All former living directors of the Peace Corps have joined together to send a ringing message to President Biden: Now is the time. Build Peace Corps back better than before — and over the next five years, put 10,000 Volunteers in the field.

Below is the full text of the letter.  Download a PDF of the letter here.

April 26, 2021

President Joseph R. Biden
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20500
 

Dear President Biden,

We write to you today as a bipartisan, unified group of former directors of the Peace Corps to express our full support for a revitalized Peace Corps, one that advances our nation’s critical foreign policy goal of world peace through international cooperation and service. We believe that now is the right time for the Peace Corps to build back better than it ever was before.

We therefore call on you and your administration to commit to raising the number of Peace Corps Volunteers in the field to a sustained level of 15,000 over the next decade, beginning by increasing the agency’s annual budget to $600 million by FY 2025. This funding level would support our five-year goal of 10,000 volunteers, consistent with bipartisan reauthorization legislation currently advancing in both chambers of Congress. Your support for this long overdue goal would galvanize the American peoples’ spirit of service and international engagement that the Peace Corps represents. Previous presidents, both Democrats and Republicans, have endorsed doubling the size of the Peace Corps. Now is the time to fulfill that promise.

As you are aware, more than 240,000 Americans have joined the Peace Corps over the past 60 years, cumulatively serving in 142 countries and providing well over three billion hours of service to our nation and the world. Yet due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, there are currently no Peace Corps Volunteers serving abroad today. Such a situation does untold damage to our strong community-based worldwide presence and the United States’ image abroad. We must send our volunteers back to the field as soon as possible, and we believe you will have strong backing to do so. There is overwhelming support from all host countries for the return of volunteers. They see the history of volunteers joining in public health campaigns to eradicate smallpox, polio, and measles as evidence that the Peace Corps can play a vital role in confronting today’s pandemic as well as the long-lasting consequences of COVID-19 in our partner nations.

There is overwhelming support from all host countries for the return of volunteers. They see the history of volunteers joining in public health campaigns to eradicate smallpox, polio, and measles as evidence that the Peace Corps can play a vital role in confronting today’s pandemic as well as the long-lasting consequences of COVID-19 in our partner nations.

Throughout our decades of bipartisan leadership of the Peace Corps, we benefitted from deep bipartisan congressional support for the agency. We served both Republican and Democratic presidents and understood, as you do, that the Peace Corps is an American innovation, not a partisan one. When Americans volunteer abroad, they are not seen as Democrats or Republicans; they are seen as Americans.

That is why we are encouraged by renewed bipartisan leadership in Congress to maintain that bipartisan tradition for the Peace Corps. New legislation, the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2021 (H.R. 1456), which has been introduced by Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA) and Garret Graves (R-LA), will advance the policy goals we seek. We call on you to fully support this legislation, as well as the anticipated Senate companion legislation, so that it can be quickly sent to your desk for your signature into law.

This bill is visionary. It creates a clear blueprint for the agency’s future, one that we all share, to ramp up volunteer numbers to meet the tremendous challenges faced by our international partners while facilitating the American peoples’ reengagement with the world.

 

This bill is visionary. It creates a clear blueprint for the agency’s future, one that we all share, to ramp up volunteer numbers to meet the tremendous challenges faced by our international partners while facilitating the American peoples’ reengagement with the world. Critical reforms are included in the bill that reflect the longstanding requests of the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer community. These include enhancements to the provision of health care, with special attention to women’s health and safety; mental health care; readjustment allowance; volunteer security; whistleblower protections; and post-service hiring opportunities.

The bill’s provisions demonstrate that Congress is listening to the Peace Corps community, which provided significant input into the bill, ensuring a better experience for the volunteer, agency, and host country. Your support for the bill’s vision and policy prescriptions will show the Peace Corps community that you, too, understand their needs and support their hopes for a renewed Peace Corps.

In closing: Now is the time, under your leadership, to take a bold stroke to renew the original promise of the Peace Corps expressed in 1960 by President John F. Kennedy when he called upon young Americans to dedicate themselves to the cause of peace and friendship. We honor that vision and the vigorous support that all his successors have provided. We hope that in the days ahead, you, given your longstanding support for the Peace Corps, will join them in advocating for a reimagined, reshaped, and retooled Peace Corps for a changed world.

Sincerely,

Nicholas Craw (1973–74) 
Nixon Administration

Richard Celeste (1979–81) 
Carter Administration

Elaine Chao (1991–92) 
Bush Administration

Carol Bellamy (1993–95)
Clinton Administration

Mark Gearan (1995–99)
Clinton Administration

Mark Schneider (1999–2001)
Clinton Administration

Gaddi Vasquez (2002–06)
Bush Administration

Ronald Tschetter (2006–09)
Bush Administration

Aaron Williams (2009–12)
Obama Administration

Carrie Hessler-Radelet (2014–17)
Obama Administration

Josephine (Jody) Olsen (2018–21)
Trump Administration

Download a PDF of the letter from Peace Corps Directors to President Biden here.

U.S. Senators Dianne Feinstein and Susan Collins circulated the annual Peace Corps funding letter, seeking a $20 million increase in agency funding. Thanks to your efforts, a record number of senators signed this year's letter.

By Jonathan Pearson

Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have concluded circulating their annual Peace Corps “Dear Colleague” letter, asking other senators to sign on and ensure robust support for the agency as Volunteers return to service overseas. The letter, addressed to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State & Foreign Operations, calls for increasing Peace Corps funding for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY 2023) from $410.5 million to $430.5 million. 43 senators signed this year's letter, breaking the previous record of 42 signatures in 2020.

This request is in line with President Biden’s budget request for the fiscal year that begins in October 2022. “This funding will be critical as the Peace Corps resumes operations, improves volunteer security, engages in global health efforts, and broadens outreach to attract new talent,” the senators write.

“This funding will be critical as the Peace Corps resumes operations, improves volunteer security, engages in global health efforts, and broadens outreach to attract new talent.”

Read the annual Dear Colleague Peace Corps funding letter, or find the text at the bottom of this post.

In March 2022, Volunteers began returning to service overseas. At this time, Peace Corps programs are again operating in Zambia, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, and Namibia, with more headed overseas in the coming weeks and months. As many as 30 other nations are now in the pipeline to have Volunteers return to service this year. The Peace Corps agency has undertaken critical reforms to ensure a better and stronger Peace Corps for a changed world. But the agency needs funding to make all this possible.

Last month, in the House of Representatives, Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) and Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA) circulated a Peace Corps funding letter among colleagues. The House letter (which is now closed), requests $450 million for the Peace Corps in FY 2023, drew strong bipartisan support, garnering signatures of 146 lawmakers.
 

Thank Senators Who Signed This Year's Letter. 

Now that the letter is closed, write to your senators to express your thanks for signing the letter (or your disappointment if they did not).

Take Action Now

Who has signed the letter?

Here are the senators who signed this year's Feinstein-Collins Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague Letter for Fiscal Year 2023. 

DEADLINE to sign on: 12:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2022 (This letter is now closed)

SIGNATURES as of Wednesday, May 18, 12:00 p.m. 43 (A new record for this letter!)

Arizona: Kelly, Sinema

California: Feinstein (co-author), Padilla

Colorado: Bennet

Connecticut: Blumenthal, Murphy

Delaware: Carper

Georgia: Warnock

Hawai'i: Hirono, Schatz

Illinois: Duckworth, Durbin

Maine: Collins (co-author), King

Maryland: Cardin, Van Hollen

Massachusetts: Markey, Warren

Michigan: Peters, Stabenow

Minnesota: Klobuchar, Smith

Nevada: Cortez Masto, Rosen

New Hampshire: Hassan, Shaheen

New Jersey: Booker, Menendez

New Mexico: Lujan

New York: Gillibrand

Ohio: Brown

Oregon: Merkley, Wyden

Pennsylvania: Casey

Rhode Island: Reed, Whitehouse

Vermont: Sanders

Virginia: Kaine, Warner

Washington: Cantwell

West Virginia: Manchin

Wisconsin: Baldwin

Here’s the text of the Senate Peace Corps funding letter.

Read it below — or download the PDF.

May 17, 2022

The Honorable Chris Coons, Chairman
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Ranking Member
Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Chairman Coons and Ranking Member Graham,

Strong and consistent bipartisan support has built the Peace Corps into the international face of American volunteerism. Continuing that tradition, we request that you support the Fiscal Year 2023 President’s Budget Request of at least $430.5 million for the Peace Corps.

The requested amount represents less than a five percent increase over flat funding of approximately $410.5 million for the past seven years. This funding will be critical as the Peace Corps resumes operations, improves volunteer security, engages in global health efforts, and broadens outreach to attract new talent.

