Military Trial in Peace Corps Rape Case Begins
By BROCK VERGAKIS Associated PressNORFOLK, Va. February 28, 2012 (AP)
A former Peace Corps worker who taught at a girl's school in rural Uganda told a military jury in Virginia on Monday that a special warfare sailor who does construction work for Navy SEALs raped her multiple times in his hotel room in the East African country's capital.
The trial comes months after Congress responded to complaints that the Peace Corps hasn't done enough to protect its volunteers from sexual assaults with legislation requiring the agency to better train participants in how to avoid such attacks.
The 27-year-old woman, who was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and now lives in Washington, testified in a courtroom at Naval Station Norfolk that her sexual encounter with Petty Officer 2nd Class Camaren Walker in November 2010 started out as consensual.
But after his condom came off twice, she said she wanted him to stop.
She said she tried to push Walker off her, but that he grabbed her throat and held her against the bed. She said he later raped her in the shower when he put her in a choke hold and that she feared she might drown. She said he didn't have to force himself on her the next two times — including once when his roommate was in the next bed — because she was afraid for her life.
Walker's military attorney said the case was simply about a woman who regretted her decision to have sex because she was embarrassed by her behavior. As part of her job, the woman, who
graduated from Indiana University, taught girls to avoid peer pressure and to use condoms.
"This is not a case about rape. This is a case about regret," said Lt. Lauren Mayo
The accuser said that she and Walker had met an Irish pub in Kampala while she was out with three other Peace Corps volunteers who were in town for a conference. She said she voluntarily went back to his hotel room with him and that she had no idea he was in the Navy at the time. She said he didn't learn more about him until after she had been assaulted and she had mentioned that she wasn't on birth control. That's when he told her his full name so she could find him on Facebook because he wanted to keep the child if she was pregnant, according to her courtroom testimony.
Mayo said she didn't mention to any of her friends the next day that she had been assaulted. One of her friends said she thought it was "kinky" that the sex was rough and that he had choked her.
"That was my night of hell," the woman later recalled thinking during the exchange.
The Associated Press does not generally identify alleged victims of sexual assault.
It wasn't until days later when she saw a medical worker about emergency contraception that the word rape came up, and only when the medical worker mentioned it, according to courtroom testimony.
Mayo also said that the woman didn't do anything to stop Walker, such as scream, slap him or try to leave the hotel room.
"You didn't do anything to stop him, did you?" Mayo said to the woman, who simply responded "No."
At other times during her testimony, the woman said she didn't scream because it was too difficult to breathe while she was being choked. She also said she didn't leave the hotel room until the morning because Uganda is too dangerous of a country for a foreign woman to wander alone during the early morning hours.
In April, during a procedure that is similar to a preliminary hearing in civilian court, Walker's attorneys had suggested that charges were only being brought forward due to political pressure. The Peace Corps had been under criticism for not doing enough to protect is volunteers from crime, particularly sexual assault. In May, Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams appeared before a Foreign Affairs Committee hearing to apologize for the agency's shortcomings on volunteer safety issues
In November, Congress passed a bill requiring the Peace Corps to develop sexual assault risk-education and response training. The legislation also requires the agency to establish a victim's support office.
Walker's trial is scheduled to resume Tuesday.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
ABC News reports: Military Trial in Peace Corps Rape Case Begins
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Ebony opinion article: Stop Telling Women How to Not Get Raped
There are some voices in the conversation about men and boys' involvement in anti-rape campaigns but those voices aren't nearly as loud as the messages that tell women to travel in packs, keep pepper spray in their purses, not to go out at night, to avoid downtown areas (especially alleys) and to stop dressing provocatively. These are all victim blaming messages. The U.S. (and the world) are in need of more men as advocates and messages targeting potential rapists.
Stop Telling Women How to Not Get Raped
Our Victim Blaming Tactics Do Little to Prevent Sexual Assault
Ebony Magazine
January 14, 2012
Zerlina Maxwell
New rule for 2012: No more ad campaigns and public service announcements targeted at women to teach them how to avoid rape. It’s not effective, it’s offensive, and it’s also a lie. Telling women that they can behave in a certain way to avoid rape creates a false sense of security and it isn’t the most effective way to lower the horrible statistics which show that 1 in 5 women will become victims of a completed or attempted rape in their lifetime. The numbers for African American women are even higher at nearly 1 in 4.
