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NPCA Guidance to advocating for Peace Corps

Advocacy

As with all Federal agencies, the Peace Corps is funded through congress, so organizations like the NPCA must continuously advocate for a robust budget to support the Peace Corps and its mission. But in addition to funding for the Peace Corps, the NPCA (and the MNRPCV) advocates for specific issues that impact vollunteers and RPCVs. Current issues that the NPCA is advocating for in congress include an effort to raise the grade on the GS pay scale that RPCVs receive workers compensation when injured in service.  Currently people that are receiving workmans compensation for injuries while in the PC are compensated as if they were working as a GS 7.  The NPCA is pushing for raising this benchmark to the GS 11 level.

There are also efforts to improve the health care services that are available to volunteers once they return home. For example, under current rules the Peace Corps is only able to provide health care directly to volunteers for several weeks after COS.  NPCA is advocating to lengthen this time.

Elizabeth Arnold and Ken Flies, MNRPCV Board, Advocacy  Co-Chairs

Here's the latest Advocacy updates:

April 28, 2019
​Senators Johnny Isakson (R-GA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) circulated their annual Peace Corps funding Dear Colleague letter. And, the Peace Corps community responded.
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A record 41 Senators signed this year's letter! That number surpassed the previous high of 37 signatures, achieved in both 2009 and 2018. Coupled with a record breaking House Dear Colleague letter and its 181 signatures, the combined 222 lawmakers signing Peace Corps funding letters (also a new record) represents 41 percent of Congress demonstrating strong support for the Peace Corps.

Both Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith signed the Senate letter. Final result of the House signees is not in yet but for sure Representatives:  Tom Hagedorn, Angie Craig and Collin Peterson signed. Final tallies will come on next Tuesdays Advocacy conference call as well as statistic on state support levels.

March 18 2019
​2019 Peace Corps Week Advocacy Highlights
Peace Corps Week 2019 was highlighted in Washington, D.C. with two major events which occur each year: Advocacy Day on the Hill and the Shriver Leadership Summit. These two events were also followed this year by a memorial service at Howard University for Peace Corps founder and long-time civil rights advocate Senator Harris Wofford who recently passed. While Advocacy Day followed it usual process of previous years, the Shriver Leadership Summit resulted in some major new ideas and initiatives for the future of NPCA and the Peace Corps community.
February 28th Advocacy Day on the Hill
Some 140 RPCVs came to Washington, D.C. to meet with senators and representatives. In teams of six we visited our State officials. Our team included, in addition to myself, Jack and Jane Bardon from MNRPCV. The four goals of the visits were:
  • Advocate for an increased Peace Corps budget from its current level of $410 million to $450 million.
  • Support for the bipartisan Respect for Peace Corps Act that would allow RPCVs to put the Peace Corps logo on their final resting place. This issue now has an official bill designation.
  • Raise the disability pay for RPCVs who come home with service-related injuries or illness. This is currently $1,800; the proposal is to raise it by $800.
  • Encourage legislators to join the Peace Corps Caucus.
As was the case with Minnesota, many of the legislators are new this term, thus a significant part of the mission was education of their staff on these issues. Visits were made to staffs of all Minnesota legislators or literature was left with those with whom visits could not be arranged.
March 1st – Shriver Leadership Summit
This was an intense fourteen hour session attended by NPCA board members, Summit leadership members and invited guests. This session was focused on four major themes.  These included:
  • Helping the Peace Corps to be its best. This session was a discussion centered around the issues promoted on Advocacy Day. The highlight of this was a presentation by Jody Olson, Director of the Peace Corps. Jody presented three major goals of the Peace Corps today.  These are:
    • New ideas on connecting with the American public on the themes of the Peace Corps.
    • Expanding the ideal with Volunteers of “a lifetime of service.” As part of this theme a new program will be initiated where freshman college students can subscribe to 30 hours of cross-cultural community service as a prerequisite to becoming a Volunteer. Upon successful completion they will be afforded preference for Volunteer selection.
    • Issue of Return on Investment (ROI). The theme here is to do a better job with Congress and the American public of highlighting how America benefits due to the continuing efforts of RPCVs after their tours of service.
 
  • Work with affiliated NGOs by NPCA to expand the reach of the Peace Corps. Three new major programs were discussed:
    • Water Charity – This includes the effort to map all the water resources in Togo in Africa with the goal of providing fresh water for everyone in the country. PCVs will provide the implementation resources on the ground. The ultimate goal is to provide fresh water to everyone in Africa. For more information or to donate see: https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/campaigns/community-fund-access-to-clean-water-and-resources-for-refugees-2017
    • Farmer to Farmer – This program address short-term focused Ag requirements staffed by former RPCVs. Assignments currently are 2-3 weeks in length. The goal is to expand these to six month assignments. Current projects exist in Senegal, Malawi, Nigeria, Peru, El Salvador and Honduras. For more information contact www.npca.org
    • TCP Global – This is an initiative for consultants to work with micro-financing of up to $1500 to support other NGOs with projects which will produce revenues. For more information or to donate see: https://www.peacecorpsconnect.org/campaigns/tcp-globals-micro-loan-program
 
  •  The Future of NPCA – The goal of this discussion was how to provide a purpose-driven sense of connectivity and involvement of more RPCVs beyond their tours of duty. This effort would be centered on projects to achieve this goal by significantly increasing the role of NPCA and awareness of Peace Corps service with the American public and Congress. NPCA staff believes this would require several key components and the raising of $40 million. A presentation was made by the Center for Philanthropic Excellence that would spearhead the fund-raising efforts if the NPCA board decides to proceed with all or part of this major undertaking. Funds would address the following areas:
    • NPCA development programs. $10 million in this area would provide a revolving fund to support programs like aforementioned Water Charities, TCP Global and others.
    • NPCA Community/Affiliates. $3 million would be allocated to expand and support the efforts of NPCA affiliates.
    • Peace Corps House. NPCA is in need of more permanent office space. This would also include space where RPCVs could develop and incubate new products from countries of their service. The price tag on this is $4.5 million.
    • Museum of the Peace Corps Experience. This would be a community center for the gathering of RPCVs and a museum for housing artifacts and oral histories of RPCVs to highlight the history of the Peace Corps. $11 million is projected for this project.
    • Peace Corps Memorial. A permanent memorial to the Peace Corps had been in the planning stages for several years. A location and design has been agreed upon and approved by the National Park Service. It is now before the Capitol Monuments Committee for final approval. Like the museum, the memorial will highlight the lasting significance of the Peace Corps as a unique world entity for generations to come.
    • Peace Corps Documentary – This is a project currently in the works to present a PBS documentary on the Peace Corps to re-energize the significance of its mission and as an American institution. $500K would be allocated to this program.
 
 
Ken Fliés
MNRPCV Advocacy Committee
 
MNRPCV                       P.O Box 6413, Minneapolis MN 55406                    membership@mnrpcv.org
MN Returned Peace Corps Volunteers,