Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
No Bailout For Ailing Peace Corps
NEW YORK - As the U.S. government continues its planning for a 700-billion-dollar bailout of the financial sector, the Peace Corps -- one of the United States' most successful foreign policy programmes -- is being cut back due to a budget shortfall of 18 million dollars.
In 2001, President George W. Bush announced he would double the size of the Peace Corps by fiscal 2007, to 14,000 volunteers. But the popular programme is currently some 6,000 volunteers short of that goal, and budgetary problems are forcing it to eliminate 400 new volunteers as well as postponing -- in some cases, indefinitely -- the deployment of volunteers already approved.
The Corps is also seeking to cut costs by consolidating some of its recruiting offices in the U.S. and deferring the hiring of some new personnel overseas. It has asked its managers in Washington and its 11 regional offices to reduce their budgets by 15.5 percent. Overseas, many of the Corps' foreign posts are reducing spending by consolidating two or more employee positions into one and reducing time devoted to volunteer training.
Foreign policy experts have expressed dismay at the programme's current dilemma. Among them is Patricia Kushlis, a retired veteran of more than 20 years with the U.S. Foreign Service.
She told IPS, 'I think the budget shortfall is ridiculous particularly compared to the amount the military has for recruiting. It's an underreported story because the Peace Corps appears to be intentionally keeping it quiet. It's not an administration priority and besides it makes the administration look bad.'
Kushlis's articles appear on the widely respected website, 'Whirled View' (www.whirledview.typepad.com).
The Peace Corps was started by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, and has been one of the most successful foreign affairs programmes in recent U.S. history. Since its inception, some 190,000 volunteers have served in 139 less-developed countries.
These volunteers carry out a vast array of person-to-person tasks ranging from building wells and irrigation systems, to teaching school children, providing advice to subsistence farmers on increasing crop yields, counseling expectant mothers on pre- and post-natal child care, and assisting would-be micro-entrepreneurs.
The Corps currently has 8,079 volunteers working in 74 less-developed countries. Recruiting reached a peak of about 15,000 in 1966.
The cutbacks come at a time when both Republican and Democratic presidential candidates are encouraging the expansion of similar person-to-person 'soft power' programmes and increased citizen involvement in public service and civic engagement. The candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, made their enthusiastic endorsement of increased public service clear during a recent 'ServiceNation Summit' at Columbia University in New York City.
The Peace Corps' budgetary problems also come amid frenzied negotiations between the U.S. Treasury Department and Congress to work out the details of a proposed 700-billion-dollar rescue plan for the country's troubled financial services sector.
Treasury has proposed the fund in order to buy non-performing assets held by banks and other financial institutions, largely resulting from runaway mortgage lending, dramatically increased levels of mortgage defaults, a precipitous decline in U.S. property values, and the over-leveraging of financial sector borrowing in relation to its capital reserves.
Treasury says the objective of the bailout is to stabilise the U.S. financial system by injecting the liquidity it requires to continue to provide credit to businesses and individuals. Some critics, however, worry that the proposal will amount to a massive giveaway for banks and are calling on lawmakers to help homeowners facing foreclosure, cut bank CEO pay and boost the economy for the long term.
The Peace Corps budget shortfall has been caused primarily by the declining value of the dollar and the consequent increases in the cost of overseas leases, living costs for volunteers, energy outlays, and foreign staff salaries. The agency, which has a budget of 330.8 million dollars, estimates its foreign currency losses from 2008 alone to be 9.2 million dollars.
The Corps' dilemma has been compounded by the failure of Congress to approve its 2009 budget. The House of Representatives subcommittee with jurisdiction over Peace Corps funding has accepted the Bush administration's request for 343.5 million dollars, and its counterpart in the Senate has approved 337 million dollars.
But Congress may not pass that budget until after the presidential inauguration in January. Meanwhile, the agency must operate with its existing funding.