We need anti-rape campaigns that target young men and boys. Campaigns that teach them from a young age how to respect women, and ultimately themselves, and to never ever be rapists. In addition, we should implore our men and boys to call out their friends, relatives, and classmates for inappropriate behavior and create systems of accountability amongst them.
There are a number of men who do not understand what constitutes a “rape”, which is a consequence of the “stranger in the alley” falsehood presented in movies and popular culture. You don’t need a mask and a gun to sexually violate a woman. The truth is that rape can happen with a woman you are dating whom you’ve had sex with previously, in a monogamous relationship, and even in marriage. If one party withdraws consent at any time then it’s rape. Consent can be withdrawn by the words “no “or “stop” and in many states, a woman doesn’t have to say no at all. Consumption of alcohol can prevent a woman from being able to legally offer consent. Therefore, it is important for men and women alike to be very clear about their intentions and prioritize consent over the excitement of getting some.
Our community, much like society-at-large, needs a paradigm shift as it relates to our sexual assault prevention efforts. For so long all of our energy has been directed at women, teaching them to be more “ladylike” and to not be “promiscuous” to not drink too much or to not wear a skirt. Newsflash: men don’t decide to become rapists because they spot a woman dressed like a video vixen or because a girl has been sexually assertive.
How about we teach young men when a woman says stop, they stop? How about we teach young men that when a woman has too much to drink that they should not have sex with her, if for no other reason but to protect themselves from being accused of a crime? How about we teach young men that when they see their friends doing something inappropriate to intervene or to stop being friends? The culture that allows men to violate women will continue to flourish so long as there is no great social consequence for men who do so. And while many men punished for sexual assaults each year, countless others are able to commit rape and other crimes against women because we so often blame the victim instead of the guilty party.
Holding women and girls accountable for preventing sexual assault hasn’t worked and so long as men commit the majority of rapes, men need to be at the heart of our tactics for preventing them. Let’s stop teaching ‘how to avoid being a victim’ and instead, attack the culture that creates predators in the first place.
Zerlina Maxwell is a political analyst and staff writer for The Loop 21.
Monday, January 16, 2012
Volunteer Opinion Article Says Assault is 'part of the deal' in Peace Corps
"Assaults, sexual and otherwise, are probably more likely to happen to us here in Guatemala than in the U.S. (depending on where in the States we hail from), but that's sort of part of the deal. There is no Peace Corps draft, after all; we sign up and agree to come, fully cognizant of the risks."
What do you think? Do Volunteers sign up to be assaulted? Read the full article below for more information. We welcome your comments.
First Response Action advocates for Peace Corps Volunteers who are survivors of assault and rape, but we also acknowledge that rates of sexual assault is a problem in the United States and is just as likely to happen. It would not be true to say that sexual assault is more likely in another country rather than the U.S. Recent studies show that 1 in 6 women will be victims of rape or attempted rape in their lifetimes.
Other countries may not have a functional system to collect data or they may suffer from vast under-reporting due to police corruption, victims' fear of retribution or a variety of other reasons. Host country nationals in countries where Peace Corps operates are assaulted without signing up for any kind of volunteer program. Americans who have not signed up for a volunteer program are also victims of rape and assault. Sexual violence is an international problem. First Response Action applauds Peace Corps for recognizing violence against Volunteers and making the proactive choice to support Volunteers.
Men and women in Peace Corps can have glaringly different experiences. While some men may be able to move through their communities to accolades of host country nationals or without a second look, many women and some men as well, are followed, stalked, harassed and live with the continual reminder of their gender.
The Peace Corps kids are all right
Peace Corps volunteers shouldn't be pulled out of Central America
By Jared Metzker
January 16, 2012
My mother, reacting to the recent spate of alarmist headlines about "raging" violence and increased security measures affecting Peace Corps volunteers in Central America, has taken to calling me on a near-nightly basis.
