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July 6, 2010                                                                 www.peacecorpsconnect.org
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Dear NPCA Advocates,
 
Our August travel plans are coming together, not to mention a stop this week in New Haven Connecticut.
 
There's movement on a proposed Peace Corps commemorative, and a key House subcommittee puts its mark on Peace Corps funding.
 
Details below in our July advocacy update.
Advocacy 2010 Kevin and Roger
Hearing Held on Peace Corps Commemorative Legislation

A June 24th hearing before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands included testimony on H.R. 4195, legislation to authorize the establishment of a commemorative in Washington DC to recognize the lasting historic significance of the creation of the Peace Corps and the values and ideals it represents.  In the photo above, NPCA President Kevin Quigley speaks with Roger Lewis (Tunisia 64-66), a member of the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation, prior to the hearing.
US Capitol
 
Kentucky Stops Added to August Roadtrip

A get-together with Kentucky RPCVs in the Lexington area is the latest addition to the road trip NPCA Advocacy Coordinator Jonathan Pearson plans to take during the second half of August (the 14th through the 31st). He will travel through eight states to connect with advocates and other members of the Peace Corps community.
 
Along with stops in Kentucky, travel during the August trip will include visits with members of the Peace Corps community in Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Along with general updates, these gatherings will also provide an update on upcoming 50th anniversary events and planning.
 
Be on the lookout for more updates and additions to this trip.
 
 
And...We're on the Road this Week!  Advocacy Coordinator Jonathan Pearson will be in New Haven Connecticut this Thursday, July 8th.  Connect with the local Peace Corps community at the Atticus Bookstore Cafe.  Stop by anytime between 3 - 7 PM.
US Capitol
Peace Corps Funding Increase for FY 2011 Passes First Legislative Test

The House Appropriations Subcommittee for State and Foreign Operations approved a proposed spending plan for Fiscal Year 2011 that includes an 11.5% funding increase for Peace Corps.
 
The subcommittee approval of $446 million for the Peace Corps meets the President's funding recommendation, but falls short of the $465 million requested earlier this year in a House Dear Colleague letter.
 
While not as high as hoped, Peace Corps fared better than some other programs before the subcommittee.  A proposed reduction in the overall funding level for international affairs programs was a disappointing development, according to the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.
US Capitol
Peace Corps Assessment Calls for Annual Review of Country Placements, Strengthened Programs to Bring the World Back Home

In accordance with Director Aaron Williams' pledge and in response to a congressional mandate, the Peace Corps released a 200 page document which includes a wide ranging assessment of current operations and 63 recommendations as part of a proposed strategy to guide the agency over the next decade.
 
Central to the document are six key strategies (summarized below):
 
1.  Target resources and country presence on specific selection criteria to maximize impact and strengthen relationships in the developing world.
2.  Focus on a more limited number of highly effective technical interventions that will demonstrate impact and achieve global excellence.
3.  Embrace generalist Volunteers and provide them with training and comprehensive support for success.
4.  Make Peace Corps Response an engine of innovation and increase overseas service opportunities for talented Americans
5.  Active engagement to increase understanding of other cultures and generate a commitment to volunteerism and community service as a way to "continue service".
6.  Strengthen Peace Corps management and operations by using modern technology, innovative approaches and improved business practices.
 
Resources used by Peace Corps' assessment team in preparing its report included the comments and views expressed by more than 4,500 individuals who responded to a "Better, Bolder Peace Corps" Survey prepared by the NPCA last fall.


From More Peace Corps to Service World

NPCA is about to embark on a new initiative known as Service World. 

The National Peace Corps Association has been a leader within The Building Bridges Coalition for several years.  This growing consortium of more than 200 organizations which believe in the power and the purpose of overseas volunteer service is now introducing Service World.    
 
Modeled after the Service Nation Coalition, which helped advance sweeping legislation to expand domestic service opportunities, Service World hopes to advance similar opportunities for international service.  This expanded mobilization is attracting groups such as Voices for National Service, AARP, and Youth Service America to join Service World as well. 
 
Central to the Service World agenda is improving and doubling the size of the Peace Corps.  In addition to this, Service World is looking to other avenues of volunteerism as well, proposing expansion of the Volunteers for Prosperity program, Global Service Fellowships to expand short-term service opportunities, and intensified research to quantify the positive impacts of service as part of our outreach to the world.  As this initiative begins, one key goal is to introduce and pass legislation named after Peace Corps Founder Sergeant Shriver.
 
The Service World initiative was launched last week at the National Conference on Volunteering and Service, and will increasingly be a point of focus as we advocate on Peace Corps and other international service initiatives.
 
RESULTS
RPCVs Advocate for Universal Basic Education

They live in Alaska, Washigton state and North Carolina.  But these four RESULTS volunteers who recently came to Capitol Hill to advocate for education for all had one thing in common.  They all served in the Peace Corps.  Read this story about two of them.
 
You can take action on education as a member of the Peace Corps community without leaving your computer.  Add your name to our online petition expressing your support for the Education for All Act.
 

Amanda Martin
Featured Advocate: Amanda Martin - Washington, DC
 
As the director of the Guatemala Human Rights Commission (GHRC) in Washington, D.C., Amanda Martin does outstanding work on behalf of the Guatemalan people. But this important work started many years earlier.  Amanda served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala from 1993 to 1996, working with rural women's cooperatives on animal husbandry and agricultural projects.
 
After her Peace Corps service, Amanda was inspired to continue her involvement in community-based grassroots development efforts, leading her to spend several years in Colombia and Bolivia. During her time as a graduate student at the University of South Carolina, Amanda worked to serve the Latino community at a Latino community center, the local hospital, and the state health department. She credits her experience as a Peace Corps volunteer with her ability to "explain cultural differences to nurses and social workers, to design and deliver cultural competency workshops, and promote increased understanding for better delivery of services to Guatemalan and Latino clients." 
 
Amanda became director of the GHRC in 2008. Her work with the commission currently includes important projects to end violence against women in Guatemala, protect Guatemalan defenders of human rights, support Guatemalans seeking asylum in the U.S., raise awareness about the root causes of Guatemalan migration, and provide small grants to Guatemalans in the U.S. who work to promote human rights. 
 
This past May, Amanda received the alumna of the year award from the University of South Carolina's College of Social Work for her ongoing support of Guatemalan human rights. 
 
IN THIS ISSUE
Peace Corps Commemorative Moving Forward

NPCA Advocacy: Coming to a town near you?

Peace Corps Funding Update

Peace Corps Assesses its Future

Introducing You to Service World

Education for All Advocates

Featured Advocate: Amanda Martin

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This Month's Featured Advocate

Amanda Martin
 
 (Guatemala 93-96) 
 
Washington, DC
 
 
Read More Below

 
 
 
 
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My Piece of the Peace Corps Video Contest!
 
We want to hear your story.
  
 Submit a one- to two-minute video about how the Peace Corps, a Peace Corps Volunteer, or Returned Peace Corps Volunteer changed your life.
 
 Grand Prize: $2,500
 Second prize: $1,000
 Third prize: $500
 
 Go here for more information.
 
 
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KEY ADVOCACY LINKS
 
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Visit NPCA's
 
 
 
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ORGANIZATIONS REFERENCED IN THIS MONTH'S ADVOCACY NEWS
 
 
RESULTS 
   
 
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 Winter 2010 Issue of NPCA Magazine Will Feature Advocacy
 
Contact us today with your article suggestions at 
 
 advocacy@peacecorps
 co
nnect.org
 
 
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