Peace Corps News

Maury Albertson, one of the architects of the Peace Corps, has died at 90

Maury Albertson, one of the architects of the Peace Corps, died at 90 on January 11. India RPCV Jane Albritton has written her memories Albertson and his contributions to the Peace Corps:

"As Maury recounted his story, his voice was still filled with the wonder of it all. He remained amazed that everything moved so fast. That Sargent Shriver could put together a team that included Bill Moyers and Warren Wiggens. That "Sarge" had the stamina to have lunch with every legislator in DC to get the money to fund JFK's vision and Maury's plan. Colorado State became one of the first training sites for volunteers, and Pauline became the first director in Pakistan. Check it out. In 1961 a Farsi-speaking woman running the show in Muslim Pakistan where the first group included three Black volunteers. Martin Luther King made his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963, and it took until 1964 for the Civil Rights Act to bar discrimination in employment on the basis of race and sex. I came to understand that the pivotal role he played in the development of the Peace Corps was just part of his bigger, personal vision for Peace on Earth. Just weeks before he died at 90, he had been in Jakarta, Indonesia, teaching a doctorate-level class on sustainable development. Who was this guy? I have tried to come up with an image for Maury. Here’s the best I can do. I think he was like a big planet with its own gravitational pull. Even from a distance, it looks bright in the night sky. But what happens when you look more closely with a stronger telescope? Why there’s more. The bright planet - like Jupiter, maybe - has color and 63 moons orbiting around it. And no matter how close you get, the vision never gets out of focus, even as it turns - with apparent joy - in multiple motions. That would be Maury. "

Renewing the Bond of Trust with Volunteers

Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff write: Renewing the Bond of Trust with Volunteers
At its founding, the Peace Corps was premised on a radical and idealistic notion that many thought was impractical and even outlandish. It took bold vision and risk taking—a New Frontier mentality, a land-on-the-moon mentality—to give this notion a try. The notion was that we could trust Americans, mostly young Americans, to envision what it would take to improve the lives of villagers in the developing world, to survive hardships, and to make the best of the situation and its challenges. It took visionaries like Sargent Shriver, Bill Moyers and Harris Wofford—leaders who trusted and listened to Volunteers—to put this brilliant idea into practice.

Over the decades, there has been no change in Volunteers that warrants a diminution of this bond of trust. As stated above, we are impressed with the Volunteers with whom we serve. Almost without exception, they are idealistic, resourceful and hard working. We find that they are more mature and wise to the world than we were at their age. We are proud to serve with them, and know that many will be friends for life. We invite you to visit the Volunteers in the field to see for yourself. We believe you will be inspired as we are.

Unfortunately, today some Peace Corps managers seem to assume that Volunteers are slackers and adolescents needing strict rules and discipline. Volunteers often get the impression that the managers don't trust us. They often seem to act as if Volunteers need to be tethered so that we won't embarrass the Country Director or generate a Congressional inquiry. When the agency suffers a rare negative incident, its instinct is to construct a bulwark of paperwork and rules in hopes of preventing a recurrence. En loco parentis condescension and risk aversion seem to be common attitudes.

One probable cause of condescension is the substantial age differential between managers and Volunteers, who tend to be straight out of college with little work experience. These skewed demographics might pose problems, but they do not justify treating Volunteers like juveniles. The Volunteers may be young, but they are exceptional individuals with deep insights into their work, their sites, and their needs at site. Condescension is sure to discourage older Volunteers from serving.

Hierarchical organizations, like the present-day Peace Corps, are notoriously poor at listening. They tend to command, dictate and impose, demoralizing Volunteers in the process. In many cases what Volunteers hear from the managers are demands—to write more reports or comply with more rules. Predictably, some Volunteers become resentful and unproductive or they terminate their service early.

Early termination is a plague in the Peace Corps. It squanders the expenses of the selection process, screening, site preparation, training and settling in. It dashes the hopes and expectations of the community in which the Volunteer was serving. The best way to reduce ETs is for the Peace Corps to listen better to what the Volunteers need to be effective and productive, as S. 732 commands.

Read the rest of this article.

US Ambassador to Tanzania revokes country clearance for Peace Corps Country Director

A post made on PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania alleges that Ambassador Michael Retzer has acted improperly in revoking the country clearance of Country Director Christine Djondo. A statement from Peace Corps' Press Office says that the Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision and that her removal will have an adverse effect on the program in Tanzania. In an apparently unrelated story, the White House has announced that Retzer is being replaced as Ambassador. Our in-depth report follows.

Caption: Ambassador Michael Retzer cuts the ribbon to the new Msata Health Center in Tanzania.