"Just needed to hear your voice," she says to explain the call.
"I'm fine, Mom," I respond.
Frankly, it's getting annoying.
It's not that I don't appreciate the chance to speak with my mother. What bothers me is knowing that she is seriously worried. No matter how much I try to persuade her otherwise, she is convinced my life is in constant danger. Never mind that only one volunteer has been murdered in Guatemala in the 40-plus years the Peace Corps has operated there; as far as she's concerned, it's a war zone. Let me tell you (and her, for the thousandth time!): Guatemala is not Afghanistan. Not even close.
Americans who ride the bus in Guatemala are indeed often targets of pickpockets on the hunt for money, cellphones, cameras and iPods. Volunteers are no exception to this rule, and most of us have been fleeced at least once. It's usually a nonviolent affair, though, and, aside from the hassle of having to fill out Peace Corps reimbursement slips, it's not a big deal.
Officially, however, every such incident is misleadingly categorized as a robbery, a term that by definition implies violence, real or threatened, and that makes the incidents seem much worse than they actually are. Consequently, the media latches on to the upward trend in this scary category of crimes and vaguely connect it to the real but unrelated horrors of the drug cartels — and scare the bejesus out of my mom.
Unfortunately, stoking the false perception of a volunteer population under siege has ramifications beyond my mother's ongoing descent into madness. The Peace Corps director decided last month to take a step back from the programs in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. He has evacuated all Peace Corps workers from Honduras and is suspending the induction of new volunteers in Guatemala and El Salvador. From my perspective, based on being here, speaking to other volunteers and reading the Guatemalan press every day, these decisions seem unnecessary, even cowardly.
I am not saying violence against Peace Corps volunteers is unheard of or to be taken lightly. Serious calamities have affected some of my friends here. One of them was on a bus that was in a fatal accident, but he walked away uninjured, thank goodness. Assaults, sexual and otherwise, are probably more likely to happen to us here in Guatemala than in the U.S. (depending on where in the States we hail from), but that's sort of part of the deal. There is no Peace Corps draft, after all; we sign up and agree to come, fully cognizant of the risks. Furthermore, if we decide once we get here that it's more than we'd bargained for, we can leave at any time. Unlike in the case of the military, there is no such thing as a dishonorable discharge from the Peace Corps.
Before the Peace Corps' inception, some Americans wondered whether our "young men and tender young girls, reared in air-conditioned houses," could handle life in a poor country for two years. Fifty years later, with more than 200,000 current and former volunteers, the Peace Corps remains as clear evidence of America's best intentions with regard to foreign policy. Volunteers working in countries such as Guatemala do much to improve the United States' image abroad and often make significant contributions to the development of their host communities. The Peace Corps has proved itself to be a phenomenal idea, and, in contrast to our military endeavors over the last 50 years, its mission has never lacked approval from the American people, liberal and conservative alike.
As the U.S. passes through adverse times, it's important that we not lose sight of the ideals that made us great in the first place. The Peace Corps is a paragon of these ideals, and any decision to scale it back should be taken with full awareness of the damage that doing so would cause. In the case of those of us who are now finishing up our service, much of the work we started will be left unfinished because there will be no one to continue it, but it's more than that. Young Americans, and those young at heart, deserve the opportunity to venture unarmed and un-air-conditioned into developing countries to experience life as it presents itself to the majority of the human population. To deprive them of that opportunity unnecessarily is cowardly, and such cowardice — although perhaps appreciated by their mothers — is inexcusable considering the courage that potential volunteers exhibit just by signing up.
Jared Metzker is a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala. He graduated from the University of Oregon in 2009 with a bachelor's degree in political science. He reads the Los Angeles Times every day with breakfast.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
House panel approves bill to boost safety for Peace Corps volunteers after rapes, murder
By Associated Press, Published: September 21
WASHINGTON — A House panel has approved legislation to improve safety and security for Peace Corps volunteers after criticism that the agency did little to train its workers to deal with violent attacks such as rape and murder.
