Peace Corps Volunteers in Panama meet with Representative Howard Coble of North Carolina



Peace Corps Volunteers in Panama meet with Representative Howard Coble of North Carolina

Volunteers Show Members of Congress What Life is Like in the Peace Corps

WASHINGTON, D.C., April 13, 2005 – Recently, Peace Corps volunteers from a number of states had the opportunity to not only tell, but show members of Congress what life is like while serving in the Peace Corps.

Panama
Chairman of the House International Relations Committee Henry Hyde of Illinois recently led a congressional delegation to Panama that included Representatives Howard Coble of North Carolina, Eni F.H. Faleomavaega of American Samoa, Betty McCollum of Minnesota, and Loretta Sanchez of California. On their visit, some of the delegation had the opportunity to visit the site of a Peace Corps volunteer who is working side-by-side with the community of Ipetí Emberá to promote tourism. The representatives learned about the culture of the people, ate a traditional lunch, and even helped support the artesian shop that volunteers worked to develop in the community.

Peace Corps volunteers involved in the Panama visit included Norma Hernandez of Anaheim, Calif., Jon and Emily Pfeifer of Aspen, Colo., Lian Carl of Redmond, Wash., and Peter and Allison Musser of Mankato, Minn.

Congressional delegations provide American volunteers the opportunity to share their work and the culture they have embraced through their Peace Corps service.

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


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

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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RPCVs and Friends remember Pope John Paul II Tony Hall found the pope to be courageous and capable of forgiving the man who shot him in 1981, Mark Gearan said the pope was as dynamic in person as he appears on television, Maria Shriver said he was a beacon of virtue, strength and goodness, and an RPCV who met the pope while serving in the Solomon Islands said he possessed the holiness of a man filled with a deep love and concern for humanity. Leave your thoughts here.

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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.

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April 10, 2005: This Week's Top Stories The Coyne Column: "Why do you study Jesuits?" 10 Apr Al Kamen says Condi Rice is Baffled 8 Apr Chris Dodd makes "sneak attack" on AgustaWestland 7 Apr Accused attacker maintains innocence 7 Apr Jim Walsh supports Sinn Féin declaration 7 Apr Crisis Corps team in Thailand begins work 6 Apr Tom Weisner wins big in Aurora Mayor's Race 6 Apr BBDO wins EFFIE Ad Awards for "Life is Calling" 6 Apr PCVs removed after missionaries killed in Guyana 5 Apr Chris Matthews covers death of Pope John Paul II 5 Apr 24 Congressmen sign Peace Corps letter 4 Apr Update: PCVs in Kyrgyzstan back in communities 4 Apr Tom Murphy lays into Bush administration 4 Apr Bellamy urges legislators to protect children 4 Apr Lynn Olson manages art gallery after judgeship 4 Apr Bob Taft promotes tax code overhaul in Ohio 3 Apr Richard Kaminski lost in village in Botswana 3 Apr

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April 10, 2005: Events around the Country North Carolina RPCV discusses Nepal trek on April 14 6 Apr South Carolina RPCVs to see off PCVs on April 18 5 Apr Gaddi Vasquez speaks at Northwestern University 6 Apr Henry McKoy speaks at Clemson University 8 Apr Minnesota RPCVs need Photos for Exhibition 24 Mar Maryland RPCVs eat crab cakes in Annapolis 17 Mar RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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April Feature Stories - only on PCOL Dream Come True - Revisiting India after 34 years The Coyne Column: Read Winning Vanity Fair PCV Essay Tomas Belsky's paintings inspired by service in Brazil RPCV reunites with friend after 40 years RPCV reviews "Los Heraldos Negros" by Cesar Vallejo Photo Essay: Taking it to the Streets

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Crisis Corps arrives in Thailand After the Tsunami in Southeast Asia last December, Peace Corps issued an appeal for Crisis Corps Volunteers and over 200 RPCVs responded. The first team of 8 Crisis Corps volunteers departed for Thailand on March 18 to join RPCVs who are already supporting relief efforts in Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, and India with other agencies and NGO's.

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RPCVs in Congress ask colleagues to support PC RPCVs Sam Farr, Chris Shays, Thomas Petri, James Walsh, and Mike Honda have asked their colleagues in Congress to add their names to a letter they have written to the House Foreign Operations Subcommittee, asking for full funding of $345 M for the Peace Corps in 2006. As a follow-on to Peace Corps week, please read the letter and call your Representative in Congress and ask him or her to add their name to the letter.

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Add your info now to the RPCV Directory Call Harris Publishing at 800-414-4608 right away to add your name or make changes to your listing in the newest edition of the NPCA's Directory of Peace Corps Volunteers and Former Staff. Then read our story on how you can get access to the book after it is published. The deadline for inclusion is May 16 so call now.

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March 1: National Day of Action Tuesday, March 1, is the NPCA's National Day of Action. Please call your Senators and ask them to support the President's proposed $27 Million budget increase for the Peace Corps for FY2006 and ask them to oppose the elimination of Perkins loans that benefit Peace Corps volunteers from low-income backgrounds. Follow this link for step-by-step information on how to make your calls. Then take our poll and leave feedback on how the calls went.

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