Posh Corps Podcast - Posh Corps Alan Toth

This episode of the Posh Corps Podcast features two stories. The first segment takes place on Rabi Island, one of the easternmost islands of Fiji. It is one of the most remote places on earth, but even Rabi is not completely isolated from the global network that connects us all. Even at the ends of the earth, connections can tether Peace Corps Volunteers to their lives at home while distracting from service at site.

The second segment features a discussion between a mother and daughter, both of whom were Peace Corps Volunteers. Alex Matthews served in Peace Corps Morocco. Her connection to her life in the United States was both a blessing and a distraction. She sat down with her mother who served in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and discovered that disconnection has its own benefits.

Siobhan Neela-Stock served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mozambique. After listening to a previous Posh Corps podcast, in which nobody fell in love, Siobhan was inspired to find and interview volunteers who married host country nationals. This episode tells the stories of two married couples who met in Lesotho and Mozambique, and the challenges they faced in making their relationships work.

The election of Donald Trump for President of the United States has already had affected the countries where Peace Corps volunteers serve, and Trump will very soon be setting policy at Peace Corps itself. Trump’s divisive rhetoric and much of his proposed agenda directly contradict the mission of the Peace Corps. Despite this, some returned volunteers supported Trump. Others initially opposed Trump’s statements, only to reverse course after the election. The National Peace Corps Association, for instance, recently applied to march in the inaugural parade for President-Elect Trump on January 20th. There was a time when Returned Peace Corps Volunteers did not so easily acquiesce to power. Before the National Peace Corps Association there was the Committee of Returned Volunteers (CRV). It was the first national Peace Corps alumni organization, and it was specifically created to oppose U.S. foreign policy. The committee’s key opposition came on May 8th 1970. Several CRV members walked into Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington D.C., kicked the staff out of the building, and hung a Vietcong flag out of the window in protest of U.S. involvement in Vietnam. They occupied the office for two days. Elaine Fuller was one of the returned volunteers who occupied Peace Corps headquarters in 1970. She tells her story in this episode of the Posh Corps podcast. In addition, two returned volunteers on opposite sides of the political spectrum discuss their reactions to the election of Donald Trump.

Peace Corps Volunteers have served in many nations that have endured revolution, war, and turmoil, but Kiribati may be the first Peace Corps country to simply cease to exist. Like many Pacific island nations, Kiribati (Keer-ree-bahss) is threatened by climate change and sea level rise. Though the 33 islands of Kiribati may not be completely submerged for another fifty years, the islands may prove to be uninhabitable within the next five years. Mike Roman served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kiribati from 2000 to 2002. In this episode of the Posh Corps Podcast, Mike explains the challenges facing his adopted country, and what he's doing to help Kiribati and other Pacific island nations.

This episode of the Posh Corps Podcast investigates a fundamental flaw in Peace Corps policy which prevents the agency from embracing reform. This story is the fourth segment in The Reform Series, a four-part series about Peace Corps reform efforts. A provision within the Peace Corps Act limits employment at Peace Corps to a term of five years. This provision is known as "the Five-Year Rule." Numerous assessments have found that the Five-Year Rule creates serious disincentives toward high employee performance. The dynamic between the Five-Year Rule and a high number of political appointees at Peace Corps produces a fundamental flaw in Peace Corps policy. Chuck Ludlam and Paula Hirschoff served as Peace Corps volunteers in the Sixties, and they served again as volunteers in Senegal from 2005 to 2007. They found that Peace Corps had not matured as much as it should have over the years. They are among the very few volunteers who have successfully advocated for Peace Corps reform.

This episode of the Posh Corps Podcast investigates Peace Corps' use of the anti-malarial drug Mefloquine. This story is the third segment in The Reform Series, a four-part series about Peace Corps reform efforts. Mefloquine, also known by the brand name Lariam, is an anti-malarial drug that has been prescribed to Peace Corps Volunteers since 1989. Mefloquine is effective at preventing malaria, but some believe that the adverse side effects of the drug may be just as dangerous as malaria itself. Sara Thompson served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Burkina Faso from 2010 to 2012. She experienced serious adverse side effects of Mefloquine use during service, and the side effects did not end when she stopped taking the drug.