Get in the ACT!
September 22 is Peace Corps ACT Day!
Yes, it marks the anniversary of the passage of the Peace Corps Act in 1961, which permanently established the Peace Corps.
But it's also the day that the National Peace Corps Association is asking you to ACT: to reflect on and celebrate the Peace Corps Difference during a 24-hour period.
Visit http://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/peace-corps-act-day/ to learn more.
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 40 and Still Counting! NPCA Advocates Organize District Meetings
Our thanks to several dozen RPCVs from across the country who took the lead in organizing district office meetings with forty members of Congress. The photo to the right - courtesy of Georgia Advocacy Coordinator Mary Novotny - features members of the Atlanta Area RPCVs meeting with staff of Senator Saxby Chambliss.
In all meetings, advocates urged support for the Senate recommendation of $385 million for the Peace Corps in Fiscal Year 2014. NPCA provided a graph showing that supporting this figure would go a long way in reversing the downward trend in funding over the last several years.
In various meetings, advocates also urged passage of Peace Corps Commemorative legislation, the Peace Corps Equity Act, and the Respect for Peace Corps Volunteers Act of 2013 (H.R. 1573).
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 Nominate an Outstanding Host Country National for the 2014 Wofford Award
A significant, unsung dividend of the Peace Corps is its transformative impact on the lives of host country nationals. To recognize these individuals and amplify their stories, the National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) established the Harris Wofford Global Citizen Award, which honors an outstanding global leader who grew up in a Peace Corps country, whose life was influenced by the Peace Corps, and whose career contributes significantly to their nation and the world.
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Immerse Yourself in a New Culture with Next Step Travel
Our Advocacy Director Jonathan Pearson just got back from Guatemala, where he had an amazing time as part of NPCA's Next Step Travel program.
His strongest impression: You're not a visitor or a traveller on a Next Step Travel trip -- you're a member of a family. Experience people-to-people connections. Contribute to sustainable projects and businesses thanks to skilled and knowledgeable Guatemalan and RPCV staff. Learn, try new things, explore.
NPCA's Next Step Travel trips are all-inclusive, so you can focus on getting the most from your experience. Read vivid, first hand trip reports on our website.
We have many trips scheduled to Guatemala and the Dominican Republic in the coming months and into next year, including holiday and family friendly trips for multi-generational sharing.
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Calling the 1980s and 1990s: Preserve Those Peace Corps Artifacts
There are thousands of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) who have served during the 1980s and 1990s, yet these decades are scantily represented in the Peace Corps Community Archive, established in early 2013 at American University in Washington, D.C. The Archive, announced on March 21, marks an exciting chance for RPCVs who served in any country, at any time, to share their photos, letters, journals, videos, country newsletters, training materials and any other items directly relating to their Peace Corps service and experience. It joins several other institutions for RPCVs interested in preserving their memories or making donations of materials for posterity. To assist, NPCA has created a one-stop resource page on its website... |
"What's More Important than the Peace Corps?"
Carol Freeman (Philippines 1965-67) asked herself that question after she returned from Peace Corps Connect in Boston.
At this conference, she learned about NPCA projects such as advocacy work on Capitol Hill, leading her to contemplate her affiliation with this organization. "I live simply and have saved for retirement. Each month I have enough money to contribute to people and organizations. After I returned from Boston and sat down to decide on my contributions, Peace Corps and NPCA came to the top of the list."
Last February, while visiting the village where she served in the Filipino island of Panay, Carol was struck by how well she was remembered. It reignited her passion for the Peace Corps....
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Foreshadowed Footsteps
It is amazing how sometimes something from your past connects with your present day situation.
Helen Chung remembers meeting her Congressman at the time - Norm Mineta - when she was in the eighth grade. About a decade later, Helen was taking an early step into public service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Republic of Georgia. In 2006, as she was concluding her service, she received a letter from her congressman. But Norm Mineta was no longer her representative. The letter was from Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) Mike Honda (El Salvador 1965-67), who had begun representing California's then 15th District in 2001....
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Help the NPCA preserve the legacy and future of the Peace Corps.
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USE THIS BUTTON TO FORWARD TO A FRIEND!
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NEW ITEMS!
VISIT THE NPCA STORE
Our online store offers a wide selection of Peace Corps and NPCA logo merchandise -- and yes, the much requested Peace Corps patch and flag!
Wearing logo merchandise is a great way to spark conversations about Peace Corps! Your purchase supports the efforts of the National Peace Corps Association.
Thank you for your support!
Visit the NPCA Online Store
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Follow us at:
twitter.com/pcorpsconnect
Join us each Friday at 12 noon EST for #RPCVChat. |
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HOUSING FOR RPCVs
Are you a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer looking for housing? Are you an RPCV with housing to offer to a fellow RPCV?
We've created a new group, RPCV Housing, on the NPCA Online Community -- a cozy social network space by and for the Peace Corps Community -- where RPCVs can offer and search for housing. Check it out and spread the word!
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TRIPPING: YOUR NPCA HOSPITALITY NETWORK
Support the NPCA on your next trip! Whether you're headed to your favorite summer destination or exploring a new part of the world this fall, you can find everything from couches to castles on
Tripping.com. More importantly, all bookings made through Tripping will help support the National Peace Corps Association community.
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In Memoriam
Each month the National Peace Corps Association notes the passing of members of our community in our Community News blog.
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| GET A JOB!
HIRE RPCVs!
Would you like to hire RPCVs -- and all the outstanding qualities that they offer?
Or are you an RPCV looking for a job that aligns with your passions?
Check out the Next Step Job Finder for available positions geared to the Peace Corps Community. If you are an employer, you can post your available job or internship here.
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