Carrie Hessler-Radelet Sworn in as Peace Corps Director

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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 Director Read More »

Ecuador plays valiantly but leaves World Cup after the first round

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Ecuador opened up their group stage with a heartbreaking loss to Switzerland who broke a 1-1 tie in the waning minutes of the game to win the game. Ecuador rebounded in their second game to defeat Honduras. However, the team was held to a scoreless draw in their third game against group winner France, after going down to ten men when team leader Antonio Valencia was given a red card, somewhat unfairly, for a reckless challenge. Of the 7 South American teams playing the World Cup, Ecuador was the only one not to make it to the round of 16, but they showed flashes of excellent play and were just a little bit unlucky (on top of the horrible luck in qualifying play when their top scorer died of a heart attack during a game).

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Ecuador plays valiantly but leaves World Cup after the first round Read More »

NYT: 50 Ways to Love Your Quinoa

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The New York Times ran a story this week on 50 ways to love your quinoa. As I’ve written about before, one of my main projects as a volunteer was to work with a producer’s association in Riobamba, ERPE, and RPCVs Bob and Maggi Leventry, to export organic quinoa to the United States.

Quinoa has subsequently taken off as a super-food, a complete protein that is great in taking on flavors and with its nutty texture is a complement to soups, salad, cereals, and desserts.

While over the years, the Times has identified 50 different ways to prepare quinoa, this week they provide some awesome salad recipes like this one for spicy quinoa with broccoli: …

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NYT: 50 Ways to Love Your Quinoa Read More »

Peace Corps Ecuador June 2014 update – An end to VAC grants, Natural Resources program

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Peace Corps Ecuador country director Alexis Vaughn was happy to provide an update on Peace Corps programming. There are some major changes. VAC volunteer-managed projects will end, which might mean the end of annual calendar sales. Importantly, the Natural Resources program will come to an end, which follows on last year’s end to the agriculture program. Going forward, TEFL and health will be the major priorities. See her letter below. …

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Peace Corps Ecuador June 2014 update – An end to VAC grants, Natural Resources program Read More »

Ecuador gets ready for the World Cup, coming up in June

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Ecuador is getting ready to play in the World Cup and players are highly motivated after star player Christian Benitez died suddenly last year from a heart attack. It will have to rely on the prowess of Luis Antonio Valencia who plays for Manchester United (pictured above). …

Ecuador gets ready for the World Cup, coming up in JuneRead More »

Ecuador gets ready for the World Cup, coming up in June Read More »

A referendum on oil drilling in Yasuni?

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Activists have been collecting signatures to try to force a referendum on drilling in Yasuni National Park. In excess of 700,000 signatures were collected, more than what was required, but the process for validating the signatures is now mired in controversy, according to a special report to Mongabay, a pro-conservation website.

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A referendum on oil drilling in Yasuni? Read More »

Peace Corps Connect – 2014 is coming to Nashville in June

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Peace Corps Connect – 2014 is coming to Nashville! Join us June 19-21, 2014 for our third annual gathering, this year in Music City.

The National Peace Corps Association and the Tennessee Returned Peace Corps Volunteers invite you to join your fellow Peace Corps Community members to learn about the various ways our community continues to serve and educate the world around us. We also hope you’ll use the opportunity to tell your own stories, meet up with old friends and make new ones.

Get the details here …

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Peace Corps Connect – 2014 is coming to Nashville in June Read More »

Stories from PC Ecuador

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NEWSLETTER UPDATES

Peace Corps Week 2014, February 23rd– March 1st, 2014-Video Challenge

“Peace Corps Volunteers gain more perspective, cultural insight and community connections from their service than most people gain in a lifetime”.  Nearly 80 current and returned Volunteers shared their perspectives of living in another country and facing a new culture by participating in Peace Corps Week 2014 Video Challenge where they present in a very creative way what I wish Americans knew about my Peace Corps Country.  Ecuador post was participating with a video from the Y&F PCV Kyle King who gained the second place award.  It is really an honor for our post to receive such a great recognition to our Volunteer’s effort. …

Stories from PC EcuadorRead More »

Stories from PC Ecuador Read More »

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