2009.03.25: March 25, 2009: Headlines: COS - Nepal: Budget: Expansion: Congress: The Himalayan: Peace Corps will not be returning to Nepal in 2009

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Nepal: Peace Corps Nepal : Peace Corps Nepal: New Stories: 2009.03.25: March 25, 2009: Headlines: COS - Nepal: Budget: Expansion: Congress: The Himalayan: Peace Corps will not be returning to Nepal in 2009

By Admin1 (admin) (151.196.32.99) on Friday, March 27, 2009 - 12:01 pm: Edit Post

Peace Corps will not be returning to Nepal in 2009

Peace Corps will not be returning to Nepal in 2009

This year Peace Corps, an agency of the US government, will give Nepal a miss. The reason: the organisation has failed to a get a substantial budget from the new federal government. The allocation has been increased by only $9 million as compared to last year. “There is a zero per cent chance that Peace Corps will return here anytime soon,” Aaron Rome, one of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV), told The Himalayan Times in an e-mail interview.

Peace Corps will not be returning to Nepal in 2009

Cash-strapped Peace Corps to give Nepal a miss in ‘09

Rajan Pokhrel

Kathmandu, March 25:

This year, too, Peace Corps, an agency of the US government, will give Nepal a miss. The reason: the organisation has failed to a get a substantial budget from the new federal government. The allocation has been increased by only $9 million as compared to last year.

“There is a zero per cent chance that Peace Corps will return here anytime soon,” Aaron Rome, one of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV), told The Himalayan Times in an e-mail interview. Rome knows a thing or two about the dynamics of Peace Corps — he worked in Nepal from 1991 to ‘93. He has now launched a campaign, pressuring the government to hike its budget that will help expand the organisation’s role and relevance across the globe.

President Barrack Obama had, however, pledged to double the number of volunteers during his campaign. “The ground reality suggests that the current downsizing initiative will translate to a cut in 500 Peace Corps Volunteers. There is broad consensus that Peace Corps should return to Nepal. But, it is not possible unless there is an upward budgetary revision,” said Rome.

A bill is now pending before the Congress to increase the next year’s budget to $450 million.

According to Rome, RPCV Congressman Sam Farr introduced the Peace Corps Expansion Act, 2009, in the House of Representatives on February 13. Rajeev Goyal, who worked as a volunteer here between 2001 and ‘03, said that 20 more nations were vying for Peace Corps’ programmes. But, the shoestring budget is playing spoilsport to the expansion plans.

Dr Madhu Ghimire, who had worked with Peace Corps in the health sector, lauded the organisation’s pro-active role through the years.

Nepal’s date with Peace Corps traces back to 1962. The first batch comprised 100 volunteers, who were engaged in education and agriculture sectors.

Over the years, more than 4,000 volunteers had served the nation in a slew of programmes in varied sectors like agriculture, business, crisis corps, education and health. Initially, Peace Corps had temporarily suspended its operations in October, 2004, due to the then armed conflict. Officially, the programme was terminated in 2006. In the interim, the worsening security situation had led to scaling down of operations in 2000 and ‘02.




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: March, 2009; Peace Corps Nepal; Directory of Nepal RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Nepal RPCVs; Budget; Expansion; Congress





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Story Source: The Himalayan

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Nepal; Budget; Expansion; Congress

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