Post made to PCOL from volunteers in Tanzania
We are US Peace Corps volunteers serving in the United Republic of Tanzania. We are writing this letter because the US Ambassador's recent involvement in Peace Corps Tanzania has outraged us and inspired us to seek answers from our elected officials back home. Tanzania's United States Ambassador, Michael Retzer, recently chose to curtail the country clearance of our Peace Corps Country Director, Christine Djondo, after she refused to resign her position and leave voluntarily. The Ambassador illegitimately removed Ms. Djondo from her position for defending the rights of Peace Corps. We as Peace Corps Volunteers in Tanzania are appalled that a public official used his office to coerce a federal employee into advancing his political agenda. This is a formal expression of our opposition to Ambassador Retzer's decision, and we request an investigation of this matter.

While the United States government supervises the Peace Corps, the program was specifically designed to keep us volunteers separate from US Embassies and their political affiliations. Disregarding this precaution, Ambassador Michael Retzer pressured our Country Director to merge the operations of Peace Corps/ Tanzania and the US Embassy by co-locating the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) office at the Embassy. Furthermore, he wanted to combine the Embassy's and the Peace Corps' Motor Pools and Health units in order to reduce the budget of the United States Mission. In these situations, Ambassador Retzer allowed Ms. Djondo no opportunity for compromise.

Peace Corps has remained independent since its inception in 1961 and it is indisputable that the Ambassador's demands infringed upon its sovereignty as a unique and autonomous organization. Furthermore, by disrespecting Peace Corps' independence in relation to the hiring and firing of staff members, some of Ambassador Retzer's plans may be considered in contempt of the Peace Corps Act (Section 2509A).

A United States Ambassador does not have the power to fire a Peace Corps Country Director: only the Director of the US Peace Corps in Washington has the entitlement to appoint or dismiss a Country Director. Consequently, Ambassador Retzer's only means to remove Ms. Djondo was to take the drastic step of revoking her country clearance. The Ambassador claimed to have little confidence in Director Djondo's leadership ability and therefore made this decision in order to "save" our program.

Ambassador Retzer's agenda for PC/Tanzania could have had a devastating effect on our safety, our relationships in our communities, and on our morale as independent volunteers. We firmly believe Ms. Djondo made the right decision in resisting his intimidation. Ms. Djondo worked diligently to effectively and safely direct our program and continually demonstrated excellent leadership. We thank her for adamantly defending Peace Corps' independence, for consistently upholding the ideals stated in the Peace Corps Act, and for tirelessly supporting the needs of her volunteers despite political pressures that ultimately forced her to leave the country.

On June 8, 2007, the date designated by Ambassador Retzer, Ms. Djondo and her family left Tanzania for Washington DC where she will retain a position at Peace Corps Headquarters. We believe Ms. Djondo has been punished by Ambassador Retzer for defending the security of Peace Corps Volunteers. We are writing today to express our disbelief and indignation at Mr. Retzer's audacious behavior as a public official.

As current and former Peace Corps Volunteers and citizens of the United States of America, we kindly request investigation into his potential misuse of power.

Sincerely, Peace Corps Volunteers – Tanzania

If questions or comments, feel free to contact: [email protected] This is an address created by the many PCVs in country in support of Christine! We will respond at our earliest convenience. Asante sana.

Statement from Peace Corps' Press Office
Christine Djondo served in Tanzania for nearly two years and also served with distinction as the Peace Corps Country Director in Lesotho and Gabon. She has demonstrated the leadership and management qualities that exemplify a successful country director. She has accomplished a great deal as the country director of one of Peace Corps’ largest and most successful programs in all of Africa, supporting both Volunteers and staff and maintaining strong relations with the Government of Tanzania. During her tenure as country director in Tanzania, there has been a pronounced increase in Volunteer satisfaction with their experience and the support they receive from staff.

The Peace Corps has always had full confidence in Ms. Djondo as country director. Unfortunately, U.S. Ambassador Michael Retzer did not concur and has exercised his authority as chief of mission to withdraw the authorization for Ms. Djondo to remain in country.

Peace Corps strongly disagrees with the ambassador’s decision and has let him know the adverse effects this decision will have on the Peace Corps program in Tanzania, including the morale of Volunteers, new trainees, and staff. Because of the number of staff transitions in Tanzania, the June training class is being reduced by half to ensure adequate support for currently serving Volunteers and the new training class.

The Peace Corps has always maintained an excellent partnership with the government of Tanzania, which has given strong support to the Peace Corps program at the national and local levels. The Peace Corps is proud of its relationship with Tanzania, one that began when the first ever Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in August, 1961, and the agency looks forward to continuing its strong partnership.

More about Tanzania Country Director Christine Djondo
Christine A. Djondo has been Peace Corps Country Director in Lesotho, Gabon, and Tanzania. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Cameroon for four years between 1984 and 1989 working with Credit Unions and Cooperatives. She served as Country Director for Lesotho from 2001 to 2003, Country Director for Gabon from 2003 to 2005, and Country Director for Tanzania from 2005 to the present.

Prior to returning to the Peace Corps in a staff position, she was the Senior Program Officer for Special Programs at the Council for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES). In this capacity, she worked with the Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence and Occasional Lecturer Programs, which are aimed at helping to internationalize minority-serving institutions, community colleges and those colleges in the United States that normally do not have the opportunity to host a foreign scholar. She also helped plan the annual visiting scholar conference, worked with the metropolitan coordinators and assisted with diversity issues at CIES.

