Author name: jbusby

In an effort to address a year-long application process and declines in applications, the Peace Corps is revising its application process, making it shorter, cutting time to placement, and giving applicants choice over country of service.

From the Washington Post: …

Peace Corps Announces Changes to the Application ProcessRead More »

Kenya has had a spike in bombings and violence, especially on the coast. Most of the violence is thought to be associated with Al Shabaab militants from Somalia, but there is a wider political crisis brewing between rival ethnic political groups that last fought in 2007-2008 associated with national elections.

In response to the surge in violence, Peace Corps is temporarily moving 50 volunteers out of the country. This happened just a short time before Peace Corps also announced the move to evacuate more than 300 volunteers from West Africa in light of the Ebola virus outbreak. …

Peace Corps suspends program in Kenya amidst on-going violenceRead More »

It’s been a tough couple of weeks of news for Peace Corps volunteers. While the death of a volunteer in China is more than a year old, last week The New York Times ran a story on the problematic medical service that a volunteer in China received before his death from gastrointestinal illness: …

New York Times report on a volunteer who died in ChinaRead More »

With the Ebola outbreak Africa as yet uncontained, the Peace Corps is temporarily moving more than 300 volunteers out of Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Two volunteers had come in contact with someone infected with the virus and were isolated to ensure that they are not sick. …

Peace Corps evacuating volunteers from West Africa because of Ebola outbreakRead More »

Carrie Hessler-Radelet was sworn in as Peace Corps director. Read on more about her background. This from NPCA:

After months of delay, the United States Senate acted Thursday to confirm Carrie Hessler-Radelet to become the 19th Director of the Peace Corps.

Hessler-Radelet was confirmed by a unanimous voice vote that took about ten seconds to complete.

Nominated by President Obama last July, Hessler-Radelet served as Acting Director of the agency since September, 2012.  She was confirmed as Peace Corps’ Deputy Director in June, 2010.

She is the fifth woman to serve as Director, and is also the fifth Returned Peace Corps Volunteer to lead the agency. She and her husband Steve served in Samoa from 1981-83.

Holding a final Senate confirmation vote was one of the topics raised by National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) advocates when they met with 67 Senate offices during NPCA’s National Day of Action on February 27th.  NPCA advocates also weighed in over the past month – more than six months since her confirmation hearing.

“Today is a very good day for the Peace Corps,” said NPCA President Glenn Blumhorst (Guatemala 1988-91).  “The Senate vote to confirm Carrie Hessler-Radelet now allows her to advance a forward-moving agenda for the 7,000 volunteers currently serving and the many who will follow.  We believe Carrie will bring her unique set of skills, sensibility and sensitivity to her new position, just as she has demonstrated in her long career as a public servant and leader in the field of international development.”

One of Hessler-Radelet’s first public appearances as Peace Corps Director will come in two weeks, when she appears at Peace Corps Connect – Nashville on Saturday, June 21st.

Follow this link to read Hessler-Radelet’s remarks earlier this year before the National Press Club.

Follow this link to read NPCA’s coverage of her confirmation hearing last November before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Follow this link to learn more about Carrie Hessler-Radelet.

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Carrie Hessler-Radelet Sworn in as Peace Corps DirectorRead More »