Archive for March, 2007
Update: To check the actual progress of the bill as it makes its way through Congress, check here
On March 1st the Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act (S.732) was introduced into Senate. This legislation contains many of the things that RPCVs and current PCVs in Guyana fought for. I know that in our Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) meetings many of these issues were brought up, some successfully like participation in site selection and some not so like the extranet. This legislation covers these issues and more, giving power to the Director “establish a system for promoting, by electronic means, improved communication among Peace Corps volunteers and staff, including the establishment of websites and e-mail links…” (Sec. 105)
In some ways many of the sections of this legislation look like they came right out of our VAC minutes. This has the power to make a huge difference in the way Peace Corps Volunteers operate and improve the quality of the program to a huge extent. I strongly encourage everyone to read it (it’s very short) and contact your Senators and Congressmen to ensure that it passes. You can also go to the NPCA link below to fill out their survey, the results of which will also be shared with members of Congress.
Peace Corps Volunteer Empowerment Act (S.732)
NPCA Survey
Welcome to Friends & RPCVs of Guyana’s Blog! I’m excited that we now have this blog up and running on our way to having a full blown website, a big thanks to Scott for all this. As was already mentioned we are on our way to becoming an officially registered non-profit organization based in Washington D.C. and will then become an affiliate of the National Peace Corps Association so current and future PCVs in Guyana won’t have to ask, “Why isn’t there a Guyana group on NPCA’s affiliate list?”
Our service won’t stop at putting an end to this question. We will actually be creating a new question in the minds of current volunteers: “How can the Guyana group help me and my community?” A general answer to this question is that FROG will be providing assistance in the form of small grants and resources to support community driven projects that volunteers are involved in. In addition to this we will be conducting Guyanese cultural events and awareness activities in the US, both as a part of the Third Goal and a means to create more support for the people of Guyana.
I look forward to hearing from other RPCVs, both those I know and those who served before me, in addition to any other interested person who would like to get involved. The email address for anyone interested is membership@guyfrog.org.
Mission Statement:
Friends & RPCVs of Guyana is a non-profit, service based organization dedicated to supporting education, health, social, economic, and environmental programs in Guyana through a network of RPCVs, Guyanese nationals, Guyanese-Americans, and all others concerned and interested in the Guyanese Community.
(via stabroeknews.com)
The United States Peace Corps said another 33 community health and education volunteers will arrive in the country by May 31.
According to a press release, the group, which has 41 volunteers working in eight regions, celebrated 46 years as an institution yesterday. The group works in collaboration with government ministries and non-governmental organisations to address citizens’ needs and to provide health, education and youth development outreach exercises. The volunteers facilitate community involvement, train service provides and introduce new training and teaching methodologies.
The Peace Corps volunteers are also part of the wider President’s Emer-gency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) response in Guyana. The group and supporting agencies develop materials and fund small community projects related to abstinence and being faithful, orphans and vulnerable children and palliative care.
The release said Crisis Corps, a special programme the Peace Corps initiated, was started as a way to use the valuable language, cultural and technical skills of former Peace Corps volunteers to respond to natural disasters or other crises. These volunteer assignments usually last from three to six months and are used to carry out specific duties. The project also falls under the purview of the Peace Corps Guyana PEPFAR initiative.
The release said since 1966 more than 400 Peace Corps volunteers have served in Guyana. The group has 7,810 American volunteers serving in 77 countries and, since its inauguration in 1961, 187,000 volunteers have served in 139 countries. Sometimes, the release said, Peace Corps service continues long after volunteers leave their posts.
Guyana | Peace Corps | RPCV
I remember sitting in the Peace Corps Guyana office flipping through the roster of RPCV.org’s associate group listings for returned volunteers and thinking “where is Guyana on this thing?” A number of volunteers came to ask themselves that very question and we came to the same conclusion. We better start one.
Friends & RPCV’s of Guyana (FROG)
There are a handful of us spread out across two continents working together to frame this organization into something we hope is prosperous and meaningful, not just to us but to the communities we once served and the country we once called home. We’re just about finished with the paperwork, we’re establishing a web presence, notifying returned volunteers of our efforts and beginning to roll. Within the next few months you’ll see more progress, some real changes and hopefully, God willing, we can hit the ground running.
Please stay tuned and if you’d like to join us in our endeavors, please feel free to contact us at membership (at) guyfrog (dot) org
Guyana | Peace Corps | RPCV