The United States gains immeasurably from the Peace Corps’ mission of international volunteer service. Since the Peace Corps’ inception 61 years ago, more than 241,000 Americans have served in 143 countries and provided more than three billion hours of service to our nation and the world. These ambassadors of goodwill set the conditions for prosperity, self-reliance, and stability in postings around the globe.

The Peace Corps suspended global operations during the pandemic and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries. Today, every government that had volunteer programs at the time of the evacuation has asked for volunteers to return.

The Peace Corps represents a cost-effective way to promote the United States abroad while providing tangible benefit for host communities. It supports the U.S.’s humanitarian mission and shapes the diplomatic and security environment. Peace Corps service also offers international experience to American volunteers, many of whom will become leaders here at home.

Thank you for considering our request and your enduring support for the Peace Corps.

Sincerely,

[Signatures of Senators]

Story updated May 18, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. Eastern

Jonathan Pearson is Director of Advocacy for National Peace Corps Association. Write him at advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org.

Last Thursday evening, the House of Representatives defeated an amendment that called for further proposed cuts to the Peace Corps' Fiscal Year 2024 budget.

The vote was 295 - 135 to defeat the amendment. 83 Republicans joined 212 Democrats to defeat the amendment.

Use this link to see how your representative voted. Then, use this link to thank your rep (or express disappointment) for their vote.

On Thursday, the House of Representatives considered the Fiscal Year 2024 State/Foreign Operations (S/FOPS) appropriations bill, with dozens of highly contentious amendments. This included a brief debate on an amendment to further cut funding for the Peace Corps.

Use this link to watch the five minute debate.

The Ogles Amendment

Among the amendments brought forth was a recommendation by freshman Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN) to make an additional $14.3 million cut to Peace Corps funding for the next fiscal year. Questioning the return on investment that Peace Corps provides, Representative Ogles alleged that Congress is “prioritizing the Peace Corps over our veterans, prioritizing the Peace Corps over securing our border.”

Representative Ogles also questioned elements of Peace Corps programming and work, including climate change adaptation, gender equity, and the domestic work of Peace Corps Response Volunteers providing vaccination support during the pandemic. According to Representative Ogles, “It is clear the Peace Corps has become more of an activist organization than an organization determined to help people.” He concluded, “I want to help those around the world, but not at the expense of Americans.”

Representative Lee Responds

While Representative Ogles said his amendment was a modest cut that would bring the Peace Corps funding back to pre-pandemic levels, Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), the Ranking Member of the Appropriations S/FOPS Subcommittee corrected him, noting that the bill being debated already calls for a $20 million funding cut, and that his amendment would reduce Peace Corps funding more than $14 million below pre-pandemic funding levels.

Lee stated these cuts would be “endangering the return of volunteers in the field after COVID, and the reopening of new sites, particularly in the Pacific Islands, where strong American diplomacy is sorely needed.”

Rather than questioning the investment, Representative Lee said the Peace Corps is one of the best investments in public diplomacy that we make. “What better ambassadors do we have than young American people, willing to spend two years overseas and building goodwill with people around the world.”

Saying that her fellow Democrats support our veterans and support the Peace Corps, Lee contended that Representative Ogles' remarks amounted to using military veterans as a pawn in his effort to reduce Peace Corps funding. “I’ve talked to many veterans who appreciate the Peace Corps and appreciate the work they are doing.”

Roll Call Vote

Early Thursday evening, the House voted on the Ogles Peace Corps cutting amendment. The amendment was defeated 295 - 135. 83 Republican lawmakers joined 212 Democrats to defeat the amendment. Unfortunately, 135 Republicans voted in favor of the amendment. Use this link to see how your representative voted. Then, use this link to thank your rep (or express disappointment) for their vote.

NPCA Statement

NPCA President and CEO Dan Baker issued this statement.

"We are grateful for a bipartisan rejection of the Ogles Peace Corps amendment, though we wish the margin of defeat would have been larger. The Peace Corps – like the various branches of our military – is an important component of our national service agenda. We are very proud of our Peace Corps Volunteers and staff including those military veterans who have also served as Peace Corps Volunteers.

"We continue to have great support for the Peace Corps from a broad range of lawmakers across the political spectrum. However, we are concerned that there are some signs that this support is beginning to show signs of unraveling. The divisive nature of Representative Ogles’ remarks as it relates to pitting Peace Corps Volunteers against military veterans is deeply disturbing.

"We are so proud of our current Peace Corps Volunteers and the tens of thousands of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers for the tremendous work they do to bring understanding and goodwill all around the world and here at home. Our nation desperately needs more understanding and goodwill in our civil discourse, and we urge our political leaders to lead the way forward."

Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Fiscal Year 2024 Spending Package with $448 Million for Peace Corps

By Jonathan Pearson

In a strong bipartisan vote on Thursday, July 20th, the Senate Appropriations Committee advanced a Fiscal Year 2024 (FY 2024) spending package for international affairs programs that includes $448 million for the Peace Corps — a four percent, $18 million increase over current funding for the agency.

This vote is in sharp contrast to the recommendation of the House Appropriations Committee, which, just last week, approved its version of the State/Foreign Operations (SFOPS) spending package, which included a $20 million (4.6 percent) decrease in funding for the Peace Corps.

The full House and Senate will next have to consider and vote on their largely different SFOPS bills, and then will have to come together to work out the differences.
 

Read more about the Senate SFOPS bill that was passed on July 20.

NPCA Response

“National Peace Corps Association congratulates SFOPS Subcommittee Chairman Chris Coons (D-DE) and Ranking Member Lindsey Graham (R-SC) for their tremendous leadership and show of support for the Peace Corps,” said NPCA President and CEO Dan Baker. “We also congratulate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Patty Murray (D-WA) and Ranking Member Susan Collins (R-ME) for this strong, bipartisan recognition of the importance of the Peace Corps and other international affairs programs.

“As we realize Congress still has many steps ahead to finish work on FY 2024 spending bills, we appreciate Senate appropriators for taking this important step in recognizing that the Peace Corps is steadily moving back to pre-pandemic strength, and is a critical component of our national service and foreign policy agenda. It is also important to recognize that in order to fully reach its potential, the Peace Corps needs an even stronger investment to return to more than 7,000 volunteers, and expand service opportunities in additional countries and regions.”

Take Action

With this recent action, our community has a real opportunity over the coming months to secure a funding increase for the Peace Corps for a second consecutive year. But with sharp divides over federal spending, this won’t be easy. That's why your ongoing advocacy is so important.

• If you have a Senator who serves on the Appropriations Committee, please write or call them with this message: "Thank you for supporting and advancing a recommendation of $448 million for the Peace Corps in Fiscal Year 2024."
• Make plans to meet with your Senators or Representative during our August/September district office meeting initiative. Learn more here, and then fill out this form so we can add your plans to our tracking map.
• Alternatively, sign up to submit an op-ed or letter-to-the-editor supporting the Peace Corps.

For the first time in many years, both the Senate and House Appropriations Committees are both putting forward recommendations that would reduce funding for our nation’s international affairs programs.

By Jonathan Pearson
 

More than a month ago, negotiations on the federal debt ceiling which ultimately averted a default of U.S. financial obligations, included an agreement to cap most non-discretionary government spending for the next two years. Now, the Senate and House of Representatives are advancing their respective appropriations bills to fund the federal government for the fiscal year that begins October 1. Our nation's international affairs programs are on the chopping block, though the rate of reductions between the two chambers are much different. And, like many other programs in that account, funding for the Peace Corps could be negatively impacted.

In the House of Representatives

In the House of Representatives, a funding package advanced by the Appropriations subcommittee for State/Foreign Operations (S/FOPS) proposes reduced funding in the next fiscal year (FY 2024) by at least 12 percent over current spending. Taking into account a so-called “clawback” of funds in this account, overall spending could result in a cut as high as 30 percent, drawing this response from the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC). National Peace Corps Association is a member of this coalition.

On July 12, the full Appropriations Committee conducted a mostly polite, but highly partisan debate in which the S/FOPS spending package was approved on a party line vote. Most of the debate focused on near or complete funding cuts for the United Nations and climate change programs, abortion and family planning policies, and the U.S. relationship with China and other "adversaries". Peace Corps funding was not raised, but in an earlier document summarizing the spending package, funding for Peace Corps fell under a category titled “Cuts to Wasteful Spending”, and is listed as one of 17 accounts which would see its current FY 2023 funding level reduced to FY 2019 levels. That would return Peace Corps funding to $410.5 million, which would be the same level of funding the agency received in FY 2016.

