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National Peace Corps Association
Founded1979
Type501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization
FocusReturned Peace Corps Volunteers, Peace Corps Community
Location
Area served
Global
Employees
9
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is a North American nonprofit organization supporting the Peace Corps community. This community includes future, current, and returned Peace Corps volunteers, former Peace Corps staff, host country counterparts, and family and friends of the Peace Corps.

The NPCA's stated goals include encouraging the lifelong practice of Peace Corps ideals and advocating to support, expand, and improve the Peace Corps.[1]


Overview

Founded in 1979, the NPCA is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D.C.

The NPCA has approximately 150,000 records of volunteers and individuals sharing Peace Corps ideals and experience. NPCA encompasses a network of over 180 member groups. NPCA and its affiliate groups produce global education programs.

NPCA has played an advisory role to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers seeking the return of Peace Corps programs to their countries of service, as in Sierra Leone and Indonesia.

NPCA is governed by a board of directors and a professional staff. As a nonprofit organization, it is separate from the United States Peace Corps, a federal agency.

History

In the mid-1970s, at conferences of global educators in the Midwest, a handful of returned Peace Corps volunteers began meeting regularly to discuss how to promote the values and lessons they learned during their service. They adopted one of the Peace Corps' goals as their mission, as articulated by President John F. Kennedy in 1961: "Come home and teach your neighbors about the communities where you served." These global educators aimed to offer the growing numbers of returning Peace Corps Volunteers in America a continuing mission and communal identity as Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs).[2][3]

In 1979, this group joined with RPCV community leaders in New York and Washington, D.C., to form the National Council of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers which was incorporated in 1981. In 1993, the name was changed to National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) to be more inclusive.

In response to the Rwanda Genocide in 1994, NPCA created the Emergency Response Network (ERN) of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers willing to respond to crises when needed. Peace Corps Director Mark Gearan modeled the Crisis Corps (later renamed Peace Corps Response) after this program.

In coordination with the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of Washington, D.C., NPCA organized 200 RPCVs to march in President Barack Obama's Inaugural Parade[4] on January 20, 2009.

In 2009, the National Peace Corps Association launched Peace Corps Connect, a website and online social networking platform to help current and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers connect and share ideas about projects, events, careers, and advocacy issues.

Advocacy

Members of the organization continue to testify on Peace Corps legislation and key issues like safety and security.

In 2005, NPCA successfully coordinated the removal of Peace Corps references from military recruitment legislation.

Awards and recognition

Upon their return from overseas, RPCVs and former Peace Corps staff still continue to receive recognition.

NPCA has encouraged and recognized the service of members of the Peace Corps community by awarding over 20 Sargent Shriver Awards for Distinguished Humanitarian Service. NPCA also recognizes affiliate group achievements with the Loret Miller Ruppe Award for Outstanding Community Service that honors community service in the U.S. and the world.

In 2002, NPCA was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, along with the Peace Corps.[5]

Programs

Peace Corps Connect is the annual conference of the Peace Corps community.

Africa Rural Connect (ARC) is an online collaboration tool aiming to address some of the challenges in rural African communities. This project introduces and encourages collaboration to identify creative, new plans to deal with the fundamental problems of agricultural development and rural poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. The ARC project is supported by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as part of the foundation's Agricultural Development initiative to provide millions of small-holder farmers in the developing world with tools and opportunities to boost their yields, increase their incomes, and build better lives for themselves and their families.[6]

RPCV Mentoring Program assists returning Peace Corps Volunteers with their transition from service. The program's aim is to connect recently returned Peace Corps Volunteers with RPCV mentors one year after close of service. Mentors supply advice, key networking contacts, share experiences and adjustment issues, offer guidance on further education, review resumes, assist with career planning and promote resources available to RPCVs to transition them from serving abroad to serving at home.

Publications

NCPA publishes Worldview magazine four times a year. The magazine shares a Peace Corps perspective on global issues through articles authored by and about Peace Corps Volunteers, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and people who "Share the global values of the Peace Corps experience".[7]

NPCA also produces email newsletters including: the monthly NPCA News; GlobalEdNews on global issues; and NPCA Advocacy on action alerts and news on legislation impacting the Peace Corps community.

History of conferences and events

Since the year before its founding, the NPCA has planned annual events. These events include large conferences, celebrations for major Peace Corps anniversaries, and general meetings to satisfy bylaws requirements.

Starting in 1990, affiliated group leaders held the NPCA Presidents’ Forum in conjunction with each annual meeting at the Kent State University. In 2005, these meetings were renamed the "Group Leaders’ Forum."

Affiliate Groups

The grassroots network of NPCA includes over 180 affiliate groups.

Affiliate groups may be geographic (i.e. Chicago Area Peace Corps Association); based on the country of Peace Corps service (i.e. Friends of Guatemala); associated with workplaces (i.e. RPCVs at USAID); driven by social action (i.e. Peace Corps Community for Refugees); or defined by affinity (i.e. the Peace Corps Oral History Project).

Groups advocate for global education, provide services in their communities, and work with Peace Corps recruiting offices to support recently returned Peace Corps volunteers. Many support development projects overseas, and they sponsor forums and publications for information and discussions.

Country of service groups

Listed alphabetically (by country or region):

Geographic groups

Organized by region or city, listed alphabetically (by U.S. state):

Nationwide groups

References

  1. ^ "NPCA Mission & Goals". Peace Corps Connect. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  2. ^ Anon., Title 3 of the Code of Federal Regulations (Washington, D.C.: Office of the Federal Register, 2011), pp. 12–13.
  3. ^ Hellstrom, T., Unofficial Peace Corps Volunteer Handbook (Morrisville: Lulu, 2010), p. 185.
  4. ^ "Behind the Scenes: Peace Corps Community at the Inaugural Parade | National Peace Corps Association". www.peacecorpsconnect.org. Archived from the original on 2011-01-05.
  5. ^ "Nobel Peace Prize Nomination". National Peace Corps Association. Archived from the original on June 27, 2002. Retrieved January 23, 2024.
  6. ^ "NPCA Launches Africa Rural Connect — Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation". Gatesfoundation.org. 2009-07-21. Archived from the original on 2012-02-17. Retrieved 2012-05-15.
  7. ^ "WorldView Magazine". npca.whitmoyer.com. Retrieved 2023-12-25.
  8. ^ "Alliance for Intercultural Understanding". PeaceCorpsConnect.org.
  9. ^ "Black RPCV in the DMV". PeaceCorpsConnect.org.
  10. ^ a b "LGBTQIA+ RPCVs". PeaceCorpsConnect.org. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
  11. ^ "Breaking Barriers: How RPCVs Advocate for LGBTQ Volunteers Here and Overseas". PeaceCorpsConnect.org. 2019. Retrieved February 16, 2023.
  12. ^ "Women of Peace Corps Legacy". PeaceCorpsConnect.org.

External links

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