PC apologizes for the "Kasama incident" The District Commissioner for the Kasama District in Zambia issued a statement banning Peace Corps activities for ‘grave’ social misconduct and unruly behavior for an incident that occurred on September 24 involving 13 PCVs. Peace Corps said that some of the information put out about the incident was "inflammatory and false." On October 12, Country Director Davy Morris met with community leaders and apologized for the incident. All PCVs involved have been reprimanded, three are returning home, and a ban in the district has since been lifted.

• October 9, 2005: Headlines: COS - Zambia: Blogs - Zambia: Misconduct: Personal Web Site: Peace Corps Volunteer Brett Pearson says: Last night I met a guy named Peacock. Actually he's one of the culprits from the watertower fiasco so he's technically been terminated from the Peace Corps. Monday, October 10, 2005 - 3:08 pm [1]

Peace Corps Volunteer Brett Pearson says: Unfortunately some current Zambia Volunteers screwed up and have compromised some things for the rest of us



A couple of weeks ago, several volunteers got drunk and climbed a water tower there because the view is so great. Some police came across them and they got in trouble because they graffitied on the tower some obscene material basically saying "Luapula (anotherprovince)/Kasama...Heck yeah!" (But it wasn't heck) Unfortunately the story has spun out of control. The radio and a newspaper (front page) have reported that they were yelling racial remarks towards Zambians and urinating in the water tower. Neither of these are true. 3 volunteers have already been sent home because of this but the Kasama officials have banned Peace Corps from their district in Northern province. The P.C. country director and my program director are headed to Kasama for a meeting to try to smooth this all over. If it isn't fixed then those of us who are headed to Northern province might not be posted.

Peace Corps Volunteer Brett Pearson says: Unfortunately some current Zambia Volunteers screwed up and have compromised some things for the rest of us

Friday, October 07, 2005
Some Badish News

[Excerpt]

Don't worry, it's not too bad. Unfortunately some current Zambia Volunteers screwed up and have compromised some things for the rest of us. So Kasama is the provincial capitol of Northern Province.

A couple of weeks ago, several volunteers got drunk and climbed a water tower there because the view is so great. Some police came across them and they got in trouble because they graffitied on the tower some obscene material basically saying "Luapula (anotherprovince)/Kasama...Heck yeah!" (But it wasn't heck)

Unfortunately the story has spun out of control. The radio and a newspaper (front page) have reported that they were yelling racial remarks towards Zambians and urinating in the water tower. Neither of these are true.

3 volunteers have already been sent home because of this but the Kasama officials have banned Peace Corps from their district in Northern province. The P.C. country director and my program director are headed to Kasama for a meeting to try to smooth this all over.

If it isn't fixed then those of us who are headed to Northern province might not be posted. We're not really sure what's goingto happen until after the meeting. It's too bad but oh well. As they say in Bemba, 'Cilifye.' No problem.

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




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Returned Volunteers respond to Hurricane Katrina First and foremost, Give. Carol Bellamy says "In situations such as this one, money is needed the most" and added that Hurricane Katrina's impact on New Orleans is comparable to last year's tsunami. Thailand RPCV Thomas Tighe's Direct Relief International has committed an initial $250,000 in cash to assist hurricane victims. Mayor Tom Murphy (RPCV Paraguay) says Pittsburgh is ready to embrace refugees from devastated areas. Mark Shriver of Save the Children says it will assist rural communities it serves in rebuilding. Brazil RPCV Robert Backus is among the first Vermont doctors to volunteer to travel to Louisiana to treat victims. Ohio Governor Bob Taft (RPCV Tanzania) says students displaced by "Katrina" can enroll in Ohio Colleges and Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle (RPCV Tunisia) is sending soldiers to help residents of Louisiana. Do you know what it means to lose New Orleans? Contact your local Red Cross to Volunteer.

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Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Latest: Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. RPCVs: Read our poll results.

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Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger.

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Upcoming Events: Peace Corps Fund in NYC Peace Corps Fund announces Sept 29 Fund Raiser in NYC High Atlas Foundation Hosts a Reception in NYC on Sept 15 Jody Olsen to address Maryland RPCVs at Sept 17 picnic "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" in NY thru Sept 30 See RPCV Musical "Doing Good" in CA through Sept "Iowa in Ghana" at "The Octogan" in Ames through October 7 RPCV Film Festival in DC in October RPCV's exhibit at Museum of Man in San Diego thru May 2006

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Top Stories: August 20, 2005 Jack Crandall writes "Memories relished by WWII Generation" Cris Groenendaal plays Phantom of Opera on Broadway 19 Aug Peace Corps Director Travels to Madagascar 19 Aug RPCV presents "Artists and Patrons in Traditional African Cultures" 19 Aug Robert Brown to head Southeast Asian Studies at UCLA 19 Aug Peter McPherson to head national university association 19 Aug Len Flier says US has lose-lose scenario in Iraq 18 Aug Ruth DeMaio sends aid to Niger 18 Aug Bob Taft pleads no contest to ethics law violation 18 Aug Antoinette Allen is Field Hockey coach at Hun School 16 Aug Tony Hall Avoids Mugabe on Zimbabwe trip 14 Aug Peace Corps Receives 2005 Medgar Evers Award 10 Aug Jeff Wray is filming "The Soul Searchers" 10 Aug 40th anniversary of Shriver's Foster Grandparent Program 9 Aug Tom Petri writes "It's not just about highways" 9 Aug Terry Dougherty brings students from Afghanistan to US 8 Aug Chris Newhall is leading volcano scientist 5 Aug Douglas Biklen appointed dean at Syracuse University 5 Aug Greg Kovalchuk and Mike Kelly Find Rare Fossil 4 Aug Edward O'Toole salvages furniture for schools in Honduras 3 Aug Gary Mount is Apple Grower Of The Year 1 Aug

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The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

Read the stories and leave your comments.

By GeorgeSmith (64.9.52.78) on Tuesday, March 17, 2009 - 10:54 am: Edit Post

I believe someone needs to help the people in Zambia in a real way with the starvation,mistreatment of children on the border of South Africa and many other needs and criminal acts.Please do something for especially those children on the border as recently spoken of on the B.B.C.. Give the children the care and protection from wicked men they need.The real cause of this all is the sinfulness of mankinds hearts.The answer is found in the Authorized King James Holy Bible which is people need to have their hearts changed so they dont do these terrible things.We need some good samaritans to help them! But the way to get them is for mens hearts to be changed,If any man be in Christ he is a new creature,old things are passed away,behold all things are become new. This can only happen when people have a new birth,Ye must be born again to enter the kingdom of God.(John 3:3).Individual people,wether Zambian,North African,British,or American or any other nation need to come as a sinner to God in prayer,repent of their sins against him,and trust Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and God.Doubting Thomas said My Lord and my God.He came into the world to save sinners,born of a virgin,lived a sinless life,and died on a cross for our sins against God.His sinless blood was the atonement that God required for sin.He was buried,and rose from the dead.He was seen of men,and went back up to Heaven.Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.(Acts16:31).And for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,that whosoever believeth in him,should not perish;but have everlasting life.(John3:16).Ask him to save you today! And tell others the message and become a good Samaritan by helping those in need no matter what the cost.Jesus is coming again for his own.So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Thank You,very kindly, Sincerely;