By voice vote Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee pushed ahead two bills that would establish a process for volunteers to make confidential reports of rape or sexual assault, set up training for staff on how to respond and create a Victim Support Office.
In May, three Peace Corps volunteers raped while serving overseas and the mother of a fourth who was murdered in Benin complained to lawmakers. They said the agency failed to train its workers about how to avoid or deal with violent attacks. They also said it was insensitive or unhelpful.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Change.org Blog by Casey Frazee
Peace Corps Volunteer Speaks Out About Lacking Sexual Assault Response
I breathed in the fresh ocean air rolling up from the expanse of the Atlantic Ocean while standing on top of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. I was thousands of feet off the ground, gazing at one of the most marvelous sites in the world. Yet I felt devoid of emotion and feeling, sucked out of me when I was sexually assaulted while serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa.I remember thinking to myself that I was at a candidate for one of the wonders of the world and I didn’t feel anything. I couldn’t even crack a smile. What once came naturally to me now took so much force to muster that it wasn’t worth it most times.
Being sexually assaulted changed who I was forever. That one act of betrayal. That one act of such an intimate violation. I now view the world through the lens of a survivor.
My attacker was part of my host family and he had harassed me for months. After being assaulted in June 2009, I discovered in the most difficult and personal way possible that Peace Corps had no global policy on how to manage incidents of sexual assault and rape. While most Peace Corps victims of assault or rape are kept in the country’s capital while next steps are taken, my Country Director thought it would be more “productive” to send me out to visit Volunteers and help at their sites. Being a generally helpful and agreeable person, and having never been assaulted before, I thought this seemed reasonable. However, it led me down a path of increased PTSD symptoms, isolation, and breakdowns. I was left on my own to devolve in various locations throughout South Africa.
Full article here:
https://news.change.org/stories/peace-corps-volunteer-speaks-out-about-lacking-sexual-assault-response
Monday, April 11, 2011
The University of Michigan's The Michigan Review article on Sexual Assault in Peace Corps
Amid the celebrations of 50 years of international service, the Peace Corps has been in the spotlight for a far less laudatory record.
Following an ABC News “20/20” report in January, in which volunteers who survived rape or sexual assault while serving in the Peace Corps expressed dissatisfaction over the support they received, the agency has been under fire.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee will hold a hearing, likely in May, to examine the Peace Corps’ treatment of volunteers who have been victims of rape or sexual assault while serving abroad.
The issue caught the attention of Representative Ted Poe (R-Texas), founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Victims’ Rights Caucus who, citing the report, first spoke on the House floor about the issue in late January.
In an interview with THE MICHIGAN REVIEW, Poe said he hopes to “find out what has happened to victims of crime, why crimes are committed against them, and what the response has been from our federal government, if any.”
In the last decade, over 1000 female volunteers have been victims of rape or sexual assault, including 221 rapes or attempted rapes, 147 major sexual attacks, and 719 other sexual assaults, according to Peace Corps’ Annual Reports of Volunteer Safety.
Casey Frazee, a graduate of Eastern Michigan University, is one of these assault survivors. In 2009, Frazee was placed in South Africa where she volunteered at an HIV/AIDS clinic. Soon after arriving, she was assaulted by the brother of her host mother, a man who was also dating one of her co-workers at the clinic.
Continued at: http://www.michiganreview.com/archives/2939
*Editor's Note: While campaigning for President of the United States in 1960, John F Kennedy made an early morning stop at the University of Michigan student union where he essentially announced the idea for Peace Corps. More at: http://peacecorps.umich.edu/
Saturday, April 9, 2011
ABC News Report: Jess Smochek Honored By Congress: Peace Corps Volunteer Spoke Out About Assaults In '20/20' Investigation
Jess Smochek of Pennsylvania, 29, received the 2011 Suzanne McDaniel Public Awareness Award from the bipartisan Congressional Victims' Rights Caucus at a Capitol Hill ceremony attended by members of Congress and victims advocates. After she was attacked, Smochek helped raise awareness of sexual assaults on Peace Corps volunteers and what she and other advocates consider the Corps' lack of support for victims.
