News & Events

Feb 02, 2010

Day of Action National Conference Calls Planned

Getting ready for the March 2nd National Day of Action?  Want to learn more about it and how you can help?

A series of national conference calls will be held throughout the month of February to help you prepare for the Day of Action.

Contact us at to register for any of these upcoming calls.  Then, share this information with others you know.

(Please note: The February 9th conference call is for NPCA member group representatives and will include a general overview of NPCA advocacy.  All other calls are open to any interested advocates)

• Tuesday, February 9th           8:00 PM - 9:00 PM EST
• Thursday, February 11th     9:00 PM - 10:00 PM EST
• Saturday, February 13th     10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST
• Tuesday, February 23rd        9:00 PM - 10:00 PM EST
• Saturday, February 27th     10:00 AM - 11:00 AM EST
• Sunday, February 28th          6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EST

Feb 01, 2010

President Obama Requests $446 million for Peace Corps

In releasing his Fiscal Year 2011 budget to Congress, President Barack Obama is recommending $446.15 million for the Peace Corps.  This would represent an 11.5% increase over current Peace Corps funding.

Language in the President's budget suggests it will increase "volunteer numbers, recruitment efforts and the entry of the Peace Corps into new countries in order to have approximately 9,400 Americans enrolled in the Peace Corps by the end of 2012 and 11,000 by the end of 2016."  Peace Corps currently reports roughly 7,700 volunteers and trainees in the field.

The President's budget also references steps included in the Fiscal Year 2010 appropriation (approved by Congress and signed into law last December 16th) related to a better and bolder Peace Corps. That language states that "not later than 45 days after enactment of this Act, the (Peace Corps) Director shall submit a spending plan to the Committees on Appropriations on the proposed uses of funds."  Not later than 180 days after enactment (June 16, 2010), "the Director shall, after consultation with the Committees on Appropriations, submit a report to the Committees that includes the findings of a comprehensive assessment of the current program model of the Peace Corps and a strategy for reforming and improving operations."  Persuasive and compelling reports on use of the funds and improving its operations will be critical to generating congressional support for another significant funding increase.

"Although short of our More Peace Corps campaign's goal of doubling the size of the Peace Corps by the 50th anniversary, the President's Peace Corps request represents a continued commitment to service through an expanded and improved Peace Corps," said National Peace Corps Association President Kevin Quigley.  "We will move forward with Peace Corps leaders in Congress to secure at least the President's request for Fiscal Year 2011."

Current funding for the Peace Corps - $400 million - provided the largest single-year dollar increase ($60 million) in the history of the agency.  If the President's Fiscal Year 2011 request is approved, it would mark the second highest increase in history and the largest percentage increase (other than last year) since 1991.

You can follow this pdf link to read more about the funding request for Peace Corps in relation to the entire budget proposal for the State Department and other international affairs programs.

Jan 21, 2010

Ambassador Says Peace Corps Experience Makes Her a Better Diplomat

Today's Korea Times includes a feature article on the current U.S. Ambassador, Kathleen Stephens, who served as a Korea Peace Corps volunteer between 1975 - 77.

A classroom teacher in South Chungcheong Province, "Stephens said that the experiences shaped her skills and ideas about what she wanted to do with her life later on."  The article quotes Ambassador Stephens as saying "(Peace Corps) made me a better diplomat. And my first exposure to Korea in the 1970s left me, as it did many Peace Corps volunteers, with a lifelong interest in all things Korean."

You can read the complete article by following this link.  The article coincides with a photo exhibition opening today in Seoul celebrating volunteerism between the two countries, and highlighting the work of Korea RPCVs.  Since 1990, the Korea Overseas Volunteer Program has sent more than 6,000 South Koreans to more than 50 nations as volunteers. 

Jan 20, 2010

Gearing Up for the National Day of Action

The first week of March is Peace Corps Week, marking the signing of a presidential executive order creating the Peace Corps.

It is also the week when the National Peace Corps Association and its MorePeaceCorps Campaign mobilizes activists for an annual "National Day of Action" in support of the Peace Corps.

Please mark your calendars as Tuesday, March 2nd, will be this year's Day of Action.   We hope everyone will - at the very least - set aside five minutes on that day to make a phone call, send an email or send a fax to their representatives in Congress urging continued support for a bigger, better and bolder Peace Corps.

For those living in or near Washington DC, there's a lot to do to help prepare for the Day of Action.  This includes volunteer advocates who can participate in Capitol Hill meetings on the 2nd.  If you can volunteer, please let us know.

If you live elsewhere, please start reaching out to friends, family and other members of the Peace Corps community to let them know about the Day of Action.

The Day of Action is timely in that it comes several weeks after the President submits his Fiscal Year 2011 budget proposal to Congress.

Stay tuned for updates as the Day of Action approaches.  For volunteer information and other questions, please contact

Jan 08, 2010

More Peace Corps Successes Highlighted in NPCA Advocacy Year in Review

Members of the Peace Corps community from Colorado (l to r: Billie Day, Ann Moore, Mike Moore and Grant Knutson) met with Congressman Ed Perlmutter in 2009 to thank him for his support of a bigger, better and bolder Peace Corps.  They were among the thousands of advocates who made a tremendous difference in 2009.

The MorePeaceCorps campaign and its successes are highlighted in the National Peace Corps Association's 2009 Year in Review.  Follow this link for reflections back on MorePeaceCorps petition drives, Capitol Hill advocacy, rallies, speakers and other activities that make up NPCA's advocacy program.

Jan 06, 2010

RPCV Senator Chris Dodd Will Not Seek Re-election

Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, a returned Peace Corps volunteer who served in the Dominican Republic from 1966-68, will not to seek re-election this November.

Dodd has been the leading voice in the Senate on Peace Corps issues.  He is the author of Peace Corps legislation including the Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act, and has led the annual effort to secure signatures on a Senate Dear Colleague letter urging robust funding for Peace Corps.

Last year, Senator Dodd. as Chair of the Foreign Relations Peace Corps Subcommittee, convened the confirmation hearing for Director Aaron Williams and expedited Senate confirmation of the new director.

You can read more about Senator Dodd's decision by clicking here.

Senator Dodd is the only RPCV serving in the Senate.  There are five RPCVs currently serving in the House of Representatives.

Dec 21, 2009

Better Bolder Peace Corps Survey Report is Released

With the largest appropriation in its history, and the announcement of plans to return to three countries in 2010, there is good progress in the effort to expand opportunities for Peace Corps service.

But along with a bigger Peace Corps, the MorePeaceCorps campaign also advocates for a better, bolder Peace Corps.  The latest effort on this front is a survey of the Peace Corps community, in which more than 4,500 individuals offered their views and comments on how to improve and embolden the agency as it begins to embark on its next fifty years of volunteer service and collaborative engagement with people around the world.

Follow this link to read the full report (or an executive summary).