In the Senate

The Senate Appropriations Committee has also begun its work on FY 2024 spending by releasing its top-line funding levels for each of the 12 appropriations subcommittees. The Senate recommendations for each subcommittee are more in line with the negotiated funding levels made in conjunction with the recent debt ceiling agreement, calling for roughly flat funding for the next two fiscal years.

While the Senate S/FOPS subcommittee has not yet determined funding for individual programs, it has been provided with an overall funding target that is just over two percent below current funding. If the subcommittee were to distribute that reduction equitably, Peace Corps would see its current funding of $430 million reduced to approximately $422 million. USGLC released this statement following the recent Senate action. Subcommittee action is expected soon.

NPCA Statement

We concur with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition that funding for all of our international affairs programs — including the Peace Corps — should be absolutely no less than current funding.

If we simply consider the daily news headlines, it is clear that U.S. engagement with the world is vital, and reducing our engagement is dangerous. As for the Peace Corps, we are excited that the agency has returned roughly 2,000 Volunteers to 53 countries, and has requests to return to as many as 13 more nations. While lawmakers are recognizing the important contributions of the Peace Corps to our global engagement and national service agendas, they must accept the fact that we cannot move forward to meet these growing service opportunities with cuts to funding. Level funding of $430 million for the Peace Corps should be the bare minimum appropriation to continue to move forward. However, to fully meet its renewed potential, a higher investment is clearly necessary.

How Can Individual RPCVs Help? Here’s How:

These developments in the U.S. Senate and House come as National Peace Corps Association prepares for its annual district office meetings drive during the months of August and September.

If you are represented by a member of the Senate or House Appropriations Committees, we need you to contact us at advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org and help organize a local meeting with your lawmaker. No previous experience is necessary, and we will help you plan this important outreach in support of the Peace Corps. Thank you!

U.S. Senator Robert Menendez circulated the annual Dear Colleague Peace Corps Funding letter during the week of April 10th, supporting President Biden's request of a 15 percent increase in Peace Corps funding. 42 Senators signed this year's letter, one short of our record.

By Jonathan Pearson

On Monday, April 10, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, began circulating the annual Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague letter. This year's letter to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee for State/Foreign Operations, urges support for President Biden's request of $495 million for the Peace Corps — a 15 percent, $65 million increase in funding for Fiscal Year 2024, which begins this coming October. 
 

“Upon the request of eager host countries where Peace Corps previously served and countries ready to launch new programs, the Peace Corps is thoughtfully returning to pre-pandemic volunteer levels.”

A Quick Turnaround 

Facing an April 12th deadline, the Peace Corps community rallied over a 50-hour period, and helped secure the signatures of 42 Senators on this letter. That was one signature short of last year, when a record 43 Senators signed a similar letter. While the letter is now closed, you can still take action by thanking those Senators who signed the letter, and urging others to support strong funding for the Peace Corps going forward. 

Take Action Now

Read the final Peace Corps funding letter or find the text of the letter (without the signatures) at the bottom of this post.

Read our talking points about supporting strong Peace Corps funding.

Who has signed the letter?

Here are the senators who signed this year's Menendez Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague Letter for Fiscal Year 2024. 

DEADLINE to sign on: 4:00 p.m. Wednesday, April 12, 2023

SIGNATURES as of Wednesday, April 12, 2023 at 4:00 p.m. 42 (THIS LETTER IS NOW CLOSED)

ADDITIONAL SIGNATURES that were needed to reach last year's record: 1

Arizona: Kelly, Sinema

California: Feinstein, Padilla

Colorado: Bennet

Connecticut: Blumenthal, Murphy

Delaware: Carper

Georgia: Ossoff

Hawai'i: Hirono, Schatz

Illinois: Duckworth

Maine: King

Maryland: Cardin, Van Hollen

Massachusetts: Markey, Warren

Michigan: Peters, Stabenow

Minnesota: Klobuchar, Smith

Nevada: Cortez Masto, Rosen

New Hampshire: Hassan, Shaheen

New Jersey: Booker, Menendez (author)

New Mexico: Lujan

New York: Gillibrand

Ohio: Brown

Oregon: Merkley, Wyden

Pennsylvania: Casey, Fetterman

Rhode Island: Reed, Whitehouse

Vermont: Sanders, Welch

Virginia: Kaine, Warner

Washington: Cantwell

Wisconsin: Baldwin

(Last month, RPCV Congressman John Garamendi of California led efforts to issue a similar Dear Colleague letter, signed by 136 members of the House of Representatives. Learn more here) 

Here’s the text of the Senate Peace Corps funding letter.

Read it below — or download the PDF.

April 12, 2022

The Honorable Chris Coons, Chairman

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations

Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Lindsey Graham, Ranking Member

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations

Washington, D.C. 20510 

Dear Chairman Coons and Ranking Member Graham,

The United States gains immeasurably from the Peace Corps' mission of international volunteer service. Since the Peace Corps' inception 61 years ago, more than 240,000 Volunteers have served in 143 countries dedicating billions of hours to fostering peace and friendship around the globe. These ambassadors of goodwill to set the conditions for prosperity, self-reliance, and stability in postings around the world. 

Strong and consistent bipartisan support has built the Peace Corps into the international face of American volunteerism. Continuing that tradition, we request that you support the President’s Budget request of $495 million for the Peace Corps for the Fiscal Year 2024. This continues the trajectory of funding increases that began in Fiscal Year 2023, following seven years of flat funding, which is necessary to meet new safety and security challenges as well as match historic levels of inflation.

The Peace Corps suspended global operations during the pandemic and evacuated nearly 7,000 volunteers from more than 60 countries. Upon the request of eager host countries where Peace Corps previously served and countries ready to launch new programs, the Peace Corps is thoughtfully returning to pre-pandemic volunteer levels.

The Peace Corps represents one of the most cost-effective ways to promote the United States abroad while providing tangible benefit and engagement for host communities, as well as providing valuable international experience for American Volunteers, many of whom will become leaders here at home. As the geopolitical stage continues to change, promoting the United States through the Peace Corps in regions such as the Indo-Pacific will help bolster United States national security interests, promote positive development outcomes, and tackle new and emerging challenges in a world forever changed by the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Thank you for considering our request and for your enduring support for the Peace Corps.

Jonathan Pearson is Director of Advocacy for National Peace Corps Association. Write him at advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org.

In the House of Representatives, today (April 22) is the deadline for a bipartisan letter from the co-chairs of the Peace Corps Caucus seeking a $40 million increase in agency funding. Now is the time to contact your House Rep and ask them to sign this letter. 

By Jonathan Pearson

Congressmen John Garamendi (D-CA) and Garret Graves (R-LA), co-chairs of the House Peace Corps Caucus, have begun circulating a Peace Corps funding letter asking other House members to sign on and ensure robust support for the agency as Volunteers return to service overseas. The letter, addressed to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State & Foreign Operations, calls for increasing Peace Corps funding for Fiscal Year 2023 from $410.5 million to $450 million. 

Read the annual Dear Colleague Peace Corps funding letter, or find the text at the bottom of this post.

Garamendi served with the Peace Corps in Ethiopia. Together with Graves, in 2021 he introduced the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act — the most sweeping Peace Corps legislation in decades. 

In March 2022, Volunteers began returning to service overseas. They will be returning to dozens of countries in the months ahead. The Peace Corps agency has undertaken critical reforms to ensure a better and stronger Peace Corps for a changed world. But the agency needs funding to make all this possible.
 

Deadline is This Friday, April 22 at 12 Noon EST. Take action now.

Urge your House Representative to sign the Garamendi-Graves Peace Corps funding letter to support strong funding for Peace Corps in a changed world. Last year, a similar letter was signed by 156 members of the House of Representatives. We need your help to reach or surpass this mark! The current deadline to sign this letter is Friday, April 22, 2022.

Take Action Now

Who has signed the letter so far?

Here are the lawmakers who have signed the Garamendi-Graves Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague Letter for Fiscal Year 2023. 

