Confirmation Received from Director Williams

It is with great pleasure that I announce that I received a letter back from Aaron Williams, current director of Peace Corps, on March 17, 2010!

(Please note: While my intent is to keep this blog focused on the facts, PCV stories and generally written from the third person, I am going to write this post from my own first person account as I feel it is necessary and important for this particular post.)

I am so thankful that Director Williams appears to be taking my situation - and similar situations - seriously. This is a serious matter and I look forward to working with Peace Corps to address the issues of rape and sexual assault against PCVs. Director Williams is also an RPCV and I was hoping he would be open to RPCVs coming to him with suggestions for positive change. I am elated that he responded so positively!

I feel that it is very important here to reiterate that I am a proponent of Peace Corps. Up until I was assaulted, I smiled broadly every day knowing I made the right move to do HIV/AIDS outreach work in a country with the highest AIDS rates in the world even though my family and friends said I was crazy. I felt that I was up to the challenge of the "toughest job you'll ever love." (Which is a Peace Corps' slogan.)

My mission with First Response Action is to enhance what Peace Corps already does in terms of sexual assault and rape protocols. Had my situation been handled differently and had I received the necessary care more quickly, I could very well have managed through a difficult situation and continued my service. I am hoping that with policy creation (and/or enhancement) that we can put protocols in place that will assist other PCV survivors so they can get the care and support they need and possibly continue service.

Many RPCVs will tell you that the retention rates in Peace Corps could be better - a lot better. I was told for Africa to expect that 50% of my group would dissipate by the elusive year one mark. For my training group, that's just about right. At last count, about 40-45% of my group has left our country of service - and 3 of us left due to assault. If PCV survivors were managed better across the board, then there is the possibility that they would be physically, mentally and emotionally prepared to continue service. Ultimately, retention of volunteers saves Peace Corps time, effort, materials, monetary resources not to mention that retention is also helpful to maintain good relations with the host country.

On an average annual basis between 2004-2008, roughly 4% of the Peace Corps Volunteer population is raped, sexually assaulted, kidnapped, stalked or otherwise violated. These statistics come from Peace Corps materials - the annual Safety of the Volunteer Reports posted on their website. I have not heard from every single one of the combined 20% of violated PCVs over that five year period (which amounts to nearly 1,500 volunteers, by the way) but I have spoken with several women who experienced trauma as a PCV and who were not taken care of. I am striving to help those people.

As those of us who work with organizations who work with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault will tell you, rape and sexual assault are grossly underreported. Those 1,500 are a sliver of what is really happening.

Sexual assaults are notoriously underreported. Fewer than half (48%) of all rapes and sexual assaults are reported to the police in the U.S. (Department of Justice, 2001)

Within the Peace Corps community, that's no different.

These crimes are intimate violations and can be shaming or embarassing to admit. Many people keep their stories to themselves. Personally, I have actively chosen to bypass the shaming stage so I can move straight forward towards positive change. I do this so that other men and women can avoid situations like mine. That doesn't mean that I don't feel, at times, that there is some scarlet lettering on my chest, but I push through because I need to. Too many of us have been violated and sent out of our countries of service. No more.

If you are a survivor who is reading this right now - please know that you did nothing wrong. NO ONE deserves to be violated.

While there are many stories of survivors who were handled improperly, I also heard stories of survivors who were treated well, med-evac'd as needed, and were able to continue their service. I am striving to level that playing field. Why isn't everyone attended to in the same manner? I am striving to create and implement protocols that will ensure that EACH and EVERY survivor is treated in the same respectful manner. I am hoping to enhance what Peace Corps already has in place.

In upcoming blogs, we, the First Response Action Coalition, are planning to have guest bloggers discuss the ramifications of sexual assault and rape, proper protocols, the importance of not blaming the victim, etc. I also plan to post some additional survivor stories. Please keep in mind as you read this blog that while it started because of my assault, I am not alone as an RPCV victim of sexual assault.

Annually, an average of 4% of PCVs experience a violent crime, sexual abuse, stalking, kidnapping, a death threat or even death. Some people are not emotionally or mentally prepared to go public with such a personal story. I respect that immensely. As someone who has been violated, I understand that everyone approaches these issues in their own personal way. Peace Corps has these statistics and can contact each of them to see how they felt their situation was handled.