In a letter to Rep. Betty McCollum, a Minnesota Democrat who is a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees Peace Corps funding, Corps Director Ronald A. Tschetter wrote, 'Tough budgetary decisions must be made now in order to ensure a financially healthy agency next fiscal year.'
- Posted in
24 Comments so far
Show AllFacists don't want "Peace Corps" when they can have War Corps.
I wouldn't swear to it, but I had dated a guy who had been in black ops ( spec ops?).. who had been in a lot of those places that hitman talked about. I'm not sure where the reference to the peace corps originated, but his input was that the peace corps is a joke, in that it is essentially a front for intelligence gathering ( my wording). I wouldn't know0 but then just this last week- didn't Evo ( or chavez?) expel peace corps workers on alleged spying or opposition collaboration?
anyone out there with more data?
You know, there are a lot of people in this world, who would not be surprised if the US Peace Corps, or the US section of the girl guides, at this point, are misused by the American government as a spy front.
Frederick,
And the United States (not America, that's the whole continent, not just this country) deserves to be punished for being soooo arrogant
Ah, good point. Thanks. I'll remember to keep that in mind. The trouble in this country is people are used to claiming the word America when America encompasses two continents not one country. The more the rightwing motherfuckers in the USA show their hatred towards Latin America, the more GOD punishes the USA and Latin America gets better.
It's the world's greatest debtor nation that really needs a Peace Corp but nobody will have anything to do with Bush's America.
I was in the Peace Corps in Paraguay in the Mid 80s and want to comment on the point raised about the Peace Corps being a front for intelligence ops. There is a law that prohibits public sector employees in the development sector (including Peace Corps) from working for an intelligence agency for five years after working in development. I was never approached nor heard of folks who were to collaborate with the intelligence sector. It doesn't mean that it hasn't happened, Bush has broken Constitutional laws so why not this one but folks should not think that this common.
As for it being a joke. I would offer that the Peace Corps is an opportunity to grow personally, contribute to another country in a modest way, or to do nothing at all. Kind of a Rorschach test. I would be more suspicious of the individual than the program.
Comments like "You know, there are a lot of people in this world, who would not be surprised if the US Peace Corps, or the US section of the girl guides, at this point, are misused by the American government as a spy front."
Or
"I'm not sure where the reference to the peace corps originated, but his input was that the peace corps is a joke, in that it is essentially a front for intelligence gathering ( my wording)."
Are unfounded speculation at least by the two contributers above and can actually be harmful to a benign if not noble group.
As for Evo Morales and the Peace Corps leaving Bolivia, I believe he threw out the US Ambassador who most likely has been aiding pro-capitalist governors in their effort to overthrow a democratically elected administration on behalf of the Bush administration. Shades of Chile, Honduras, and Venezuela to name a few. I am not sure but would bet that the Peace Corps was pulled out because they were told by the US that there was going to be some trouble in country. If not, they were asked to leave as some sort of consequence for the mischief, other US agencies have been creating.
Terri D, I hope you have improved your choice of social partners after dating a black ops guy... Talk about a waste and a joke.
UPDATE: You can go to www.peacecorps.gov and read the statement for the PC suspending the program in Bolivia due to security issues which is consistent with my point above.
It could very well be a beneign group, as I think I alluded to, but you have to understand, when people around the world hear: “There is a law that prohibits…”
They fall down laughing. Call us back when the US becomes a law abiding country.
As for “unfounded speculation”, That is what you get when you turn an open government into the most secretive in the western world.
As if people who kill by the hundreds of thousands, torture and loot their own treasury are above retasking the peace corps.
hey beartown-
note that i don't flame or rant.. and.. not stupid!
on peace corps spying allegations;
In an apparent violation of U.S. policy, Peace Corps volunteers and a Fulbright scholar were asked by a U.S. Embassy official in Bolivia "to basically spy" on Cubans and Venezuelans in the country, according to Peace Corps personnel and the Fulbright scholar involved.