Ms. Djondo previously worked for CIES for five years in the early nineties when she was a Program Officer for Africa programs. In the four years she was away from CIES, she worked for the Institute of International Education (IIE) on USAID training programs with Egypt, South Africa, Namibia, the Philippines and Panama. She also served as the Assistant Director of Education Abroad at Ohio University in Athens. Ms. Djondo is very involved with the African Studies Association and NAFSA: Association of International Educators where she has chaired several panels and a workshop on Africa. She recently served as Co-Chair for the Virginia Delegation to the National Summit on Africa held in D.C. this past February.

Ms. Djondo has an M.A. in African Studies from Ohio University, Athens; a B.S. in Human Development from the University of Connecticut, Storrs; and an A.S. in Accounting and Business Administration from Manchester Community College, CT. Ms. Djondo also served and worked for the U.S. Peace Corps in Cameroon for four years.

Caption: Cutting the cake at the ceremony for the 45th anniversary of the Peace Corps are from left: PC Tanzania Country Director Christine Djondo, Minister for Regional Administration & Local Government Mizengo Pinda, Returned PC Volunteer who served in Dar es Salaam and Mwanza, 1962-64 Susan Proctor and Current PC volunteer, Morogoro 2004-2006 Photo: Dianna English

Read more about Peace Corps Tanzania, one of the first countries that welcomed the Peace Corps.

Returned Volunteers and Staff honor Peace Corps Architect Warren Wiggins at Memorial Service

Returned Volunteers and Staff honor Peace Corps Architect Warren Wiggins at Memorial Service
Returned Volunteers and Staff came to the "Bull Run Unitarian Universalists' Church" in Manassas, Virginia from all over the United States on May 4 to attend a Memorial Service honoring Peace Corps Architect Warren Wiggins.

Mrs. Edna Wiggins and her children greeted guests at the door of the church.  Inside the church Peace Corps Volunteers and Staff like former Peace Corps Director Jack Vaughn, former Peace Corps Country Director for Ethiopia and Pennsylvania Senator Harris Wofford,  former Country Director for Togo and Niger and later Peace Corps Africa Regional Director and President of Africare C. Payne Lucas and his wife, Sierra Leone RPCV and NPCA Chairman Emertisus Pat Reilly and her husband Philippines RPCV Dick Irish, NPCA President and Thailand RPCV Kevin Quigley, and David Arnold, Editor of NPCA's Worldview magazine. Other RPCV and Staff attending included Kevin Lowther of Africare, Gretchen Handwerger, Ruth McKennzie Scott, B. J. Warren, and Carolyn Ramsey.

The Memorial Service began at 1 pm with Gathering Music played by Annease Hastings on the piano. Reverend Lou Mitchell gave the Opening Words and Prayer of Thanksgiving. After the choir and congregation sang "Gather the Spirit", John Bender read a selection from the writings of Warren Wiggins from a boy of 6 who wanted to "lasso the moon" to a young man who served in the Army Air Forces during World War II flying transport planes "over the Hump" in the China-India-Burma theater and received a Distinguished Flying Cross. The choir sang the anthem "Fire of Committment."

Philippines RPCV Dick Irish asked how many members of the memorial service had served either in the Peace Corps or with TransCentury and then gave his personal tribute to Warren Wiggiins remembering  how Wiggins gave him his first job at Peace Corps Headquarters after he returned after his service in the Philippines, how he went with Wiggins to the first TransCentury offices in Washington DC, Wiggins' management style, and the first government contracts. Faye Cowan rose and read excerpts from a letter from a group in Sierra Leone who came together through TransCentury and are still working for the goals of social justice twenty years later.

After the BRVV Adult Chior sang "God in my Head," Reverend Nancy McDonald Ladd gave the eulogy to Warren Wiggins recalling his many contributions and the love his family and friends had for him. After the service, the Wiggins famiy invited all the guests to stay for light refreshments in the Fellowship Hall after the memorial service.

Warren Wiggins once said of former Peace Corps Director Jack Hood Vaughn (right with Africare President emeritus C. Payne Lucas): "I worked more with Vaughn than any other person in my life, four separate long-term assignments, back to back.  Mostly I have co-workers; Vaughn was a friend.  Vaughn and I traveled at length in Bolivia together, the two of us, when we were both in the ICA Mission to Bolivia.  He's got a lot of Teddy Roosevelt in him.  He was a former prizefighter.  On the other hand, he's cautious, conservative and sometimes not terribly involved in some of the broader sweep of things.  Vaughn stands up and is counted and is determined.  He is a good administrator.  he is an excellent person. He is my friend." Read more.