"Thanks to the courage and determination of Jessica Smochek," said Rep. Ted Poe, R.-Texas, co-chair of the Caucus, "the mistreatment of victims of violence and the inadequate response from the Peace Corps has captured the attention of the nation" Rep. Poe, who hosted Wednesday's event along with Caucus co-chair Rep. Jim Costa, D.-California, called Smochek's advocacy on behalf of victims "inspiring" and said that because of her Congress will have hearings next month "to hold the Peace Corps accountable" for the safety of volunteers.
Rep. Matsui (D-CA), Rep. Poe (R-TX), Jess Smochek, Rep. Costa (D-CA)
Smochek told ABC News it was "incredibly humbling" to be recognized by the Victims' Rights Caucus. "They are my heroes, both for the work they've done for so many vulnerable populations and for the work I believe some of them are doing even now to help make sure my story won't have to be retold by future Peace Corps Volunteers."
Thursday, January 27, 2011
ABC News: Congress to Investigate Peace Corps Treatment of Sex Assault Victims
The story was spurred by a speech given by Congressman Poe to the House floor on Monday 1/24. Congressmen Ted Poe, R-Texas, and Jim Costa, D-CA, head the Victims' Rights Caucus and are supporters of First Response Action. Jointly, they sent a letter of support to Peace Corps in favor of FRA's mission to improve training on sexual assault and response to survivors of sexual violence.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
First Response Action in the Blogosphere
We - the First Response Action Coalition - are always working to engage others in the conversation of improving Peace Corps' response to sexual assault, rape, intimate partner violence, physical violence and beyond. Here are some highlights from the blogosphere so far this year:
- National Peace Corps Association's interview with Casey Frazee, founder of First Response Action.
- Not Another Wave (the blog that is "the feminist conversation for everyone") blogpost by Casey.
- Cincy Chic (an online publication based in Cincinnati, OH) interview with Casey.
- The Safer (Students Active For Ending Rape) Blog post in response to First Response Action.
- Re-print of Casey's WorldView article on the National Sexual Violence Resource Center's website.
It's also encouraging to see that this important conversation is making it's way outside of the Peace Corps community to the broader awareness in America. In June, the Washington Post wrote an article about safety issues during Peace Corps Service.
If you have found a website that references First Response Action or responds to issues of physical and sexual violence in the Peace Corps, please email firstresponseaction@gmail.com.
Peace.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Light a Candle for Kate
John Coyne of Peace Corps Worldwide posted this story about Kate, referencing an article in Georgia's Forsyth County News commemorating Kate's death. The Forsyth County News interviewed Kate's mother for the story who said that Kate was murdered because she discovered that her host-country-national co-teacher was sexually abusing some of the school children. The following is from the article, referencing Kate's mother Lois Puzey:
Puzey said the Peace Corps was initially helpful and supportive. Eventually, she and her family weren’t getting the answers they needed. She, along with members of a small advocacy group formed on her daughter’s behalf, went to Washington, D.C. a couple of weeks ago to get those answers from Peace Corps officials.
“That was a very positive and productive meeting in the end,” she said. “We also spoke to congressmen and senators that we felt could help us find out what we needed.”
The First Response Action Coalition seeks to support PCV survivors of sexual abuse as well as other crimes, which includes supporting families and friends of murdered PCVs. A common thread in many of these stories of assault and crime, typically against women, is that Peace Corps responded proactively and positively in the beginning ... and then support waned.
Kate's family member created this video, posted on YouTube, to remember Kate, her compassion and all that she did for those around her. The family is asking that you light a candle in Kate's memory.
In memory of Kate Puzey.
Peace.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The Full Article
The Safety of the Volunteer 2007 report released by the Peace Corps Office of Safety and Security states that there were 253 incidents of rape, some form of physical or sexual assault, death threats or intimidation against Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in 2007. That is roughly 3 percent of PCVs who served that year. When the statistics are compiled for 2009, I will, unfortunately, be among those numbers.
