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Acting Director's Message

Welcome to Inside Peace Corps where we share updates and news on our work at headquarters and in the countries where our Volunteers are invited to serve. We are so fortunate to have people around the globe who are invested in the Peace Corps and our mission of world peace and friendship. The aim of this publication is to provide information on issues that our stakeholders care about most.

 

I cannot overstate my appreciation for your ongoing support as we prepare to return Volunteers to service abroad. Thank you for stepping Inside Peace Corps to walk side-by-side with us.

Developments

Peace Corps Response Volunteers Sworn in for Three-Month Domestic Deployment. Last week, 158 Response Volunteers were sworn into service for three-month assignments. Evacuated from 52 Peace Corps countries and proficient in 88 languages, these Response Volunteers are working directly with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), applying their intercultural and language skills to COVID-19 vaccination distribution and education efforts in five states across the United States. Read here for more information.

Staff to Complete Unconscious Bias in the Workplace Training by the End of June. Since April, Peace Corps staff worldwide have been participating in a mandatory training on Unconscious Bias in the Workplace in an effort to establish a shared vocabulary, recognize the biases we all have, learn the tools to help us empathize with others, and construct a common framework on which to further expand the agency’s intercultural competence, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ICDEI) work. Experts at posts and headquarters moderate the group session segment of the training, which includes facilitated small group discussions and integrates Peace Corps staff from around the world. All new staff members will complete this training as a part of their onboarding. As Volunteers return to service, they will undergo a similar, mandatory training prior to departure.

Virtual Service Pilot Accepting Expressions of Interest for Third Phase. We are launching the third phase of the Virtual Service Pilot (VSP) and accepting expressions of interest from any returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) who is prepared to spend five to 15 hours per week donating their services and engaging with a Host Country Partner in their former country of service. An email sent last week outlines the third phase opportunities for RPCVs from 25 participating host countries. The first two pilots, which included 20 posts and 100 volunteers, have shown that collaboration and service can be impactful over digital platforms and across time zones. Read more about VSP here.

Country Health and Crime Information Updated and Published on Website. Data on the health and crimes against Volunteers for each country where Volunteers are invited to serve has been updated and published on our website. To review this information, select the country you are interested in here, and then select “Health” or “Safety and Security” in the left navigation bar to see data related to that country

In The Works

Security Incident Management System and User Training – As part of our ongoing efforts to mitigate the risk of crime and improve our systems, we recently launched the new Security Incident Management System (SIMS). SIMS has been in the works since 2018 when planning first began to re-platform and combine the functionality of two existing systems: Consolidated Incident Reporting System (CIRS) and Coordinated Agency Response System (CARS). As the Peace Corps’ new tool for tracking the agency’s response to crimes against Volunteers, SIMS documents and categorizes crimes, records support services provided to Volunteer victims of crime, and monitors related criminal proceedings. SIMS stores all case management data in one location, enabling users to track agency compliance with applicable policies, regulations, and laws such as the Kate Puzey Act (2011) and the Farr-Castle Act (2018). Further, the system includes embedded data quality checks and checklists that automatically prompt users to provide complete data and to offer all relevant services to Volunteer victims. Before Volunteers return to service abroad, all staff members who are required to use the system will be trained to use SIMS. Click here for more information on the Peace Corps’ safety and security efforts.

Agency Equity Council and Chief Diversity Office – We are actively reinforcing our structures, programs, and policies to ensure that our workplace, our Volunteer systems, and our organizational culture reflect our commitment to ICDEI and addressing systemic racism and bias. In addition to the efforts of our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force and our Barrier Analysis team, we have been working to implement different Executive Orders (EOs) and memoranda related to racial equity and support for underserved communities. In April, we formed an Agency Equity Council (AEC) with leaders and staff to holistically facilitate, inform, and advance our progress on equity, and to build in accountability and transparency mechanisms. The AEC is comprised of 27 staff members from offices across the agency, including recruitment, behavioral health, training, procurement, and research and planning.

Additionally, we are building out the staffing and scope of our Chief Diversity Office (CDO), and will include its leadership in the Senior Policy Committee (SPC) as a voting member and member of the secretariat in order to ensure policies are reviewed with an ICDEI lens. For more information on our ICDEI work, view a recording of the brief presentation made at last week’s Thought Leaders Event on RPCVs Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

In the News

Peace Corps is making headlines! Here are a few recent stories.

(Clicking any of the news links will take you to a third-party website.)

National Institute for Health (NIH) Record

Reconnecting with First NIH’er to Join the Peace Corps

Smithsonian Magazine

Why the Peace Corps’ Mission is Needed Now More Than Ever

BlueRidgeNow

Joining the Peace Corps after 60: Older volunteers reflect on experiences

“Seek first to understand and next to be understood.”

– Dr. Huong Diep, Board-certified Psychologist, Writer, and International Consultant in Private Practice, RPCV Peru

Stories

No Peace Corps Volunteer’s service or story is the same. In recognition of May being Older Americans Month as well as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we highlight the following two stories:

Giving Back at Any Age

“Although I have had a very rewarding career, nothing has been so consistently and professionally gratifying as my work as an Advancing Health Professionals (AHP) nurse educator.”

A Daughter of Chinese Immigrants Gives Back in Retirement

“Peace Corps gave me a way to embrace a new purpose after I retired in 2010.”

Events

Peace Corps hosts a variety of events for prospective Volunteers, RPCVs, and other Peace Corps audiences. Check out some of our recent and upcoming virtual events:

May 19 – Peace Corps Thought Leader Series: RPCVs Advancing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (recording)
 

May 19 – 2021 Peace Corps Response Swearing-In Ceremony with FEMA (recording)
 

June 17 – Peace Corps Response: 25^th Anniversary Story Slam (registration)

June 23 – Introduction to Peace Corps (registration)
 

June 24 – Lillian Carter Award Ceremony (registration)