DEADLINE to sign on: 12 Noon Friday, April 22, 2022

SIGNATURES as of Friday, April 22, 5:00 PM: 146 (THIS LETTER IS NOW CLOSED)

SIGNATURES needed to reach our goal: 10

Alabama: Sewell

American Samoa: Radewagen

Arizona: Gallego, Grijalva

California: Barragan, Bass, Bera, Brownley, Carbajal, Cardenas, Chu, Correa, Costa, DeSaulnier, Eshoo, Garamendi (co-author), Huffman, Khanna, Young Kim, LaMalfa, Mike Levin, Lieu, Lofgren, Lowenthal, Matsui, McNerney, Panetta, Scott Peters, Sanchez, Speier, Swalwell, Takano, Mike Thompson, Vargas

Colorado: Crow, DeGette

Connecticut: Courtney, Hayes, Himes, Larson

District of Columbia: Norton

Florida: Deutch, Soto

Georgia: Bishop, McBath, Hank Johnson, David Scott, Williams

Hawai'i: Kahele

Illinois: Bustos, Casten, Danny Davis, Rodney Davis, Foster, Chuy Garcia, Kelly, Schakowsky, Schneider

Indiana: Carson

Iowa: Axne

Kansas: Davids

Kentucky: Barr, Yarmuth

Louisiana: Graves (co-author)

Maine: Golden, Pingree

Maryland: Brown, Raskin, Sarbanes

Massachusetts: Auchincloss, Keating, Lynch, McGovern, Moulton, Neal, Pressley, Trahan

Michigan: Dingell, Kildee, Levin, Slotkin, Stevens

Minnesota: Craig, Phillips

Nevada: Horsford, Titus

New Hampshire: Kuster

New Jersey: Andy Kim, Malinowski, Pascrell, Payne, Sherrill, Sires, Van Drew

New York: Clarke, Delgado, Higgins, Jones, Katko, Carolyn Maloney, Sean Patrick Maloney, Meeks, Morelle, Rice, Suozzi, Tonko, Velazquez

Northern Marianas: Sablan

North Carolina: Adams, Butterfield, Manning

Ohio: Beatty, Shontel Brown

Oregon: Blumenauer, Bonamici, DeFazio

Pennsylvania: Boyle, Doyle, Evans, Wild

Puerto Rico: Gonzalez-Colon

Rhode Island: Cicilline, Langevin

Tennessee: Cohen

Texas: Allred, Castro, Doggett, Escobar, Vicente Gonzalez, E.B. Johnson, Jackson Lee, Veasey

Vermont: Welch

Virginia: Beyer, Connolly, Luria, McEachin, Wexton

Virgin Islands: Plaskett

Washington: DelBene, Jayapal, Larsen, Schrier, Strickland

Wisconsin: Kind, Moore

Here’s the text of the House Peace Corps funding letter.

Read it below — or download the PDF.

April 28, 2022

The Honorable Barbara Lee, Chairwoman
Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs
Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives

The Honorable Hal Rogers, Ranking Member
Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs
Committee on Appropriations
U.S. House of Representatives

Dear Chairwoman Lee and Ranking Member Rogers:

We respectfully request that you provide $450 million for the Peace Corps in the forthcoming “Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act” for fiscal year 2023. This funding level would allow the Peace Corps to resume in-country Volunteer activities, once safe and prudent to do so, and support the longstanding goal of deploying 10,000 volunteers worldwide. It is also consistent with the authorized funding level in the bipartisan “Peace Corps Reauthorization Act” (H.R.1456) reported favorably by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on September 30, 2021.

More Americans want to serve than the Peace Corps has the funding to absorb. The ratio of annual applications to available Volunteer positions currently stands at over 4:1. In 2013, retired General Stanley McChrystal called this gap between applicants and national service opportunities like the Peace Corps “democratic energy wasted and a generation of patriotism needlessly squandered.”

Peace Corps Volunteers serve our country in remote, challenging environments. In recent years, the Peace Corps has taken steps to improve the health and safety of its Volunteers. We believe the Peace Corps needs to do more, including fully implementing the Sam Farr Nick Castle Peace Corps Reform Act of 2018 (Public Law 115-256). Increased funding is necessary to ensure that the Peace Corps can fulfill its commitment to the health and safety of American citizens who choose to serve. In addition, Congress must increase the federal workers’ compensation levels for Volunteers temporarily or permanently disabled because of their service abroad.

Thank you for your leadership and past efforts to provide the Peace Corps with the resources needed to support the next generation of American leaders who volunteer abroad.

Sincerely,

John Garamendi
Member of Congress

Garret Graves
Member of Congress

Story updated April 25, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern

Jonathan Pearson is Director of Advocacy for National Peace Corps Association. Write him at advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org

Two weeks after finally signing a Fiscal Year 2022 spending package into law, President Biden has sent his Fiscal Year 2023 budget to Capitol Hill. His proposal requests a $20 million increase for the Peace Corps. 

By Jonathan Pearson

For the first time in six years the executive branch has submitted a Peace Corps budget increase to Congress — two weeks after the budget for fiscal year 2022 was passed. President Biden has sent Capitol Hill his Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal – for the fiscal year that begins next October 1^st – requesting $430.5 million for the Peace Corps.

“The president’s Peace Corps request is a step in the right direction as the agency begins to send Volunteers back into the field,” said National Peace Corps Association President & CEO Glenn Blumhorst. 

The $20 million increase represents a nearly five percent uptick from current spending. It is the same level of funding recommended in the previous budget by the House of Representatives last July.

“The president’s Peace Corps request is a step in the right direction as the agency begins to send Volunteers back into the field,” said National Peace Corps Association President & CEO Glenn Blumhorst. “This request also reflects the importance for Congress to pass Peace Corps reauthorization legislation, which our community has championed over the past year. This will help to strengthen the Peace Corps as it begins plans to send Volunteers to more than 20 countries in the upcoming months. We are thankful for all of the hard work of our community partners, as we continue to advocate and envision a stronger Peace Corps, prepared to address the challenges of the future.”

News of the president’s Peace Corps budget comes following the Peace Corps announcement that the first 35 Volunteers have returned to service in Zambia and the Dominican Republic, almost two years after programs were suspended to the COVID-19 pandemic. Another 22 nations have been cleared to receive Volunteers in the months ahead.

Last week, First Lady Jill Biden greeted Volunteers at the White House prior to their return to service. In celebration of the historic moment, the first lady shared video footage from the visit on Facebook with the message, “Our Peace Corps Volunteers make an investment in our world — one project, one friendship at a time. I am so proud of these Volunteers who are returning to service overseas for the first time since March 2020.”

President Biden's Peace Corps request is part of his $67.7 billion Fiscal Year 2023 International Affairs Budget. That request represents a 17 percent increase over current funding. Read this press release from the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition on the president's request.

NPCA's advocacy team is currently in conversation with congressional offices regarding the annual Peace Corps funding Dear Colleague letters. Be on the lookout for important action opportunities in the weeks to come.

On March 1 we kicked off a season of advocacy in support of the Peace Corps. And we’re working to transform it for a changed world. On March 1, Rep. John Garamendi introduced comprehensive Peace Corps legislation.

By Jonathan Pearson

For 17 years, one of National Peace Corps Association’s key contributions to Peace Corps Week is our National Days of Advocacy. This Peace Corps 60th anniversary year is marked by a global pandemic and social distancing, as well as national crisis that includes a U.S. Capitol closed to visitors. In spite of these unprecedented challenges, our advocacy mobilization carries on. And during the months of March and April, your involvement is needed like never before.

Our March 1 Kickoff

Our Days of Advocacy kickoff began on March 1 (Peace Corps Day). More than 250 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) former Peace Corps staff and other supporters joined a meeting which featured remarks by Peace Corps champions in Congress including RPCV Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA), Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME), and Rep. Garret Graves (R-LA). Several advocacy leaders shared their planned activities in the coming weeks and many joined individual state/regional breakout meetings to discuss further plans for mobilization.

It's not too late to get involved in our National Days of Advocacy. In fact, we are just getting started!

Take Individual Action Right Now

Follow this link to write to your members of Congress. Share this link with others. We need every citizen who believes in the importance of the Peace Corps to contact Congress at this consequential moment in Peace Corps history!

Get Involved

Check out our 2021 Days of Advocacy map to see if any activities — virtual meetings with congressional offices, virtual letter writing, advocacy workshops, and more — are already in the works. If there’s no activity already scheduled in your area, fill out this form and help lead one!

Virtual Workshop Recording

If you are new to advocacy, follow this link for details on how to plan and carry out effective virtual advocacy meetings. And, here is a video recording of our March 9th Virtual Advocacy 101 Workshop.

More Resources:

Visit our State Resources page for a one-page document about Peace Corps activity in your state (which you can download and use as a leave behind document for congressional office meetings), and to see profiles of every member of Congress.

Follow this link for our generic, two page leave behind document that you can share with congressional offices.