Earlier this year, while serving in Southern Africa, I was sexually assaulted by a man in my community. The Peace Corps Web site states, “The agency recognizes that Volunteers' daily safety is, for the most part, best assured when they are well integrated into the local community, valued and protected as extended family members.” Unfortunately, this system has a major flaw—when the attacker is also a well-integrated community member. My attacker was the brother of my host mother and the boyfriend of a co-worker at the NGO where I worked. Furthermore, he was a high-ranking official in the provincial branch of the country’s reigning political party. Going to the local authorities in the aftermath of the assault did not seem a safe option, as I feared retribution from my attacker.
After I reported this assault to Peace Corps, I was evacuated to the capital. My initial meeting with Peace Corps, subsequent to the attack, focused mostly on whether or not to report the assault to local authorities and developing a new site; I was not offered any medical attention or counseling. Having prior experience working with issues of domestic violence, sexual assault and rape, I tried to rely on my own strength to work through this situation, but a week after this meeting, I fell apart. The country director sent me out of the capital to visit PCVs and be “productive” during this transition period. I was visiting a fellow Volunteer in her rural village, her house surrounded by the all-too-common penetrable fence. I was afraid. I was scared of the shadows and I scowled at the people in the community, wondering why they had to stare at me. I feared that someone else would attack me.
I called the Peace Corps Medical Officer and requested to see a counselor. The PCMO told me that there was no budget for me to see a counselor and that while he would fight for me, I shouldn’t get my hopes up. Having trust in the organization that brought me halfway around the world, I choked out an “okay,” hung up the phone and cried. Since I was quickly unraveling without support from Peace Corps in-country, I decided to call the Office of Special Services in Washington, DC. I was connected to people who told me that there is always budget available for PCV health and safety and that the PCMO had spoken in error.I began asking myself and fellow PCVs, what rights do I have as a Volunteer? How many times can I see a counselor? Can someone else speak on my behalf if I am too intimidated by Peace Corps? There is nothing in the Volunteer Handbook that addresses this and no one I asked—in Washington or in-country—could find any policy that references the rights of PCVs who experience sexual violence. I am not alone as a PCV who has been assaulted. I have heard from women in multiple countries who were not taken seriously, pushed out of their country of service or who were not offered counseling.
In the aforementioned report on volunteer safety released in 2007, the report states, “Trend analysis indicates that other sexual assault incidence rates have been increasing an average of 7 percent each year over the 10-year period.” While the report provides copious data, it is short on follow-up. Counseling, medical separation, interrupted service, treatment of PCVs in-country by staff, state-side support; these items are presumably left to another report.
Now back in the United States I have contacted Peace Corps to discuss implementing policies to protect PCVs in these situations. As of late October, as this article is being written, I am awaiting next steps from Peace Corps. I have also started a blog on this issue to mobilize support from members of the Peace Corps community.
While I am deeply disappointed at how my situation was handled and that my time in Peace Corps did not end the way I had ever envisioned, my situation is over. My hope is to catalyze changes that will help protect currently serving and future volunteers. My ideal outcomes, detailed on my blog, are:
* A Survivor Bill of Rights for PCVs who experience assault or sexual violence.
Training of in-country staff about issues of sexual violence, tailored to each post’s cultural atmosphere.* A non-discrimination policy for survivors whether or not they press charges.
* Inclusion of the Survivor Bill of Rights in the Volunteer Handbook so the information is accessible to all PCVs.
* The designation of an Advocate to speak on behalf of the volunteer survivor.
More comprehensive training curriculum about sexual crimes including country-specific data.* Comprehensive information and resources on the Peace Corps Web site for family and friends of PCVs.
As an organization that serves to promote peace and understanding in the world, it is my firm belief that Peace Corps should be a leader in handling sexual and physical violence.
