Aaron Williams Nominated to be Next Peace Corps Director
The National Peace Corps Association is very pleased to announce that on Tuesday, July 14th President Obama announced his intention to nominate Aaron Williams as the next Director of the Peace Corps. Aaron is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in the Dominican Republic from 1967 to 1970 and has had a long and distinguished career in international development. In addition, he has served on the NPCA board of directors for the past three years.
"Aaron Williams...will bring an invaluable set of skills and experiences to the Directorship of the Peace Corps," says NPCA President Kevin Quigley.
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Africa Rural Connect is Live This Week!
Now you can extend the experience that you had in the Peace Corps to collaborate with others and come up with the best ideas to improve the lives of rural farmers.
After months of development, NPCA has just launched Africa Rural Connect -- a Peace Corps Connect sister site. It's a place where PCVs and RPCVs can share ideas online with the African Diaspora, development professionals, Africa scholars, and others who have lived and worked in Africa.
Peace Corps Volunteers have very unique experiences wherever they served in the world. We are counting on you to help us spread the word! Be among the first to post your idea at AfricaRuralConnect.org
At NPCA, we believe that collaboration will bring about the greatest ideas for change.
Go to www.AfricaRuralConnect.org to share your plan now -- even if it's just the seed of an idea. You could win one of the monthly $3,000 prizes for the best idea, or the $20,000 grand prize to help implement your idea.
Follow us on Twitter, too!
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Build U.S. Senate Support for the Peace Corps
A big victory in the House of Representatives for Peace Corps funding! But challenges remain in the Senate. As efforts continue through our MorePeaceCorps Campaign to advance a bigger, better and bolder Peace Corps, you can build support by asking your Senator to pass key legislation.
We need to build the number of co-sponsors of the Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act (S. 1382), legislation introduced by RPCV Senator Chris Dodd (Dominican Republic 66-68). Along with authorizing a doubling of funding for Peace Corps over the next three years, the legislation would require a strategic assessment to address a number of matters that are viewed as key to advancing the Peace Corps.
Senators Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Richard Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Begich (D-AK) are the first three co-sponsors of the bill. Take action with your Senators to build support for this legislation.
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NPCA Awarded Grant to Launch Global Connections
The National Peace Corps Association is pleased to partner with The Globalist to launch a new program to promote global literacy. The program, "Global Connections," will combine The Globalist's online research and publication expertise with the NPCA's expansive network of global educators, Global TeachNet.
The UPS Foundation has provided initial funding for the multi-year program. Starting this summer, the NPCA will recruit teachers and schools to use Global Connections' materials in their classrooms. Over the course of the academic year, participating educators will begin to develop frameworks for infusing materials into high school classrooms and communities for broader dissemination around the United States.
Interested educators should contact NPCA at teachnet@peacecorpsconnect.org. Participating teachers will receive a free subscription to Global Connections.
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Successful Meetings and a Third Goal Celebration Honoring Service
The National Peace Corps Association held its Annual General Meeting, Group Leaders Forum and Board Meeting in Washington DC during the weekend of June 26. NPCA President Kevin Quigley reported that the organization is in the strongest position it has been in for a number of years, and that we are focused on planning for the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps in 2011. Click here for links to minutes and background documents for all three meetings.
Also during that weekend, NPCA hosted a reception and ceremony to highlight our community's ongoing commitment to Peace Corps's Third Goal. Timothy Shriver, son of Peace Corps founder Sargent Shriver and Chairman of Special Olympics International, presented the NPCA's Sargent Shriver Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service to John K. Hatch, founder of the non-profit microfinance organization FINCA International. The night ended with an exclusive screening of "Youssou N'Dour: I Bring What I Love," a recently released documentary chronicling the musical journey of Senegalese world music star Youssou N'Dour.
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USAID Looking for a Few Good RPCVs
In July 2006, Kim Kim Yee was in northern Afghanistan covering four
provinces as part of a Provincial Reconstruction Team headed by members
of the Swedish and Finnish militaries. And she was feeling like a fish
out of water.
"I have to tell you it was really tough," said Yee,
who was a field program officer for the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID) at the time.
It was her experience a decade
earlier at the Masasi Girls Secondary School in Tanzania - where she
did her Peace Corps service as a chemistry teacher - that helped her
find her footing.
USAID is currently recruiting candidates to fill positions in
Afghanistan similar to the one occupied by Kim Kim Yee. Former Peace
Corps volunteers who are seeking an adventurous assignment are encouraged to apply.
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Get Ready - Organizing Opportunity around International Day of Climate Action
October 24, 2009. That's the target date for an International Day of Climate Action. Organized by the group 350.org, over 1,000 individuals in more than 100 nations are already planning activities. These events will serve as a visible reminder to world leaders in advance of global climate talks meet Copenhagen in December on the need for global action. Planning on taking action? Let us know by contacting advocintern@peacecorpsconnect.org.
To raise awareness on climate change, RPCV Paul Thompson (an active member of RPCVs for Climate and Clean Energy) is in the midst of a ten-city trip, stopping to conduct "Climate Change Conversations" along the way. Paul has completed about half of his trip but still has upcoming stops in Washington, D.C., Pittsburgh, Columbus, South Bend, and Milwaukee. These events are informal gatherings, allowing RPCVs to connect on this important issue. For more information, check out the itinerary (.pdf format) and contact ptflydisc@aol.com. | |
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With the move to a new website, we also moved to a new database. Please take a minute to log in, review and update your contact information and communication preferences, make a donation, and/or join or renew your membership. It's all in one place. Thank you for keeping us updated!
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NEW PRODUCT!
JUST THE THING FOR THE PERSON
GOING INTO
PEACE CORPS
Our online store offers
a wide selection of Peace Corps and NPCA logo merchandise--from
t-shirts and coffee mugs, to pins and license place frames. Wearing logo merchandise is a great way to spark conversations about Peace Corps!
Your purchase supports the efforts of the
National Peace Corps Association in its mission to connect,
inform and engage Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, serving Volunteers, current and former Peace Corps
staff and all who support the values of Peace Corps.
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FOLLOW NPCA ON TWITTER
Yes, we are now Twittering! Follow us at: www.twitter.com/pcorpsconnect.
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 ... with NPCA
Are you a person with Peace Corps experience who uses the professional online
networking community LinkedIn? Well we have
created an NPCA group on LinkedIn...and you're invited.
Joining
will allow you to:
- Reach out
- Accelerate career/business through referrals
- Know more than a name - view professional profiles of others in the Peace Corps community
Join NPCA's LinkedIn group
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WHAT IS EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT?
Curious about what's on the mind of the Peace Corps Community?
Wonder no more. Check out Connected Peace Corps...the social networking area on our new website.
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