Read the Obituary for Warren Wiggins.  In 1961, Mr. Wiggins, who became one of the top leaders of the high-profile agency in its earliest years, was an unknown foreign policy adviser whose brief paper, "The Towering Task," landed in the lap of the Peace Corps' first director, R. Sargent Shriver, just as he was trying to figure out how to turn President John F. Kennedy's campaign promise into a working federal department. The response to it became legendary in the agency as "the midnight ride of Warren Wiggins." Shriver, burrowing through correspondence shortly after midnight on Feb. 6, 1961, was electrified by the treatise, which urged the agency to act boldly. A small agency was more likely to fail because its projects would not be consequential enough, Mr. Wiggins wrote. Using specific examples, with a proposed staff size and budget, Mr. Wiggins suggested that Kennedy act through an executive order for the quickest start. "Shriver from the beginning saw him as someone who had the spirit of moving big and fast," former senator Harris Wofford (D-Pa.), who was there, said in an interview. "The Peace Corps, small and symbolic, might be good public relations, but a Peace Corps that was large and had a major impact on problems in other countries could transform the economic development of the world."

Read excerpts from "A Towering Task."  Most of the academic and other institutional approaches to the opportunity of the National Peace Corps suggest tentative pilot projects, involving small numbers of people and consequently a limited political, economic and psychological impact. This cautious approach is proposed by many because of the clear possibility of a fiasco. The organization and administration of a large number of Americans working on a variety of programs and projects in many countries with varying cultures and needs undeniably is an extremely complex and difficult undertaking. It is the prevailing view that if a great many Americans are scattered abroad and if significant numbers of them fail either in their own eyes or in the eyes of the recipient peoples, or if large numbers of the Americans have severe health, emotional or other problems, the resulting criticism will extend far beyond the project per se.

The purpose of this paper is to advocate consideration of a "quantum jump" in the thinking and programming concerning the National Peace Corps. Its postulate is that America ought to consider initiating the program with several thousand Americans participating in the first 12 to 18 months - say, 5,000 to 10,000. The ultimate level of manpower to be utilized in this program will of course depend upon its initial success and difficulties. However, the potential of this program is great and it may prove to be the case that it should be at the 30,000, the 50,000 or possibly even at the 100,000 level. Even this latter higher level Corps over the past 35 would mean that only one out of every 30 youths would serve in the Peace Corps.

Caption: Mrs. Edna Wiggins, widow of Peace Corps Architect Warren Wiggins, with (left to right) Director Jack Vaughn, Senator Harris Wofford, and Peace Corps Online Co-Editor Hugh Pickens near the end of the reception.  All Photos:  PCOL  Flickr Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0.

Warren Wiggins: Architect of the Peace Corps

Obituary for Warren Wiggins, Architect of the Peace Corps
Warren W. Wiggins, 84, the major architect and organizer of the Peace Corps who wrote the basic philosophical document that shaped its mission, died of atypical Parkinson's syndrome April 13 at his home in Haymarket.

In 1961, Mr. Wiggins, who became one of the top leaders of the high-profile agency in its earliest years, was an unknown foreign policy adviser whose brief paper, "A Towering Task," landed in the lap of the Peace Corps' first director, R. Sargent Shriver, just as he was trying to figure out how to turn President John F. Kennedy's campaign promise into a working federal department.

The response to it became legendary in the agency as "the midnight ride of Warren Wiggins." Shriver, burrowing through correspondence shortly after midnight on Feb. 6, 1961, was electrified by the treatise, which urged the agency to act boldly. A small agency was more likely to fail because its projects would not be consequential enough, Mr. Wiggins wrote. Using specific examples, with a proposed staff size and budget, Mr. Wiggins suggested that Kennedy act through an executive order for the quickest start.

Shriver fired off a telegram at 3 a.m., directing Mr. Wiggins to appear later that morning at the Mayflower Hotel, where he had his office. When Mr. Wiggins appeared, he was astonished to find that his exposition had been mimeographed and distributed to Shriver's task force. According to the 1994 work "A History of National Service in America," Shriver ordered everyone to read the paper, then said it came closer to expressing his views than anything he had seen.

"Shriver from the beginning saw him as someone who had the spirit of moving big and fast," former senator Harris Wofford (D-Pa.), who was there, said in an interview. "The Peace Corps, small and symbolic, might be good public relations, but a Peace Corps that was large and had a major impact on problems in other countries could transform the economic development of the world."

At the time, Mr. Wiggins was a 38-year-old deputy director of Far East operations in the International Cooperation Administration, just the sort of bureaucrat the new administration disdained. But he was no stereotype; he was "totally dissatisfied with the manner in which American overseas programs were run," wrote John Coyne, a historian of the Peace Corps.  Read more.

Excerpts from "A Towering Task"
"Many Americans feel that there is a necessity to add another "tool" or "resource" to those presently available for accomplishing needed changes abroad. Not only do we need to bring another kind of asset to bear on our foreign problems, there is an urgency in these problems that demands we move more quickly. The National Peace Corps is a program that will allow the United States to move faster in many situations. This progress often requires the availability of large numbers of personnel, which would be provided under this program. The National Peace Corps would provide another way to expand education, to build a road, to promote 4-H Clubs, or to eradicate malaria. As such it holds forth the promise of potential accomplishment abroad of great importance to America."