Issues: Funding, Peace Corps Legislation, COVID Relief, Jobs

Our Days of Advocacy Agenda is still taking shape. We’ll update this page as more information becomes available. During March and April 2021, here are some of our key Peace Corps–related advocacy issues:
 

Peace Corps Funding

Our advocacy to support strong Peace Corps funding begins now, as Congress begins to work on federal appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022 (which begins October 1, 2021). In the weeks to come, we anticipate intensive mobilization to urge members to sign annual Senate and House Peace Corps Funding “Dear Colleague” letters. Right now, our specific request is that you ask senators and representatives include strong funding for the Peace Corps when they submit their individual requests to their respective Appropriations Committee. The Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (see below) recommends a roughly 10 percent increase in FY 22 funding for Peace Corps — from $410 Million to $450 Million — to support redeployment and key reforms.

Click here to read our Peace Corps Funding issue brief and talking points.

Click here to read the House Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague letter.

Click here for a letter writing action to support the House Dear Colleague letter.
 

Comprehensive Peace Corps Legislation

On March 1, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer John Garamendi (D-CA) and Representative Garret Graves (R-LA) introduced the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1456) in the House of Representatives. Read Congressman Garamendi's press release, which includes a link to the legislation and an outline of the many provisions to support, improve, and honor the work of Peace Corps Volunteers and those who have returned.

At this time there is no companion legislation in the Senate.

Click here to read our Peace Corps Reauthorization Act issue brief and talking points.

Click here for a one–page document you can give to your representatives during House meetings. 
 

COVID Relief and Jobs Legislation

In both the Senate and the House, identical legislation has been introduced to mobilize resources, confront the COVID-19 pandemic, and prioritize the hiring of RPCVs (among others) in the response. The Health Force, Resilience Force and Jobs To Fight COVID-19 Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 32; House Bill 460) is starting to gain co-sponsors. Thank your members if they are already a co-sponsor. If they are not, ask them to co-sponsor this legislation. Click here to read our issue brief and talking points.

Story updated April 7, 2021 at 5:00 PM Eastern Time. 

 Jonathan Pearson is the Director of Advocacy for National Peace Corps Association.

Now is a good time to thank representatives who signed on to the House Dear Colleague Letter. And there’s work ahead on bolstering support for the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act — and ensuring a robust budget to provide critical support for Volunteers — particularly when it comes to health and safety.

By Jonathan Pearson

Our National Days of Advocacy in Support of the Peace Corps included more than 90 events and activities in March and April, with more scheduled for May — and more still being planned. Now is a good time to say thank you to Representatives who signed the House Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague Letter.

We still have important work ahead on bolstering support for the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (House Bill 1456), with the possibility of similar legislation being introduced in the Senate this month.

And when President Biden releases a proposed budget for Peace Corps, we’ll need your help to ensure that Peace Corps has the funds to provide critical support for Volunteers — particularly when it comes to health and safety. 

So, what’s next? Here’s our May agenda:

Say thank you!

Over the last few weeks we received an outpouring of support from representatives who signed the annual House Peace Corps Funding Dear Colleague Letter. If your member signed the letter, join us in thanking them for their support, and encouraging them to continue to champion Peace Corps–related legislation in order to improve and strengthen the Peace Corps. We are awaiting the release of a similar Senate Dear Colleague letter and will need your mobilization when the letter is issued.

More House co-sponsors and Senate legislation?

We still have some very important work to do with the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (House Bill 1456). With 45 confirmed co-sponsors (only three fewer than in the previous Congress), we must continue to encourage our representatives to co-sponsor this bill strengthening Peace Corps funding, programming, and Volunteer support. The proposed funding increases over four years would allow for us to build back a better Peace Corps that is capable of enacting many of the crucial changes that the Peace Corps community has raised as priorities. 

May could also be the month when a similar reauthorization bill is introduced in the Senate. We hope that more information will be available soon. Keep an eye out for this anticipated legislation — and join us in supporting it! 

Biden budget and media mobilization

President Biden has already provided an overview of his much anticipated Fiscal Year 2022 budget, including a recommended 12 percent increase in our nation's international affairs programs. In the next two weeks, the White House is expected to send a fully detailed budget to Congress, including recommended funding for the Peace Corps.

As the president's budget release will likely garner significant media attention, we want to be prepared to respond to news stories with letters-to-the-editor highlighting the Peace Corps portion of the budget. Can you plan to help us?  Write to us at advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org to express your willingness to help. Include the city and state where you reside.

Other actions

Our action center continues to promote other issues through which you can raise your voice with your elected officials. Members of our community who have significant student loan debt can share your experiences with Congress as it debates this issue. You can also raise your Peace Corps community voice to your Senators, who have the House-passed George Floyd Justice in Policing Act before them now.

Jonathan Pearson is Director of Advocacy for National Peace Corps Association. Write him.

This year, for the first time, two returned Volunteers in the Midwest reached out to their members of Congress to talk about Peace Corps. That effort made a difference at a critical moment.

By Jonathan Pearson

From her home in central Illinois, Nikki Overcash had written to her elected representatives in the past, but she had never asked for a meeting or directly engaged with them. She heads up academic services at Illinois College, not far from the state capital, Springfield. This past spring, when National Peace Corps Association put out a call for returned Volunteers to seek meetings with their members of Congress during the National Days of Advocacy, she decided now was the moment.

She reached out to Rep. Rodney Davis, the Republican who represents Illinois’ 13th district, which stretches from the city of Champaign west to the Mississippi River. 

“A significant part of who I am today can be attributed to my Peace Corps experience,” Overcash says. Peace Corps service took her to China 2007–09 as an education Volunteer. She forged deep friendships. And more broadly, she says, “Serving allowed me to better understand myself, America, China, and global connections with much more nuance.”

“Serving allowed me to better understand myself, America, China, and global connections with much more nuance.”

Maria Arnaiz is no novice when it comes to meetings with members of Congress. For her, home is northeast Ohio, near Akron. She serves as a legislative and advocacy chair for the Ohio State PTA and, as a board member of three nonprofit organizations, has participated in annual congressional meetings. Peace Corps service took her to the Democratic Republic of Congo 1984–88; she worked as a fisheries extension Volunteer. 

When NPCA called on returned Volunteers to arrange meetings with Congress in the spring, she put in a request for a meeting with Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, who represents the state’s 18th district and calls Akron home.

Why this year? Part of Arnaiz’s motivation was another, future member of the Peace Corps community. “My son, Emilio Bloch, has been accepted to serve in Rwanda in the maternal and infant health program,” she says. “He was supposed to have left in August 2020.” 

But as COVID-19 swept the globe in March 2020, Peace Corps temporarily suspended all programs around the world; Volunteers have yet to return to service overseas. Arnaiz’s son grew up hearing about her experience in the Peace Corps; it’s something he wants to understand firsthand. So, Arnaiz says, “Organizing the congressional meeting and advocating for Peace Corps funding so that Volunteers could return to the field was an obvious way for me to help him get that opportunity.”

Illustration by John S. Dykes

See People as People

What difference could a couple of meetings make? When the annual House of Representatives Peace Corps funding “Dear Colleague” letter was issued in April — a letter requesting $40 million in additional funding for the agency, to ensure financial support for important reforms — a dozen Republicans were among the 156 lawmakers who signed. Representatives Rodney Davis and Anthony Gonzalez were on board. For both, it was a first. 

In Illinois, Nikki Overcash worked with Rodney Davis’s district office to arrange one of the first in-person meetings the congressman had held since the pandemic began. During their conversation, Overcash learned that Davis had a friendly relationship with fellow Republican Garret Graves of Louisiana, the lead Republican on both the Peace Corps funding letter and the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1456).

And, as often happens in congressional meetings, mention of the Peace Corps led to a personal connection. One of Davis’s staff members knew another returned Volunteer from Illinois who was now in Washington, D.C., working for the Peace Corps agency.

Arnaiz used materials and talking points provided by NPCA and put together a personalized introductory document, which she sent to Anthony Gonzalez’s office. Arnaiz is also a member of the Northern Ohio RPCVs, an affiliate group of NPCA; she recruited Ann Jankowski, a fellow Gonzalez constituent and returned Volunteer (Guatemala 1988–91), for the meeting. Naturally, Arnaiz’s son Emilio also took part.

“He believes national service, like the Peace Corps, is a way to bridge the divide in our society, an opportunity for people with different backgrounds to work together. He’s a big believer in getting people to see others beyond the caricatures; to see people as people.”

Soon after the meeting began, Representative Gonzalez told us he would support the Peace Corps funding letter because he believes in national service,” Arnaiz says. “He told us a bit of his experience in the Capitol building during January 6th. He was disturbed by the anger and violence. He believes national service, like the Peace Corps, is a way to bridge the divide in our society, an opportunity for people with different backgrounds to work together. He’s a big believer in getting people to see others beyond the caricatures; to see people as people.”

