan and after the killings in Andizhan earlier in May. Background: PCOL published a report on April 23 that Peace Corps volunteers who arrived in January were having visa difficulties and reported on safety and visa issues in Uzbekistan as they developed.

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June 6, 2005: This Week's Top Stories Kinky Friedman will "sign anything except bad legislation" 6 Jun Niels Marquardt Makes Chimpanzee Protection a Priority 6 Jun Laurence Leamer needs approval for "Today" appearance 6 Jun Desperate Housewives' Ricardo Chavira is son of RPCVs 6 Jun Anthony Sandberg runs Berkeley sailing school 5 Jun Amy Smith field-tests sugarcane charcoal 5 Jun Mary Johnson organizes workshop on genocide 3 Jun Jonathan Lash in 100 most Influential Business Leaders 3 Jun Hastert jump-starts Chris Shays' Campaign 3 Jun John Coyne says 41 RPCVs applied for scholarships 3 Jun James Rupert writes on bombing in Kandahar mosque 1 Jun John McCain says to expand opportunities for service 1 Jun Jay Rockefeller's relationships with Japanese go way back 1 Jun Anat Shenker met her husband during service in Honduras 31 May Ryan Clancy punished without hearing for visiting Iraq 30 May Melissa Mosvick remembered as a fallen American hero 29 May Kurt Carlson played basketball against Togo's national team 29 May Helen Thomas's favorite president remains JFK 24 May

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