2010.03.29: William Stacy Rhodes, Peace Corps chief of staff says the Peace Corps nw encourages volunteers to serve a third year

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Bolivia: Peace Corps Bolivia : Peace Corps Bolivia: New Stories: 2010.03.29: William Stacy Rhodes, Peace Corps chief of staff says the Peace Corps nw encourages volunteers to serve a third year

By Admin1 (admin) (98.188.147.225) on Sunday, April 25, 2010 - 5:03 pm: Edit Post

William Stacy Rhodes, Peace Corps Chief of Staff says the Peace Corps now encourages volunteers to serve a third year

William Stacy Rhodes, Peace Corps Chief of Staff says the Peace Corps now encourages volunteers to serve a third year

"The new director and I have tried to come up with incentives for encouraging volunteers to extend for a third year. We have the Peace Corps volunteer leadership program, which permits third-year volunteers to continue to work on development projects. They can also help by mentoring and coaching new volunteers, supporting the training process, and doing site development. With their experience and language abilities, third-year volunteers are invaluable."

William Stacy Rhodes, Peace Corps Chief of Staff says the Peace Corps now encourages volunteers to serve a third year

Celebrating Peace Corps Connection
Kudos for 1,200-plus alumni volunteers

By Leslie Friday

William Stacy Rhodes, Peace Corps chief of staff, last week addressed a group of School of Public Health professors and students, many of them returned volunteers. Photo by Vernon Doucette

Of two dozen people crammed into a Medical Campus conference room March 25, surrounded by maps of Africa, South America, and Asia, some were School of Public Health professors and some were students. Almost all were former Peace Corps volunteers.

Visiting BU to support the SPH Master's International Program, which integrates a master's degree in public health with 27 months of service in the Peace Corps, William Stacy Rhodes, Peace Corps chief of staff and a former volunteer himself, spoke of service in the corps as a "life-changing experience."

"It certainly teaches you a lot about the true meaning of extreme poverty and basic human needs," Rhodes said, lessons that resonate through the public health profession.

Rhodes also presented a plaque to the University in recognition of its position as a major source of incoming volunteers.

For 2010, BU ranks 18th nationally in number of alumni with bachelor's degrees currently serving in the Peace Corps, up two spots from last year. The University is third nationally in alumni with graduate degrees doing a Peace Corps stint. Since 1961, 1,246 BU alumni have served, placing it 20th among all-time producers of volunteers.

BU Today's Leslie Friday, a former Peace Corps volunteer, sat down with Rhodes before the public event.

BU Today: The Peace Corps has seen an 18 percent increase in applications this year. What do you attribute that to?
Rhodes: The most critical factor probably is President Barack Obama's call to service. No doubt the economy influences the number of applications we get, but it has been steady at about 12,000 to 13,000 in the past. This was a major jump just after the election.

As a candidate, the president said he planned to double the size of the Peace Corps. What has he done as president?
With President Obama's support, Congress approved a record level of appropriations for fiscal year 2010. There were some budget cuts during the prior administration, but now we have an increase from $340 million in 2009 to $400 million in 2010, which will permit significant growth in the number of volunteers.

Doubling the size of the Peace Corps will take a while. The last time the Peace Corps was over the 15,000 mark was 1966, and we've been under 10,000 volunteers since 1970. We hope to get back over the 10,000 mark by the 50th anniversary in 2011.

Does that mean expanding to new countries?
Absolutely. When Peace Corps director Aaron Williams and I started last fall, we were in 74 countries. Since that time, we have signed agreements with Sierra Leone and Indonesia. We're currently talking to two more countries.

You served in Bolivia from 1968 to 1970. How did that experience affect you?
I had a brief career in law, but having been in the Peace Corps made me want to work in international development overseas. So I left my legal career to do something that turned out to be far more interesting and enjoyable, which was work in the foreign service with USAID in five countries over a 25-year period.

Based on my Peace Corps experience, the first year is about figuring things out, the second when you really dig in to work. Is it a common perception that just when you feel you can effect change, you leave?
Absolutely. The new director and I have tried to come up with incentives for encouraging volunteers to extend for a third year. We have the Peace Corps volunteer leadership program, which permits third-year volunteers to continue to work on development projects. They can also help by mentoring and coaching new volunteers, supporting the training process, and doing site development. With their experience and language abilities, third-year volunteers are invaluable.