When it comes to arranging meetings with members of Congress, Overcash says that fellow returned Volunteers shouldn’t let limited experience give them pause. “National Peace Corps Association has your back throughout the process! Even if you only have a little time to give, that time will be used fruitfully thanks to the strong support and resources offered by the wonderful team.”

Arnaiz says that while it sounds like a cliché, her advice to other RPCVs is: “Just go ahead and do it. Meeting your representative and advocating for things you believe in is an effective way to be the solution to the problem. Representative Gonzalez, like other political actors I have met, said that a personal story that humanizes the numbers really makes an impact.”

Jonathan Pearson is Director of Advocacy for National Peace Corps Association. Get involved in advocacy by dropping him a line: advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org

It has been six years since the Peace Corps received a meaningful increase in its baseline funding. Could this be the year that changes?

By Jonathon Pearson

Illustration by John S. Dykes

In December 2015, President Obama signed an appropriations bill that provided $410 million for the Peace Corps, an increase of about $30 million. Since then, the agency has received a mere $500,000 bump in annual appropriation — one-tenth of 1 percent. Indeed, the Peace Corps community has spent much time in recent years fending off proposed cuts while some needed reforms languished — due, in part, to lack of funding.

In May, the Biden administration put forth its Fiscal Year 2022 budget recommendation: yet another year of flat funding for the Peace Corps. However, thanks to National Peace Corps Association’s advocacy network and congressional champions, the outlook has brightened. In July, the House of Representatives completed work on the State/Foreign Operations spending package, approving a $20 million jump in Peace Corps funding — about 5 percent. That was half the increase promoted by a bipartisan list of 156 House members who earlier in the year submitted their annual “Dear Colleague” letter to House appropriators.

The $430.5 million House funding proposal aligns with this year’s Senate Peace Corps funding letter, with 39 senators on board. This news is promising. However, the Senate has yet to take formal action on its State/Foreign Operations appropriations bill. When senators resume work in mid-September, there is no guarantee they will follow the House’s lead. Experience shows that hearing from citizen advocates makes a difference. And an assessment of what’s ahead for the Peace Corps — relaunching Volunteer programs in scores of countries, with safety and security paramount — means a heavy lift.

Write your senator

Visit NPCA’s Action Center and urge support for no less than $430 million for the Peace Corps as we move toward redeployment of global operations and implementation of key reforms

As Congress begins to turn its attention to Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations bills, is the Peace Corps poised for a funding increase?

By Jonathan Pearson

There’s a long way to go in the annual appropriations process. But the possibility of a meaningful Peace Corps funding increase — which would be its first in six years — got a boost recently through the annual Senate Peace Corps funding letter.

Led by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D–CA) and Susan Collins (R–ME), the letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee for State/Foreign Operations requests “appropriate robust funding in Fiscal Year 2022 of at least $430 million.”  Here’s a release with more about the letter. And here’s the full text of the letter itself.

Earlier this year, 156 members of the House of Representatives signed a similar letter, requesting $450 million for Peace Corps in the fiscal year that begins October 1, 2021. However, earlier this month, President Biden requested continued flat funding for the Peace Corps — which would not provide the kind of robust support needed as Peace Corps prepares to return Volunteers to the field and enact needed reforms. 

Take Action: Contact members of the Senate and the House

We urge you to write to your members of Congress and ask them to provide the Peace Corps with a long overdue raise in Fiscal Year 2022. It is especially important to write to lawmakers who serve on the Senate/House Appropriations Committees.

Who Signed the Senate Letter?

Here's the state-by-state list of signers of this year’s Senate letter:

Arizona: Sinema

California: Feinstein, Padilla

Colorado: Bennet

Connecticut: Blumenthal, Murphy

Delaware: Carper

Georgia: Warnock

Hawaii: Hirono, Schatz

Illinois: Duckworth, Durbin

Maine: Collins, King

Maryland: Cardin, Van Hollen

Massachusetts: Markey, Warren

Michigan: Stabenow

Minnesota: Klobuchar, Smith

Nevada: Rosen

New Hampshire: Hassan, Shaheen

New Jersey: Booker, Menendez

New Mexico: Heinrich, Lujan

New York: Gillibrand

Oregon: Merkley, Wyden

Rhode Island: Reed, Whitehouse

Vermont: Sanders

Virginia: Kaine, Warner

Washington: Cantwell

West Virginia: Manchin

Wisconsin: Baldwin

Jonathan Pearson is the Director of Advocacy for National Peace Corps Association. Contact advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org to find out how you can help.

UPDATE: On Friday afternoon, President Trump signed into law the $2.2 trillion emergency stimulus package passed in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier in the day.

Final approval of the emergency stimulus package means $88 million will be forwarded to Peace Corps to assist with the cost of evacuating 7,300 volunteers from 61 countries and support initial transition assistance.

"This funding reinforces the federal commitment to the Peace Corps, and we are grateful for this action to support the agency and its Volunteers during this difficult time", said National Peace Corps Association president and CEO Glenn Blumhorst. "While this package addresses critical short-term issues, we continue to work with Congress as the evacuated RPCVs will face additional challenges in the coming weeks and months."

NPCA is already in communication with congressional offices to discuss next steps for an anticipated next round of legislation. Congress needs to hear from you. That's why we are asking you to take action now with your members of Congress to press for ongoing support for evacuated Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.

During this extraordinary moment, we require a committed response from the Peace Corps community and the broad, deep reservoir of everyday citizens who believe in the mission and goals of Peace Corps service.

That's why we are issuing a challenge to mobilize and send 100,000 messages to Congress

The final approval of this massive stimulus package is good news for Peace Corps. But our work doesn't end there. Numerous offices are indicating that the bill finalized on Friday—the third stimulus bill passed into law—will not be the last.

Conversations are underway to make sure that future legislation addresses some of the longer term needs evacuees will likely face, including some form of joblessness support, extended health care support where needed, adequate mental health support, possible enhancements to Coverdell Fellowship programs for prospective graduate students, and possible domestic deployment opportunities so skilled Returned Peace Corps Volunteers can help fight the pandemic. 

Beyond that, an ongoing mobilization is needed to remind our lawmakers and our fellow citizens that Peace Corps remains open and is preparing to re-deploy as soon as possible.

In the days, weeks, and months ahead, take action! 

Want to help coordinate advocacy efforts in your community/region? Contact us! advocacy@peacecorpsconnect.org.

Highlights and recordings from a week of celebration and wide-ranging discussion about the future of Peace Corps. And a review of some of the stories you don’t want to miss.

Edited and Produced by Jake Arce and Orrin Luc

On March 1, 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed executive order 10924, establishing the Peace Corps with the hopes of promoting world peace and friendship. Peace Corps Week is a time for us as a community to commemorate and recognize all of the ways that Peace Corps has made an impact — in individual lives and in communities around the world.

This year we mark six decades. But this is also an unprecedented time for the Peace Corps. In March 2020, all Volunteers serving around the world were evacuated because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a community-driven effort, National Peace Corps Association is working to help transform Peace Corps: to reimagine, reshape, and retool the agency for a changed world. So while we celebrate this historic milestone, we also focus on the work that must be done in the present to make a better and stronger Peace Corps for the future.

Here are highlights of events held to celebrate Peace Corps Week 2021. Included here are events for which we have recordings and links. Listings will be updated as more events become available.

Scroll down for a look at some news stories, opinion pieces, and slide shows that were published during Peace Corps Week. 

Be sure to sign up for our newsletter (at the bottom of our homepage) and to follow us on social media for the latest. And, of course, be sure to join NPCA (the basic level is free!) to receive WorldView magazine and explore stories in greater depth. 

EVENTS

Monday, March 1 

RPCV Rep. John Garamendi introduces Comprehensive Peace Corps Legislation

On March 1st 2021, RPCV Representatives Garret Graves (R-LA) and John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1456) in the House of Representatives. We invite readers to view Congressman Garamendi's press release, where readers can find a link to the legislation and the many provisions to improve and honor the work of Peace Corps Community.

The key points of The Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2021 include:

• Authorizes $600 million in annual funding by fiscal year 2025 for the Peace Corps to support the goal of deploying 10,0000 volunteers worldwide, once safe and prudent to do so following the subsidence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an increase over the flat $410 million funding level provided by Congress in recent years.

• Expedites re-enrollment of volunteers whose service ended involuntarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic and allows volunteers to resume in-country service, once safe and prudent to do so.

• Directs the Peace Corps to provide benefits (readjustment allowance, health insurance, noncompetitive eligibility status for federal hiring) to Volunteers whose service ended involuntarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Guarantees three months of health insurance coverage for returned Volunteers paid by the Peace Corps, with the option to renew for additional three months at individual expense. Currently, the Peace Corps only offers automatic enrollment for 2 months of paid health insurance coverage, with the option to renew for another month at individual expense.