"Less discussed but perhaps of great significance is the possibility that as Americans serve abroad over a period of time they become more oriented to the world scene and are better prepared to participate in world affairs. Many draw a parallel to the impact of American attitudes of having 14 million Americans under arms in World War II, a considerable portion of whom served abroad."

"Most of the academic and other institutional approaches to the opportunity of the National Peace Corps suggest tentative pilot projects, involving small numbers of people and consequently a limited political, economic and psychological impact. This cautious approach is proposed by many because of the clear possibility of a fiasco. The organization and administration of a large number of Americans working on a variety of programs and projects in many countries with varying cultures and needs undeniably is an extremely complex and difficult undertaking. It is the prevailing view that if a great many Americans are scattered abroad and if significant numbers of them fail either in their own eyes or in the eyes of the recipient peoples, or if large numbers of the Americans have severe health, emotional or other problems, the resulting criticism will extend far beyond the project per se."

"In other words, it is here postulated that a "small," "cautious" National Peace Corps may be worse that no Peace Corps at all. It may not receive the attention and talent it will require even for preventing trouble. A. slow, cautious start may maximize the chance of failure. A small, cautious National Peace Corps may be a diversionary path of inconsequential accomplishment and major administrative and diplomatic trouble."

"The purpose of this paper is to advocate consideration of a "quantum jump" in the thinking and programming concerning the National Peace Corps. Its postulate is that America ought to consider initiating the program with several thousand Americans participating in the first 12 to 18 months - say, 5,000 to 10,000. The ultimate level of manpower to be utilized in this program will of course depend upon its initial success and difficulties. However, the potential of this program is great and it may prove to be the case that it should be at the 30,000, the 50,000 or possibly even at the 100,000 level. Even this latter higher level Corps over the past 35 would mean that only one out of every 30 years. (?) youths would serve in the Peace Corps."

"Such a national effort on the part of the United States can not be undertaken easily or without a great deal of thought and preparation. This paper does not advocate that there is a clear conclusion that we ought to have a large National Peace Corps. What it does advocate is that a National Peace Corps starting on a small scale and growing, say, to the 5,000 level on a worldwide basis, is a marginal undertaking and may, on balance, cause more trouble than it is worth. Because this paper postulates that there is a large and fundamental motivation behind the Peace Corps idea of national and international importance, it advocates making a real assessment of the relative value and cost of starting large and accelerating to the extent that the program's contribution is commensurate with its cost."

"The Executive Branch should decide that the Peace Corps will be launched in calendar year 1961 and at a level sufficiently large to: 1) Assure maximum chance of success; 2) demonstrate that major activities can be undertaken in particular countries; and 3) test the wisdom of a variety of types of approaches and activities. Thus, it is believed that in February President Kennedy should decide that, even in advance of legislation and formal administrative structure, the Peace Corps will be launched with a major Presidential statement or speech, that a call for volunteers will be thus issued, that preparatory work for a series of specific pilot projects will begin, that screening of applicants will be under way, that to the extent necessary appropriate contracts will be negotiated and that selected foreign governments will be contacted."

"The Administrator of the National Peace Corps would be charged with the development of an immediate program which would look toward the utilization of, say, 5,000 to 10,000 youths in the next 12 to 18 months. Certain major projects should be undertaken, such as the Philippines proposal contained in this paper, which would utilize 1,000 youths the first year. Probably a parallel English teaching program for Nigeria ought to be instituted immediately, involving another thousand teachers. The National Peace Corps could also be effectively used in health programs such as malaria eradication and smallpox vaccination, particularly in Africa. The existing voluntary agency programs for youths abroad should be expanded as rapidly as possible to absorb up to an additional thousand youths in the next 18 months. Maximum utilization should be made of National Peace Corps personnel in the regular "Point IV" activities of ICA abroad in some 60 countries, which could probably make use of 1,000 youths in the next 18 months. Likewise, Peace Corps personnel could be attached to the 40 university contracts abroad, adding, for example, another 300 to 400 to the total."

"These and the host of other activities that have been suggested should be carefully screened and selected projects initiated. The actual final number to be enrolled in the Peace Corps in the first 12 to 18 months should of course depend upon the volume of good programs that can be developed and successfully administered."

Read the original document "A Towering Task" that shaped the Peace Corps' mission.

Read John Coyne's special issue of "Peace Corps Writers" commemorating "A Towering Task."

Spotlight on Peace Corps Micronesia

Joe Murphy writes: Early members of Peace Corps brought along ideas of freedom and independence to Pacific Islands
"The United States seemed to give up acquiring more land during and after World War II. They didn't get any in Europe and let the Philippines become independent. In fact, most of Asia gained independence. With the idea of Manifest Destiny behind us, you have to wonder what went through John F. Kennedy's mind when he suggested the formation of the Peace Corps. Did he think that sending out thousands of young, bright Americans would allow the islands to become a legitimate part of the United States?"