People in host countries often think volunteers are linked to the CIA and realize we aren't spies only after getting to know us. What is the link between the U.S. government and the Peace Corps?
The Peace Corps is most definitely a U.S. government agency. Volunteers are not, however, employees of the U.S. government. They are citizen volunteers. Nevertheless, they are always seen as representatives of their country. Indeed, they are ambassadors, in a very real sense.

I always felt safe, but the Peace Corps has been criticized for safety and security lapses. What has been done in response?
We spend a great deal of effort assessing the safety and security not only of a particular country, but of specific sites. Over the last few years, we've expanded our safety and security staff both in Washington and in the field. But, as you point out, the real key to volunteer security is acceptance in the community. Most communities are more than willing to assure the safety of volunteers.

Leslie Friday was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, West Africa, from 2002 to 2004. She can be reached at lfriday@bu.edu; follow her on twitter @lesliefriday.




Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: March, 2010; Peace Corps Bolivia; Directory of Bolivia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Bolivia RPCVs; Peace Corps South Africa; Directory of South Africa RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for South Africa RPCVs; USAID; Chief of Staff





When this story was posted in April 2010, this was on the front page of PCOL:




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

 Site Index Search PCOL with Google Contact PCOL Recent Posts Bulletin Board Open Discussion RPCV Directory Register

Feb 10, 2010: Senator Dodd to Retire Date: February 19 2010 No: 1433 Feb 10, 2010: Senator Dodd to Retire
Dodd retires from Senate 6 Jan
Cameron Hume named US Ambassador to Pakistan 8 Feb
Florida RPCVs sponsor Everglades Experience 6 Feb
Jeff Hall brings aid to Sierra Leone 1 Feb
Peace Corps to reach 11,000 PCVs in 2016 1 Feb
Hugh Pickens writes: Standing Bear Looks to the Future 27 Jan
Ann Varghese survives 55 hours in Haiti rubble 26 Jan
John Guy LaPlante at 80 was oldest PCV 17 Jan
Steve Radelet to advise Hilary Clinton on Development 15 Jan
Obituary for Co-Author of ‘The Ugly American' 14 Jan
Peace Corps Establishes Program in Indonesia 11 Dec
What Happened to Obama's Promise? 3 Dec
George Packer writes: Obama's Troubles 24 Nov
PC Mourns Loss of Morocco PCV So-Youn Kim 17 Nov
Peace Corps volunteers return to Madagascar 16 Nov
PC to grow by several thousand over next 2 years 15 Nov
Former Hostage John Limbert named to Iran Bureau 11 Nov
Carrie Hessler Radelet named PC Deputy Director 9 Nov
Garamendi Sworn into Congress 9 Nov
Jesse Lonergan writes graphic novel "Joe and Azat" 4 Nov
David Macaray writes: Hearts and Minds in Afghanistan 29 Oct
Dustin Hogenson writes: Sauna in Kazakstan 26 Oct


Memo to Incoming Director Williams Date: August 24 2009 No: 1419 Memo to Incoming Director Williams
PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams

Join Us Mr. President! Date: June 26 2009 No: 1380 Join Us Mr. President!
"We will double the size of the Peace Corps by its 50th anniversary in 2011. And we'll reach out to other nations to engage their young people in similar programs, so that we work side by side to take on the common challenges that confront all humanity," said Barack Obama during his campaign. Returned Volunteers rally and and march to the White House to support a bold new Peace Corps for a new age. Latest: Senator Dodd introduces Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act of 2009 .

Meet Aaron Williams - Our Next Director Date: July 30 2009 No: 1411 Meet Aaron Williams - Our Next Director
Senator Dodd's Senate Subcommittee held confirmation hearings for Aaron Williams to become the 18th Peace Corps Director. "It's exciting to have a nominee who served in the Peace Corps and also has experience in international development and management," said Dodd as he put Williams on the fast track to be confirmed by the full Senate before the August recess. Read our exclusive coverage of the hearings and our biography of Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams.



Read the stories and leave your comments.








Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

Story Source: BU Today

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Bolivia; COS - South Africa; USAID; Chief of Staff

PCOL45531
93


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: