Mali RPCV Amy Hamelin is is safe after quake in Pakistan



”One hundred people from her building were rescued. Thirteen are dead and 80 are still missing,“ Hoke added. ”She's homeless and now has only what she packed in a weekend suitcase.

Mali RPCV Amy Hamelin is is safe after quake in Pakistan

Waynesboro native is safe after quake


Amy Hamelin

By Nancy Mace The Record Herald

WAYNESBORO - A local couple's phone has been ringing off the hook since reports of the catastrophic earthquake that killed thousands in Pakistan, India and Afghanistan on Saturday hit the airwaves.

The concerned callers were anxious to learn if Jim and Nancy Hoke of Waynesboro had news of their daughter, Amy Hamelin, who lives in Islamabad, Pakistan.

”She's alive, but she's homeless,“ according to Nancy Hoke, who said the family received an e-mail from Amy Saturday.

Hamelin, 32, is senior program director for the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs. She also is the daughter of Dick Hamelin.

”She had been on a long weekend in New Delhi (India) when she learned her apartment complex had been destroyed,“ according to Hoke.

”One hundred people from her building were rescued. Thirteen are dead and 80 are still missing,“ Hoke added. ”She's homeless and now has only what she packed in a weekend suitcase.

”We know how blessed we are that she is safe, but emotionally it is hard to think about her things being gone,“ he mother continued.

Awoke to news

”Jim woke me about 6 a.m. to tell me about the earthquake,“ Hamelin's mother said. ”At that hour, the majority of the news was focused on Islamabad.“

The Hokes heard from Hamelin several hours later.

Hamelin is due to fly back to Islamabad tonight, but the Hokes don't know what will happen.

”She has a large circle of friends in the community so we are not worried about her finding a place to stay or about her having support,“ said Hoke.

”We know she had been in touch with the Washington, D.C., office but we don't know what the next few weeks will hold for her or when she will be home.“

Program manager

Hamelin has been managing a regional program called Supporting Women Political Leaders in Muslim South Asia and coordinates activities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

”The program aims to increase participation of women in politics as party leaders, candidates and elected officials,“ according to Hoke.

A 1991 graduate of Waynesboro Area Senior High School, Hamelin earned a bachelor's degree in international studies from American University, Washington, D.C., in 1995.

From 1995 to 1997 she served with the Peace Corps in Mali, West Africa, and offered a glimpse of life there with her ”Letters from Africa“ in The Record Herald.

She worked for the Carter Center in Atlanta, Ga. from 1997 to 2002.

While completing her master's degree in international affairs at Yale University, Hamelin continued to work with the Carter Center as a consultant, participating in election missions to Kenya in 2002 and Cameroon in 2004.

During the summer of 2003, she interned in the governance unit of the United Nations development program in Yaounde, Cameroon.

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




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

---

'Celebration of Service' a major success The Peace Corps Fund's 'Celebration of Service' on September 29 in New York City was a major success raising approximately $100,000 for third goal activities. In the photo are Maureen Orth (Colombia); John Coyne (Ethiopia) Co-founder of the Peace Corps Fund; Caroline Kennedy; Barbara Anne Ferris (Morocco) Co-founder; Former Senator Harris Wofford, member of the Advisory Board. Read the story here.

---

---

Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military 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." Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. Read the results of our poll among RPCVs. Latest: Congressman John Kline introduces legislation to alter the program to remove the Peace Corps as an option for completing an individual’s military enlistment requirement.

---

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.

---

Top Stories: October 10, 2005 Carl Pope says the looting of America has only begun 2 Oct Report of PCV Misconduct in Zambia 7 Oct Chic Dambach speaks in Oklahoma 6 Oct Murphy to give papers to Heinz museum 6 Oct Mike Honda speaks out on Katrina 5 Oct Kinky Friedman could be the next governor of Texas 5 Oct Peter McPherson urges new nuclear weapon designs 5 Oct Doyle and Green in dead heat for Wisconsin Governor 5 Oct NPCA Membership Directory ready in late November 5 Oct GOP hopefuls avoiding Taft 4 Oct Ask not 4 Oct Russell Carollo wins journalism prize for "The Toll of War" 4 Oct Mark Gearan says provision was a mistake 4 Oct Mike Tidwell says Bayou has been sinking for years 3 Oct Carl Pope writes: Preparing for Global Warming 3 Oct Director Vasquez Meets with Volunteers in Gulf Coast 3 Oct John McCain's call to service 3 Oct Joshua Berman wins Lowell Thomas Travel Writing Award 2 Oct Operation Offset proposes freeze in Peace Corps Funding 1 Oct

---

Returned Volunteers respond to Hurricane Katrina First and foremost, Give. Then volunteer with the Crisis Corps. 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. Brazil RPCV Robert Backus is among the first Vermont doctors to volunteer to travel to Louisiana to treat victims. Latest: FEMA requests RPCVs to assist in recovery efforts through the Crisis Corps and the Peace Corps hopes to send 400 RPCVs to the Gulf Coast for short term assignments to assist victims with their applications for federal aid.

---

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.

---

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.