While prevention is optimal, for those survivors of sexual assault, rape and other violent crime, I am striving to work with Peace Corps to bring about protocol to better support those volunteers.

I hope that my response from Director Williams, with his request for the Office of Volunteer Support and the Office of Safety and Security to follow-up with me, will be the beginning of a collaboration to enhance the current Peace Corps model. Though my story didn't end well, I continue to support Peace Corps as an organization and I am proud to call myself a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer for the United States of America.

Peace. And Sala Sentle.

Casey

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.

Expanding First Response Action

Over the last several weeks, since the article I wrote for the National Peace Corps Association's publication WorldView was published, two members have joined the task force of the First Response Action Coalition.

I would like to extend my immense gratitude to Karen Moldovan and Katie Campbell. Both are RPCVs who served in Tonga. Both of them are passionate about reforming the way the current Peace Corps system works with survivors. They also feel strongly about advocating for Peace Corps to move away from the detrimental 'blame the victim' training that is administered in many countries where Peace Corps operates.

Katie, among her many talents, is a fantastic graphic designer. She created the new logo and color scheme for First Response Action which are now on this blog and also on all of the material we send out about this mission.

Karen has been an advocate for many underserved populations, including survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, over her career. She has been steadfast in her support of this mission and I am so thankful to both Karen and Katie that our paths have crossed!

A lot of our work is behind-the-scenes at this moment and I don't want to post any details until something more concrete happens. I will certainly post important updates on this blog as they happen - so keep checking back!

If you are reading this, thank you for finding First Response Action. I hope you feel compelled to support in another way. If you passed this link along to a friend, thank you. You have shared this mission. Thank you for your support!

Please email firstresponseaction@gmail.com if you are interested in supporting sexual assault policy reform or if you have a story to share regarding sexual assault and the Peace Corps community.

Peace.

Mentality We Need to Change

This month the 2008 Annual Report of Volunteer Safety was released. (You can view the full report here: 2008 Annual Report of Volunteer Safety)

The data is comparable to the previous year's report, however sexual assaults are still on the rise. There were 128 incidents of rape, attempted rape, major sexual assault and 'other' sexual assault reported to Peace Corps.

That is 128 incidents too many.

Part of my mission is to adjust the common mentality when looking at issues of rape and sexual assault. Rape is a vicious act where the perpetrator is at fault, not the survivor. Rape is a violation of the most intimate kind which affects a person's body and mind.

Keeping this in mind, the following paragraph from the report, on page 6 under the heading Rape/Attempted Rape, was personally quite shocking:

Often both the Volunteer and the offender have consumed alcohol prior to the assault, and the Volunteer is usually not accompanied by other friends or Volunteers. Although she is typically not physically injured, she often requires medical follow‐up and counseling following the assault. In most rapes, the offender is not arrested and the Volunteer does not intend to prosecute if the offender is apprehended.

-- 2008 Peace Corps Safety of the Volunteer Report

When someone is raped, it is a physical injury. Naturally, medical follow-up is necessary along with counseling. This wording worries me of the way that women (or men) are treated after incidents of rape. Rape is a physical injury and a violation. I am shocked that this report appears not to consider rape a physical injury.

The article includes two other hot button issues - the lack of prosecution and alcohol use. Those will be discussed in postings to come as they are very important issues that deserve stand-alone posts.

As always, I welcome your feedback.

In peace.

The Full Article

Below is the text of the article I wrote for the December 2009 WorldView magazine, a publication of the National Peace Corps Association, which I referenced in my last blog posting.

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.

One Big Step in This Journey of a Thousand Miles

I am proud to announce that an article I wrote for the National Peace Corps Association has been published in their recent quarterly magazine, WorldView. The magazine's audience is primarily Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs). WorldView reaches RPCVs from the early 1960s, when the program began, up to volunteers who are returning now.

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.

How Will Increased Funding for Peace Corps Affect Safety?

It's a historic moment; the Senate approved the highest single-year dollar increase in 49 years for the Peace Corps. Funding to the tune of $60 million dollars was approved for Fiscal Year 2010, which is $23 million more than President Obama called for in increasing funding. Visit MorePeaceCorps for more information.

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.