"The strange thing about the Peace Corps involvement with the islands is that they never seemed to push the American flag on the people. In fact, there is evidence that says just the opposite. It was the Peace Corps members who worked hard to convey to the islanders the idea of being independent. Or, in Saipan's case, the idea of a Commonwealth with the United States. I don't know what the history books will say about all this, but it was my conclusion that Peace Corps volunteers, imbued with the idea of freedom and independence, brought both to Micronesia. Hooray for them. I'm pretty sure that this is what happened in Palau, as well as other places. I would like to know how JFK felt about all this." Read more.

Jody K. Olsen travels to Micronesia to meet Peace Corps Volunteers and partners
Peace Corps Deputy Director Jody K. Olsen traveled through the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) from March 26 – 30 to meet with Volunteers, staff, and government officials. Olsen said, “I came to thank our Volunteers, staff and local partners for their dedication to serving others. I am proud of our 40-year partnership in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Palau. Since we began in 1966, over 3,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have been dedicated to serving in many fields to improve the lives of Micronesians.“ Peace Corps entered the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) in 1966 when it was still part of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.

There are presently 47 Peace Corps Volunteers working with partner agencies in Micronesia. The first group of Volunteers taught English at all education levels. In the 1970s, Peace Corps moved into agriculture, health, and community development. In the 1980s, Volunteers worked mainly in sanitation, forestry, and fisheries. From 2000 to 2005, Volunteers worked on natural resources conservation, community building, and youth development. From 2006 to the present, Volunteers focus primarily on teaching English. Jody Olsen, Deputy Director of the Peace Corps appointed by President George W. Bush, served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tunisia. Read more.

Caption: (Rt. to Lft.) Deputy Director Jody K. Olsen in a photo during her meeting with Micronesian President Joseph Urusemal and Country Director David Reside.

Micronesia honors first Peace Corps Volunteers Country Director, John Pincetich
Micronesia’s first Peace Corps Volunteers country director, John Pincetich, was honored at the Governor’s Office for his long and dedicated services to the organization when its headquarters was located on Saipan from 1966 until 1978. Pincetich came to Saipan in the fall of 1966 when more than several hundred Peace Corps volunteers arrived in Micronesia for the first time. Micronesia at the time was under the U.S. Trust Territory administration before the islands all went their separate ways politically, beginning with the Northern Marianas in 1976.

Kurt Barnes, who came to Saipan with the third group in 1966, accepted the plaque presented by Governor Benigno R. Fitial and Lieutenant Governor Tim P. Villagomez. The plaque together with a joint legislative resolution will be sent to Pincetich in the U.S., who will be celebrating his 90th birthday September 14th. “Being in a unique position of directing hundreds of outspoken sixties-era volunteers in a place under the American flag required John to use all his skills of diplomacy,” Fitial said of Pincetich. “He was a great friend of our people as well as of the many Peace Corps Volunteers that he influenced.” Read more.

Caption: Gov. Benigno R. Fitial and Lt. Gov. Timothy Villagomez hand over a plaque of recognition to Peace Corp volunteers during the press conference at the governor's office in Capitol Hill. In photo are, from left, Steve Woodruff, Ann Jordan, Kurt Barnes, Chuck Jordan and Mike Malone. Photo: Jacqueline Hernandez

Cecilia Hartmann has made her life in the South Pacific
The year was 1970. The Vietnam conflict was being fought by guerilla fighters in the jungles of Southeast Asia. That same year, Cecilia Hartmann of Paterson graduated from Seton Hall University in South Orange with a desire to do something positive. So she joined the Peace Corps. "I wanted to go to Vietnam, but it was off limits," says Hartmann, 61. "I wanted to work with children." Instead, in 1971, she was sent to Chuuk, a remote island that is the most populous of the four states making up the Federated States of Micronesia. Hartmann now calls Chuuk home, and for the past 25 years she has been teaching school there.

Life was primitive on the lush island bathed by intense tropical sun. Hartmann's mistake was failing to wear sunglasses as protection from the harmful ultraviolet rays. About two years ago, her vision started to blur due to cataracts. The condition deteriorated to the point where she needed an operation not available in Micronesia. She did research on the Internet and returned home to Paterson to stay with her sister and mother. In May, a surgeon at PBI Regional Medical Center in Passaic performed operations on both eyes. She returned to Chuuk in July with perfect vision.

After her arrival, Hartmann soon learned her assignment was among the most difficult for Peace Corps workers because the Pacific island is so secluded. At that time, only three flights a week landed there and only an occasional ship. It had no electricity, roads or running water. The only American on the island, she was housed with a family with 10 children. Although English is the second language, Chuukese is the difficult mother language.