Casey Frazee served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Southern Africa. To learn more about issues raised in this article or to add your voice to this initiative, visit http://firstresponseaction.blogspot.com or email her at firstresponseaction@gmail.com She welcomes discussion on how Peace Corps can position itself as a leader in combating sexual and physical violence.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
One Big Step in This Journey of a Thousand Miles
The article outlines that 3% of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) are affected by sexual assualt, rape, violent crime and death threats. It's difficult to have discussions where rape and death threats are at the forefront, but it has not been addressed to the satisfaction of many volunteer survivors. The 2007 Safety of the Volunteer reports that these types of crime have been on the rise 7% year over year for the last ten years. Yet, nothing has been done and PCVs continue to experience assaults and threats. I believe we can find a better way to manage this.
As with many sexual assaults in the United States, my assault was perpetrated by someone in the community who I knew. Below is an excerpt regarding community safety taken from the article I wrote for WorldView magazine.
Earlier this year, while serving in Southern Africa, I was sexually assaulted by a man in my community. The Peace Corps Web site states, “The agency recognizes that Volunteers' daily safety is, for the most part, best assured when they are well integrated into the local community, valued and protected as extended family members.” Unfortunately, this system has a major flaw—when the attacker is also a well-integrated community member.
My attacker was the brother of my host mother and the boyfriend of a co-worker at the NGO where I worked. Furthermore, he was a high-ranking official in the provincial branch of the country’s reigning political party. Going to the local authorities in the aftermath of the assault did not seem a safe option, as I feared retribution from my attacker.
The entire article should be available online soon. At this time, I am unable to upload the article to my blog to make it available for download. Please email firstresponseaction@gmail.com if you would like me to forward you a PDF of the article. (I am also in need of someone who is more technologically savvy than me to take this blog to the next level. I welcome anyone who is interesting in donating some of their technological skills to this important cause.)
If you would like to pledge your support - which can also be anonymous - please reply to this post or email me at firstresponseaction@gmail.com.
Thank you to all of you who have supported this important cause thus far. Your support and strength keep this (and me) going! The publishing of this article is another big step in this journey of a thousand miles and I thank you for taking these first steps with me!
I also extend my gratitude to Erica Burman at the National Peace Corps Association who thought enough about this issue to give it a wider audience. Thank you Erica. I am so appreciative.
Peace and Strength.
Sunday, December 27, 2009
How Will Increased Funding for Peace Corps Affect Safety?
This effort was originated by Rajeev Goyal, a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) who served in Nepal. His site, pushforpeacecorps.org posted the news about the increased funding on Tuesday, Dec. 15. You can read more about pushforpeacecorps here. It's priority goal is to expand the number of volunteers, posting on their website their list of four main priorities: "(To) Increase the size of the Peace Corps from under 8,000 to at least 16,000 volunteers with improved programs and better placements."
What concerns me about this is the focus on numbers, not necessarily quality. Although the goal statement is qualified by stating "...with improved programs and better placements" there is no specific plan I could find that outlines the changes he'd like and what will make them better programs or placements. This $60 million appropriation is a lot of money. However, when you are trying to double the amount of volunteers (with no timeline of how long it will take to double volunteers as I'm not confident 8,000 could shoot to 16,000 in Fiscal Year 2010 alone) you need to increase in-country staff, increase benefit packages, add staff training, add volunteer training, medical supplies, etc. Then stretch that appropriation over 170+ countries where Peace Corps Volunteers serve. I think the money will dissipate quickly.
This truly is a step in the right direction. Some Peace Corps figures have not been adjusted for inflation - such as the Returned Volunteer's readjustment allowance - and have remained stagnant since the 1960s. Change is needed. Money is needed for this change to happen. I am enthused with the knowledge that Peace Corps will have increased resources for the Fiscal Year 2010, however I remain skeptical of the direction of that funding.
How will safety planning be affected? Will more funding go in the direction of safety so that volunteers get the information and resources they need? One of the points in my outline for safety reform - namely surrounding sexual assault, rape, murder and other assault cases - is that countries need more training. Staff need to be trained, volunteers need to be trained and resources need to be added to the existing materials. This is vitally important to the functionality of Peace Corps and it also costs money. I will keep looking for information about where this $60 million may be directed. I will keep you updated.
If you have any additional information about this historic increase in appropriations, please let me know. You can comment or email firstresponseaction@gmail.com. I always welcome comments, thoughts and more information.
Peace.