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/2/11/us_embassy_in_bolivia_tells_fulbright
http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Story?id=4262036&page=1
and.. when you read- check your grammar- had dated.. and had been spec ops ( not that it is any incident to the relevance of the statement.. or my business- this guy to this day is HAUNTED by the things he had seen and done in un-named parts of the world in the name of his country.) save your insults and be more respectful rather than jumping to rash judgments and assertion..
Additionally, I never asserted that the peace corps didn't accomplish meaningful work- but.. as someone who has done a lot of work with indigenous teachers.. intent and foundation upon which something stands.. are essential.. intent is a very powerful commodity..
Ask questions, scrutinize what we hear/ read/ see.. and be respectful of all people.
But the fact remains that, true or not, throughout the cold war years, the Peace Corps was widely denigrated around the world as a front for CIA activities. No doubt, if there is any truth to this, it was usually done secretly, possibly to even anyone in the Peace Corps.
But sometime it is flagrant. Recall that recently in Bolivia, Fulbright scholars were being asked in embassy briefings to spy on any Venezuelans or Cubans in the country.
"But sometime it is flagrant. Recall that recently in Bolivia, Fulbright scholars were being asked in embassy briefings to spy on any Venezuelans or Cubans in the country."
I never saw that. Where can I get some information on it?
This is from newsweek: “revolt of the rich” quoting Mark Weisbrot
http://www.newsweek.com/id/158825
Thanks, I hadn't seen that.
I believe that some of it was. The Chicago School used it as a front, too. I dont think that means that that is what most people join the Corp for.
The budget cuts to the pC have had it "drowning in the bathtub" for a long time. People who join now, often live in unsafe areas, with inadequate resources to do wht they were meant to do.
This has been a special project of hte neo-cons. A GOP Senator ( I cant remember who for the life of me) said that they asked Bush et al about Special Olympics and the Peace Corps funding. They said that Rove replied, "You dont want to help THOSE people, do you??" He asked what they meant. I was told that he said, "That damn project was put in place by the Kennedys. Let the pC become a missionary group".
Nice. So, you cant even talk about programs to promtoe peace or help children/adults with disabilities, if its not a "faith based initiative".
]
I knew a coupla people in the PC, back inthe day --1980s?-and, it was tending towards a lack of accountability , even then.
If they put the funding into the pC, Vista, SO, that they put into milita5y recruitment (if we could trust the govt with the programs) we might get somewhere , nationally and internationally
In this example, the primary purpose of the recruiting was not to gain intelligence, but to turn Fulbright scholars into rats.
The agencies have bugs and thermograph satellites to do their spying with and hundred billion dollar budgets not including the money they make selling drugs...
Why would they need some volunteer spies? Other than to sabotage those people's peace making lives. I'm glad they reported this outrage. It speaks to how weak the Vin Diesel XXX propagandizing has been.
rocyahsoul@yahoo.com
www.lamegame.name
Daniel Vincent Kelley
I was in Africa in the early 90's and spent most of my time with Peace Corps people and they were VERY careful not to be seen as intellegence or related to intellegence or even be seen as overtly political while in their host countries. I don't believe that there was much if any spying by PC volunteers. Now AID is another story. I do believe they were asked to provide intellegence from time to time although even there, I would charactarize it as a detailed debriefing of what they saw rather than real spying.
Of all the volunteer organizations I have seen, and all the branches of government I have worked with, the Peace Corps is the most honest, unassuming, genuine groups of people I have ever met. Only ONE volunteer in the country I was in (not as Peace Corps) was even negative and you could tell that he was just that sort of person. Not happy.
Anyway. Sad to see them in need when there is so much money wasted.
I was a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1970s. I know for a fact that at least one of my fellow volunteers was an intelligence operative, as were at least two other persons working for other volunteer organizations. I am also familiar with several succeeding Peace Corps volunteer groups in that country and am quite sure that at least one other intelligence operative was among the volunteers. My conclusion is that the intelligence community does indeed slip in an occasional operative under cover of the Peace Corps.