Despite linguistic difficulties and the huge adjustment of living in a two-room, wood-and-aluminum-roofed shack, Hartmann decided to stay beyond her initial two-year commitment. Hartmann says she liked teaching in a much simpler environment. "I was going to stay anyway because I liked it, but then I met my husband, who was a descendant of some of the early German traders," Hartmann says. Hartmann calls the natural beauty of the island alluring. "My heart is on the island," she says. Read more.

Read more about Peace Corps Micronesia.

Astronaut Mae Jemison was the Peace Corps Medical Officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia

Jemison says people often assume that she considers the space mission her proudest achievement, but she jokingly downplays her trip into space
Mae Jemison worked as a doctor and as the Peace Corps medical officer for Liberia and Sierra Leone. She has also been a college professor and started her own companies. She says people often assume that she considers the space mission her proudest achievement, but she jokingly downplays that trip. "Basically, you just sit on top of a rocket, and someone else pushes a button," Jemison said.

Jemison, who now lives in Houston, describes her experience as a doctor, scientist, astronaut, entrepreneur, teacher and one-time aspiring dancer. To succeed, she says, the students have to sidestep mental obstacles and not conform to other people's expectations. Jemison can remember looking up to the stars as a child and deciding that one day she would go into space, even as the National Guard patrolled her South Side Chicago neighborhood to quell urban unrest in the late 1960s. The day came on Sept. 12, 1992, when Jemison rode aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor and became the first black woman to go into space. But back in 1968, none of the astronauts looked like her, and the times were turbulent, but she still dreamed. "When I talk about optimism, that young girl is the most important, cherished part of me," she said. "She's my hero."  Read more.

As a Peace Corps Medical Officer, Jemison once ordered the evacuation of a volunteer to Germany saving his life
"In the early 1980's, I served as a doctor for Peace Corps volunteers in Liberia and Sierra Leone in West Africa. Within the first two weeks I was there, a volunteer got sick. Another doctor diagnosed malaria, but after the man had been on chloroquine for 24 hours, it didn't look like that to me. He got progressively worse, and at 2 a.m., after a power failure in the hospital, I started rummaging around our medical unit with a flashlight to find antibiotics for a broad-based medical cocktail."

"I was sure it was meningitis with life-threatening complications that we could not treat successfully in Sierra Leone, so finally, I called for a military medical evacuation on an Air Force hospital plane based in Germany. Just to start the process cost $80,000. When I gave the order, the U.S. Embassy personnel just looked at me. I was 26."

"They started questioning whether I had the authority to give such an order. Yet, after being up for 36 hours — familiar territory for a former Los Angeles County hospital intern — I was very calm and knew what the issues were. I patiently told them I didn't need anyone's permission or concurrence. By the time we reached the Air Force hospital in Germany, I had stayed up with that patient for 56 hours. Of course, he survived."  Read more.

Mae Jemison wears red for charity
New York Fashion Week opened amid an international debate about too-thin models, yet the first major runway show of the event featured women of all shapes, sizes, ages and colours. And the crowd loved it. That first show on the catwalks at Bryant Park was the Heart Truth show, an annual event in which celebrities wear red dresses created for them by famous designers. Heart Truth is part of the Red Dress project, a federal initiative spearheaded by Laura Bush, to raise awareness about heart disease. Read more.

Caption: Mae Jemison, wearing Lyn Devon, walks the runway at the Red Dress Heart Truth fashion show during Fall 2007 Fashion Week in New York on Friday, Feb 2, 2007.(Fashion Wire Daily/Gruber)

Read more about Peace Corps Medical Officer Mae Jemison.

Chris, a confidential assistant to the Director of the Peace Corps, studied Arabic in Egypt and Yemen

Chris, a confidential assistant to the Director of the Peace Corps, studied Arabic in Egypt and Yemen
"I started studying Arabic in the fall of 2003 at Middlebury College, which is widely regarded as one of the top undergraduate institutions in America to study a foreign language. I was affected by the 9/11 attacks, and I thought that by knowing Arabic I would be able to serve my country in a beneficial way," Chris explains to Inside the Beltway.

"After the 2003-2004 academic year, I studied Arabic at a very intense level at the Middlebury College Summer Language Schools. Middlebury's Arabic summer school is regarded as the best place in the world, including the Middle East, to study the language. I then spent the entire 2004-2005 academic year studying at the American University in Cairo.

"During my entire first semester in Cairo, I only took Arabic language courses 5 Arabic courses. Upon returning to Middlebury College for my senior year, there were no Arabic courses for my level. So instead I did a one-on-one independent study with an Arabic professor, which included writing a 15-page paper in Arabic on Koranic support for a representative form of government."

In January 2006, Chris traveled to Cairo on a fellowship. There he interviewed in Arabic leaders of the Muslim Brotherhood and Hizb al-Wasat for his honors thesis, which examined the two parties' calls for an Islamic democracy in Egypt. His paper subsequently was awarded Middlebury's best thesis focusing on an international issue and was nominated for a national award.