• Requires the Peace Corps to outline various public and private health insurance coverage options to returned Volunteers, including for returned volunteers under the age of 25 with coverage on their parent’s health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

• Includes the Menstrual Equity in the Peace Corps Act sponsored by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) since 2020.

• Extends whistleblower and anti-retaliatory protections that currently apply to Peace Corps contractors to Peace Corps volunteers, including protections against reprisals by any Peace Corps employee, volunteer supervisor, or outside contractor.

• Includes the Respect for Peace Corps Volunteers Act sponsored by Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) since 2013.

• Extends Peace Corps Volunteers’ 12-month hiring preference for most federal job openings during any federal hiring freeze, government shutdown, public health emergency (such as COVID-19 pandemic), or while a Volunteer receives federal worker’s compensation benefits for any injury during their Peace Corps service.

• Directs the Peace Corps and U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security to update plans and protocols for Peace Corps Colunteer security support and protection in foreign countries.

• Increases the federal workers’ compensation rate for all Peace Corps volunteers injured or disabled during their service from a GS-7 to a GS-11 level, the same rate provided for Peace Corps volunteers with dependent children under current law.

Read our Peace Corps Reauthorization Act issue brief and talking points. There is no companion legislation in the Senate at the present moment.

Celebrating 60 Years of Service and Friendship – A Conversation with Peace Corps Directors

Peace Corps at University Wisconsin-Madison hosted former Peace Corps Directors for a broad-ranging discussion and personal insights into their time directing the agency. The former directors also provided their advice on the Peace Corps going forth, along with recommendations for the Biden Administration. The conversation was moderated by RPCV Donna Shalala.

Many directors highlighted that the pandemic had actually increased the need for Volunteers — and now is the time to make a difference. Former Director Mark Gearan (1995–99) put it so: “We’re at a point now in our nation’s history and country where the importance of service, national and community service, could not be more important.” 

View a recording of the conversation here. 

Former Directors: “If I had three minutes to talk to President Biden about the Peace Corps…” 

Nick Craw: “My first request would be to double the size of the program.” 

Richard Celeste: “Double it!” 

Gaddi Vasquez: “Grow and expand the Peace Corps.” 

Aaron Williams: “Now is the time.”

More takeaways:

Donna Shalala | Former Representative of Florida in U.S. Congress, Former Secretary of Health and Human Services (RPCV Iran 1962–64) 

“The Peace Corps has always been bipartisan. It has always had the support of both parties. Some of the most significant budget increases were during Republican presidency, so that has been very important for the Peace Corps.”

Jody Olsen | Peace Corps Director 2018–21 

“Our 60 years, our 245,000 returned Peace Corps Volunteers, is what has kept us strong this last year, and is what is going to get us back as soon as possible.” 

Carol Bellamy | Peace Corps Director 1993–95 

“What was always the same were the Volunteers: They were flexible, the ingenuity was incredible, and they figured out how to make things work.”

Elaine Chao | Peace Corps Director 1991–92 

“We talked to the former communist heads of all these countries, and they all knew about Peace Corps, and they all wanted us to be there. And it was just amazing to them that Americans, young Americans, would be willing to go to their country, work basically for nothing for two years, and help people that they’ve never met. That was something so moving to them.” 

Aaron Williams | Peace Corps Director 2009–12 

“It’s a privilege to serve as Peace Corps Director. It’s a sacred privilege, too, because we’re entrusted with this iconic American institution that Sargent Shriver created. And one that provides young Americans a chance to serve around the world and promote world peace and friendship — and to present the full scope of American diversity.”

Ron Tschetter | Peace Corps Director 2006–09 

“I went over to swear in the first group and we had a wonderful exchange of thoughts and ideas and then we went to the swearing in part of it and I raised my hand and started the process and as I looked out over the group of Volunteers, there were three or four of them who were in tears because of the emotion of what was happening... I think it told me what it really means to the Volunteers.”

Gaddi Vasquez (Peace Corps Director from 2002-2006): 

“Opening Mexico was one of the great memories of my time as director of the Peace Corps because it is a country that has great opportunities for Peace Corps Volunteers and I think thus far has proven to be a very robust program.” 

Richard Celeste | Peace Corps Director 2002–06 

“I think that the changes here in this country and around the world as a consequence of the pandemic are going to be a challenge and an opportunity for us.”

Mark Schneider (Peace Corps Director from 1999-2001): 

“The Volunteers that I’ve come in contact with over the years across the globe really continue that tradition of service and commitment to their country, to their family, and to their community and trying to convey something that will help others.” 

Carrie Hessler-Radelet (Peace Corps Director from 2014-2017): 

“Peace Corps is really aware now, it has made more policy changes. It’s trained every single volunteer and staff person. It’s built an office of advocacy. Specialized training and training in trauma and informed care for first responders, an anonymous hotline hosted by a similar organization, and a Sexual Assault Advisory Council.”

Mark Gearan (Peace Corps Director from 1995-1999):

“We’re at a point now in our nation’s history and country where the importance of service, national and community service, could not be more important. It’s what unites us, and Volunteers would say that it crosses the boundaries of difference. We know the needs exist both domestically and globally for service. So as we celebrate this 60th anniversary of the Peace Corps, which is well placed — the 70th anniversary of the Peace Corps, and the 70th anniversary of President Kennedy’s call to service, can really be a major accomplishment in the next ten years to enhance the threads of service.”

Tuesday, March 2 

Women of Peace Corps Legacy | Former Women Peace Corps Directors: A Conversation

Withdrawing volunteers was “the most difficult decision I made in my life.” 
—Jody Olsen, Peace Corps Director 2018–21

The Women of Peace Corps Legacy hosted four women who have served as Peace Corps Director for a conversation on their experiences as directors and Volunteers, tackling the challenges of administering the agency to, as Carrie Hessler-Radelet recounted, being a victim of sexual assault. Jody Olsen discussed how the pandemic led to the unprecedented decision in 2020 to evacuate all Volunteers — and the tremendous organizational efforts that took around the world. “We weren’t aware of what was happening country by country,” Olsen said. “Suddenly, what was a gentle wave was becoming a big wave and a big tsunami.”

Watch the discussion here.

Wednesday, March 3

Museum of the Peace Corps Experience and Katzen Arts Center at American University

Exhibit Opening – “Peace Corps at 60: Inside the Volunteer Experience”

It’s about stories connecting people and communities. “Peace Corps at 60: Inside the Volunteer Experience" is curated by Jack Rasmussen, Director of American University Museum; Aly Schuman, Alper Initiative for Washington Art Fellow; and RPCV Patricia A. Wand, Co-Chair of Museum of the Peace Corps Experience. The virtual exhibition showcases objects and stories from more than 30 Volunteers.

Thursday, March 4 

Smithsonian Folklife Festival | The Peace Corps at 60 and Beyond: “A Towering Task” Screening & Discussion

“Rebuilding world peace and friendship, one relationship at a time.”

This pivotal moment allows us to look back on 60 years of Peace Corps promoting world peace and friendship, while also looking forward to the next chapter of Peace Corps history. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival began in 1967, not long after the Peace Corps, with many similar goals — especially to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of world cultures. In 2011, the Folklife Festival commemorated the agency’s 50th anniversary with a program that featured Peace Corps volunteers and their partners from 16 countries.

In 2021, the Festival once more explores the agency’s significance and impact by hosting a discussion with: Acting Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn; Director of “A Towering Task” Alana DeJoseph; and RPCVs Rayna Green and Rahama Wright. All discussed their time in the Peace Corps, along with recommendations for improvement going forward — especially in the wake of the COVID pandemic, and deeply felt need to foster diversity.  

Takeaways:

Carol Spahn: Host countries are hoping to have Volunteers back soon. The need to continue sending Peace Corps Volunteers out to the host communities in the future will help to further her goal of “rebuilding world peace and friendship, one relationship at a time.”

Rahama Wright: The experience of Volunteering drives home for communities and Volunteers alike that they “share a common humanity.” Wright also brought up some of her current initiatives in Northern Ghana, in relation to SheaYeleen butter products and production in 14 different villages.  

Peace Corps Agency | 60 Years of Service: RPCVs’ Impact on the Fields of Philanthropy and Corporate Social Responsibility

From Peace Corps to work in global philanthropy and social causes: panelists brought to bear their experience and expertise over the past several decades, tackling social issues through nonprofit work, social initiatives, and partnering with the private sector. On hand for the event, from left: Stephany Guachamin Coyago, Manager, Leadership Advancement Programs, Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (RPCV/Peru); Harris Bostic, Senior Advisor, Tides (RPCV/Guinea); and Bruce McNamer, President, The Builders Initiative (RPCV/Paraguay).

Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff opened up the discussion by praising the work of the Peace Corps around the world, and he addressed how Volunteers have made an impact abroad over the past 60 years.

“Peace Corps Volunteers are moving mountains and tackling some of the most pressing global issues on a grassroots level.”
— Douglas Emhoff

Emhoff also discussed the importance of the Peace Corps in representing the values and diversity of the United States. “Peace Corps volunteers are moving mountains and tackling some of the most pressing global issues on a grassroots level,” he said. He also stated that the commitment of Volunteers show by serving — and promoting service — has offered  inspiration to many Americans.

Saturday, March 6

Sacramento Valley RPCVs | Peace Corps 60th Anniversary with Representative John Garamendi

RPCV Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) and his wife and fellow RPCV Patti Garamendi took part in a conversation with Peace Corps recruiter John Keller for Sacramento Valley . RPCVs in California. The Garamendis served with the Peace Corps in Ethiopia. On March 1 of this year, John Garamendi introduced the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2021, which includes authorizing $600 million in annual funding by fiscal year 2025 for the Peace Corps and expediting re-enrollment of volunteers whose service ended involuntarily due to the COVID-19.  

Read our Peace Corps Reauthorization Act issue brief and talking points.  There is no companion legislation in the Senate, at the present moment.

Watch the conversation with Congressman John and Patricia Garamendi here. 

Peace Corps Week Encore — Tuesday, March 9

The 60th Anniversary of the Peace Corps: The History of the Program and What Lies Ahead

In President Kennedy’s first days in office, he asked Sargent Shriver to create the Peace Corps, which over the last 60 years has sent over 250,000 Americans to more than 140 countries to serve as global citizens. Mark Shriver, President of the Save the Children Action Network (left), and Glenn Blumhorst, President of National Peace Corps Association, took part in a conversation at Kennedy’s campaign promise and forward to what lies ahead for the Peace Corps. The event was hosted by Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Elizabeth J. Wilson, the inaugural director of the Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society and Professor in the Environmental Studies Department at Dartmouth. It was sponsored by the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact, the Dickey Center, and the Rockefeller Center.

“The Peace Corps seeks peace through service, not through economic strength nor military power,” Shriver said, quoting a speech delivered by his father, Sargent Shriver, who served as first Director of the Peace Corps. And, as Blumhorst noted, “the cause of building peace is far from finished.”

Dive into Darmouth’s history with Peace Corps — and connections around the globe.

Watch the event here: The 60th Anniversary of the Peace Corps – The History of the Program and What Lies Ahead | Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy, Dartmouth College 

PEACE CORPS WEEK IN THE NEWS: STORIES, OPINION PIECES, SLIDE SHOWS

The Peace Corps remains “one of America’s greatest achievements, appealing to our highest instincts.”

— Maureen Orth, special correspondent for Vanity Fair, Colombia RPCV, and founder of the Marina Orth Foundation

 

Maureen Orth, Former Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy III, and NPCA President Glenn Blumhorst are featured in American Way magazine in a special feature on Peace Corps’ 60th Anniversary. The profile chronicles the work of these three Volunteers as examples of leadership and inspiration..

The Chicago Tribune: “Abolishing the Peace Corps would be a mistake”

Chicago Tribune editorial board member and Returned Corps Volunteer Lara Weber answers the question posed for her years ago: "Why should you, a white woman, go work in Africa?" For her personally, it began with: “I liked the Peace Corps’ grassroots approach to development work - that we would be working as partners with local community members, not as ‘experts’ or advisers.” 

She makes the case for why Peace Corps can and should continue to make an impact. Read her piece in the Chicago Tribune and a response from NPCA here.

Listen Up: Colorado Public Radio talks to evacuated Volunteers — and takes a deep dive into future recommendations for the Peace Corps

“What really personally hurt the most was not being able to say goodbye to the two women I worked with and then my kids,” evacuated Volunteer Hunter Herold tells Colorado Public Radio. Herold and Dylan Evans were Volunteers evacuated from Kosovo in March 2020 as COVID-19 swept the globe. Calvin Brophy was serving as a Volunteer in Ethiopia. They tell their stories to host Ryan Warner. And Alana DeJoseph, director of the documentary “A Towering Task,” takes a deep dive into her service as a Volunteer in Mali in the 1990s and the humbling lessons it offered. She explores making of her Peace Corps documentary, and how we need to reimagine and retool Peace Corps for a changed world — including how the Peace Corps community needs to address systemic racism, financial barriers to serving, health care benefits, and more.

NBC News: The Peace Corps Turns 60

NBC News serves up a feature on where Peace Corps has been — and the challenges the agency faces today. The segment includes Harvard University’s Professor Fredrik Logevall, Senior Advisor to the Director of the Peace Corps Darlene Grant, and Peace Corps Volunteer Ben Whong. It also addresses Peace Corps’ struggles and successes with adjusting to pandemic life.

One Takeaway from Darlene Grant:

“I served as a Peace Corps volunteer after 18 years as a faculty member at the University of Texas. I chose to serve 2009–11 in Cambodia. It changed the trajectory of my career, the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers will tell you what they received from the people in their host country and communities was so much more than what they gave.”

What We Can Do Together: Senator Elizabeth Warren to the Peace Corps Community

“I strongly believe in what we can do together,” says Senator Elizabeth Warren. “Thank you for pouring your heart into your work.” A message of gratitude in honor of 60 years of service by Peace Corps Volunteers around the world — working with communities to build a better future together when it comes to education, health, food security, and so much more.

Thank you for making our state, the nation, and the world a better place: Colorado Governor Jared Polis to Volunteers

“Peace Corps has three goals, and it’s the third goal in particular — to promote the understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans — that I particularly want to celebrate,” says Colorado Governor Jared Polis in a video message of thanks. “Returned Peace Corps Volunteers spend 27 months in their host countries contributing to their development and success. But it’s really what they do after, both here in the U.S. and abroad, that makes the Peace Corps such a transformational program. RPCVs continue to serve, including on the front lines of the pandemic here in Colorado. And their cross-cultural fluency helps us move forward as a Colorado for all.”

“Liberia and Peace Corps have enjoyed a long and mutual friendship which I trust will continue and expand once the pandemic is under control.”

—Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former president of Liberia 

Former President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Photo by Thierry Gouegnon / Reuters

“My country has benefited greatly from decades of Volunteers,” President Johnson Sirleaf writes. “Many served in our critical education sector teaching math, science and English in schools throughout the country. They also inspired young Liberians on the value of public service and promoted strong relationships with them. As president of Liberia one of my first acts was to invite the PC to return as they had been absent during our long years of conflict. It was a pleasure to meet each new group and I was immensely honored to swear many of them in.”

“Thank you for your love for my country, how much you dedicated to it, and hopefully how much you will in the future.”

—Francisco Santos Calderón, Colombian Ambassador to the United States

Ambassador Santos, who previously served as vice president of Colombia, recorded an anniversary message for Volunteers. “Celebrating 60 years of the Peace Corps in Colombia is something that fills my heart with gratitude, with happiness, with excitement, and with hope,” Santos says. “That is what the Peace Corps is: hope — hope of being better human beings, hope of having a better world, hope of how we can help one another.”

The Seattle Times: “May we live the motto of my beloved Peace Corps in Cameroon: ‘We are together.’”

Grant Friedman, left, worked as a health and education Volunteer in Cameroon from September 2019 through March 2020. His time as a Volunteer was cut short abroad due to the pandemic, but he paints an optimistic picture for the future of the Peace Corps and its vital role in fostering meaningful international development. Here’s what he wrote for the Seattle Times.

Washington Post Opinion:

How can the Peace Corps be reimagined and revitalized for the 21st century? “One path forward is looking to our past: a new commitment to and reorientation of the United States Peace Corps that could work with a renewed focus, not as a tool of foreign aid, but as a way for all Americans to engage, listen to and learn from the rest of the world,” writes Lacy Feigh. She served as a Volunteer in Ethiopia and is completed her doctorate in history at University of Pennsylvania. She wrote this compelling this compelling piece for the Washington Post.

Through the Decades: 60 Years of Peace Corps Photos

The Peace Corps agency put together this celebratory photo series charting Peace Corps’ evolution through the decades over the past 60 years.

Story updated March 24, 2021 at 10 p.m.

Jake Arce is a graduate student at American University’s School of International Service and is working as an intern with WorldView magazine.

Orrin Luc serves as Digital Content Manager for National Peace Corps Association. He served with the Peace Corps in El Salvador and Mexico.