This is not to say, however, the the Peace Corps is just a CIA cover organization, and I do not believe that the Peace Corps itself knowingly included intelligence operatives in its ranks. The overwhelming majority of my fellow PC volunteers were intelligent, dedicated, compassionate and resourceful people who made an enormous contribution to my host country and its people. In addition, PC volunteers bring back to the US an international viewpoint that is sorely lacking in America's current social landscape. On the balance, I would say that the Peace Corps program there was a huge success for my host country, the volunteers themselves, and for the US.
.
"McCuster's Last Stand– Revisited"
What’s that you say?
a LOT off Indians just over that hill???
Hmmmm…
Perhaps we should cancel that
mounted charge.
- Lieutenant Colonel McCuster
Battle of the Little BigDebate
.
Jim Swanson, Los Altos, CA
www.bushleagueofnations.com
"Hundreds of Billions for War and Bailouts, Millions for Peace"
$120 billion is a conservative estimate of America’s current annual costs for its war in Iraq. This is based on current spending for direct costs, but excludes additional countless billions in the long-haul for veterans benefits, payments to allies, and interest on Iraq war-related debt.
On the other hand, the Peace Corps' current annual budget is only $330.8 million.
America thus spends more for 25 hours of its military occupation of Iraq than it does for the worldwide operations of the Peace Corps for an entire year.
The people of the world, especially Americans, reap huge peace dividends from the work of the Peace Corps, but the vast majority of the world’s population—and even a majority of Americans—long ago concluded that the peace dividends of America's misadventure in Iraq were illusory, in fact, hugely negative.
And, now, the financial wizards in the Bush regime are cutting $18 million of Peace Corps muscle while they blow $700 billion on bailouts for Super Rich looters. Thus, for each dollar cut from the Peace Corps, $38,888 will go to bailouts.
In his 2002 State of the Union address, Bush promised to double the number of Peace Corps volunteers by 2007, and he broke his promise. Obama promises to double the size of the Peace Corps by 2011, and we must ensure he keeps his promise.
I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in the 1960s. I dont have any direct evidence but I have a strong feeling that multiple members of my group worked for the CIA. Additionally, we were told to fill out a very detailed 25 page questionnaire about the communities we lived in. Several fellow Volunteers refused to comply saying that it was just going to be turned over to the CIA. At the time, I thought they were crazy but now I see what was happening. We also, of course, completed monthly reports. The Volunteers in my group were only superficially prepared to help the locals which also leads me to suspect that they were selected for their intelligence skills rather than any technical expertise.
I'm older but wiser now. The experience was great for me but did little for the host country and its citizens. I'm sorry.
Strong suggestion:
I'm all for a $700 BILLION dollar "green America" program complete with a fully functional healthcare system. We need a new growth industry. Houses and tech are not it. We desperately need real jobs and to go green anyway. End oil depenedence at the same time? Let's do it! Leading it can be the Peace Corp. Give PBS funding for weekly coverage the mainstream media has to license.
$700 B for green only? Make it a smart solution? Got my vote.
It's a bit idealistic Matt, but it could work?! Anything is possible with the right people involved and hard work! Good idea though! I use my bicycle as part of my business and I am now introducing eco-friendly products into my business as well... I get to be in the outdoors most of the day and I have the freedom to make responsible decisions on my own time!
As far as the Peace Corp., what about the VSO?
http://www.vsocan.org/display.aspx?pid=15&cid=644
.
McCutting and McRunning
.
Carol
Anything that is really necessary in life always gets cut and that is fact.
These people go where other places where people just don't dare to go and that is a fact. It is a sad fact but that is so true. Look what is happening to our teachers we never have enough money to pay one of the most important people in any child's life and that is also so very true.