2008.08.29: August 29, 2008: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Tschetter: Philippine Star: Peace Corps would maintain their current policy to stay out of conflict areas in Mindanao as part of security measures for volunteers
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2008.08.29: August 29, 2008: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Diplomacy: Tschetter: Manila Times: Tschetter meets with President Gloria Arroyo in Philippines :
2008.08.29: August 29, 2008: Headlines: COS - Philippines: Safety: Tschetter: Philippine Star: Peace Corps would maintain their current policy to stay out of conflict areas in Mindanao as part of security measures for volunteers
Peace Corps would maintain their current policy to stay out of conflict areas in Mindanao as part of security measures for volunteers
Tschetter said the Peace Corps would maintain their current policy to stay out of conflict areas in Mindanao as part of security measures for volunteers. “I did not come with regard to Mindanao whatsoever,” Tschetter said. “So I really can’t bring any new perspective to that situation. I’m aware of that, of course. I’ve read about it in newspapers. I’ve been briefed about it. But on the other hand, I’m not the expert. I’m not the person that can answer any Mindanao questions that would bring value,” he said. “And so foreign policy, that is not our role. Our role is friendship and understanding and bringing in the skills as I described as the three goals of the Peace Corps. We really do not meddle in the foreign policy situation as such,” he said.
Peace Corps would maintain their current policy to stay out of conflict areas in Mindanao as part of security measures for volunteers
Peace Corps not into peace process
Tschetter said the Peace Corps would maintain their current policy to stay out of conflict areas in Mindanao as part of security measures for volunteers.
“I did not come with regard to Mindanao whatsoever,” Tschetter said.
“So I really can’t bring any new perspective to that situation. I’m aware of that, of course. I’ve read about it in newspapers. I’ve been briefed about it. But on the other hand, I’m not the expert. I’m not the person that can answer any Mindanao questions that would bring value,” he said.
Instead of deploying volunteers in Mindanao, however, the Peace Corps bring the public school teachers to Cebu or Manila for training, he said.
The Peace Corps is an independent American federal agency and Tschetter said he reports directly to the Office of the US President.
“And so foreign policy, that is not our role. Our role is friendship and understanding and bringing in the skills as I described as the three goals of the Peace Corps. We really do not meddle in the foreign policy situation as such,” he said.
US Peace Corps country director in the Philippines Sonia Derenoncourt noted the last time they deployed Peace Corps volunteers in Mindanao was in 2003. But since then, they have stayed out of southern Philippines.
The American government suspended for at least two years the deployment of US Peace Corps to the Philippines sometime in the 1990s after one of the volunteers was kidnapped but subsequently released unharmed by New People’s Army rebels.
Tschetter, accompanied by US Ambassador Kristie Kenney and Derenoncourt, paid a courtesy call on President Arroyo at Malacañang last Wednesday.
He cited the fact that the Philippines has the biggest bulk of volunteers – 8,000 of them have been deployed here out of the worldwide presence of the US Peace Corps during the past 47 years.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: August, 2008; Peace Corps Philippines; Directory of Philippines RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Philippines RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers; Ron Tschetter
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Story Source: Philippine Star
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Philippines; Safety; Tschetter
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