Hearing Announced: House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing "Peace Corps at 50" next Wed., May 11

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Full Committee

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), Chairman

Peace Corps at 50

You are respectfully requested to attend the following open hearing of the Full Committee to be held in Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building.

Date Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Time 9:30 AM

Location Room 2172 of the Rayburn House Office Building

Witnesses

Panel 1: Problems of Safety and Security
Ms. Jessica Smochek
Former Peace Corps Volunteer

Ms. Carol Clark
Former Peace Corps Volunteer

Karestan Chase Koenen, Ph.D.
Former Peace Corps Volunteer

Ms. Lois Puzey
Parent of Late Peace Corps Volunteer

Ms. Jennifer Wilson Marsh
Hotline and Affiliate Service Director
RAINN

Panel 2: Assessment and Reform
The Honorable Aaron S. Williams
Director
Peace Corps

Panel 3: A View from the Inspector General
Ms. Kathy A. Buller
Inspector General
Peace Corps

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Note: The hearing is open to the public and all are welcome to attend. If you can't be there, you can still support by signing the Change.org petition in support of legislation to cement support for survivors.

Light a Candle for Kate

Kate Puzey was an Education Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin from 2007-2009. She was murdered in her village and found on March 12, 2009. Her family, the Peace Corps Community and her Beninese community mourns for her.

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.