Chris is highly proficient in Arabic reading, writing, listening, speaking and extremely knowledgeable of the Middle East, its culture and its religions. In spring 2006, before graduating from Middlebury, he applied for positions at the National Security Agency, FBI, Defense Intelligence Agency and Pentagon, and forwarded several resumes to the CIA. "I never heard back from any of the agencies. None. Not one," he tells this column. "And after I returned back from Yemen, the State Department, which paid for my fellowship, never contacted me or anybody else that was in my group, all of whom achieved advanced levels of Arabic proficiency.

"Fortunately for me, I interned in the [Bush] White House in the summer of 2005, so when I graduated from Middlebury I was able to receive a schedule-C appointment focusing on international affairs. But for all those other American Arabic speakers out there including the ones that received fellowships from the State Department they are waiting to serve their country if given the chance."

In the meantime, the Peace Corps says it is delighted to have Chris on board. One official there told us yesterday that one reason Chris was hired was "because of his Arabic skills and knowledge of the Middle East and Islam." Among many regions of the world, the Peace Corps serves in several Arabic-speaking countries and 15 predominantly Muslim countries.

How many times have you seen it reported that the U.S. is in dire need of Americans with Arabic language skills, particularly as the war on terrorism escalates? The FBI currently has a backlog of untranslated audio counterterrorism materials, which nearly doubled from 2004 to 2005. Still, one has to question how anxious the federal government really is to fill its homeland security gaps with men and women who are knowledgeable about the Islamic world and speak the language.  Read more.

Read more about the Peace Corps and Homeland Security.

Bill Moyers returns to US public television with weekly "Bill Moyers Journal" starting in April

Bill Moyers returns to US public television with weekly "Bill Moyers Journal" starting in April
Bill Moyers is returning to PBS public television in April with a weekly public affairs series, "Bill Moyers Journal," that resurrects the name of his first public television series for a new century. "People keep writing or stopping me on the street to suggest stories that are not being reported and voices that are not being heard," said the former press secretary for U.S. President Lyndon Johnson. "A lot of Americans long for more than convention wisdom, celebrity pundits, predictable opinions and safe analysis of the obvious."

The first episode on April 25 discusses the role of the press before the invasion of Iraq. Moyers' previous weekly series shut down in 2004. It became the center of controversy when it was revealed that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was monitoring the show for the political leanings of its guests.

Journalist Bill Moyers was the Deputy Director of the Peace Corps under founding Director Sargent Shriver.

Bill Moyers slams President Bush for "mind-boggling" contempt for proof of global warming and blamed what he called Bush's dependence on conservative Christians and multinational corporations
"Without the Christian right, the corporations that now control Washington would not have had the votes to eviscerate our environmental protections," Moyers said in a Chrysler Hall speech hosted by The Norfolk Forum. He also said Bush was "beholden to his corporate patrons and campaign contributors" and that corporations control the nation's environmental policy "lock, stock and barrel."

Religion is equally challenging because of the country's growing spiritual diversity, he said. "We have to ask, Can we avoid the intolerance, the chauvinism, the fanaticism, the bitter fruits that spring up when different religions are next-door neighbors?" Moyers said his wide-ranging interviews on subjects such as the book of Genesis showed him that each religion "offers a profound insight into human nature." "They have led me away from condescending toleration of other faiths to an anticipation and affirmation of positive engagement with them," said Moyers, who called himself both a journalist and a spiritual "pilgrim."

Bill Moyers delivers the Sol Feinstone Lecture on The Meaning of Freedom at the United States Military Academy at West Point
"This is a tough subject to address when so many of you may be heading for Iraq. I would prefer to speak of sweeter things. But I also know that 20 or 30 years from now any one of you may be the Chief of Staff or the National Security Adviser or even the President—after all, two of your boys, Grant and Eisenhower, did make it from West Point to the White House. And that being the case, it’s more important than ever that citizens and soldiers—and citizen-soldiers—honestly discuss and frankly consider the kind of country you are serving and the kind of organization to which you are dedicating your lives."

"People in power should be required to take classes in the poetry of war. As a presidential assistant during the early escalation of the war in Vietnam, I remember how the President blanched when the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said it would take one million fighting men and 10 years really to win in Vietnam, but even then the talk of war was about policy, strategy, numbers and budgets, not severed limbs and eviscerated bodies."

"In no part of the Constitution is more wisdom to be found, than in the clause which confides the question of war and peace to the legislature, and not to the executive department. Beside the objection to such a mixture to heterogeneous powers, the trust and the temptation would be too great for any one man. Twice in 40 years we have now gone to war paying only lip service to those warnings; the first war we lost, the second is a bloody debacle, and both rank among the great blunders in our history. It is impossible for soldiers to sustain in the field what cannot be justified in the Constitution; asking them to do so puts America at war with itself. So when the Vice President of the United States says it doesn’t matter what the people think, he and the President intend to prosecute the war anyway, he is committing heresy against the fundamental tenets of the American political order."

Caption:  Statue of Washington at West Point.

Read more stories about Bill Moyers.