Colombia I Reunion: “The Older We Get, The Better We Were”
This piece is courtesy of Leia Alex of the National Peace Corps Association. From Oct. 12-16, 2015, 26 of the remaining Colombia I (1961-1963) Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) reunited in Galveston, Texas to reconnect and honor their time together, more than 50 years after their first experience in Colombia. Colombia I included 62 Volunteers who were assigned, along with local counterparts, to do community development work in rural Colombia. Primarily, they were instrumental in getting the Colombian government’s fledgling Acción Communal program up and running. According to CARE, the organization that administered the group even before Peace
Friends of Colombia Showed Up in Force at Peace Corps Connect- Berkely, June 5-6, 2015
By Patricia A. Wand, Colombia VIII 1963-1965 After the final session of Peace Corps Connect – Berkeley, as I got on the dorm elevator to retrieve my bags and head out, another returned PCV got on with me. He was probably in his sixties and, making small talk, I asked, “Is this the first Peace Corps Connect you’ve attended?” With a smile he said, “Yes, it is. And next year will be the second.” That pretty well summed it up for all of us. He went on to explain. The speakers were informative and stimulating, the contributions of
Bob Arias: “That Fire in the Belly”
On Oct. 16, 2007, Bob Arias received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award in Salem, Oregon. Jody Olsen, PC Deputy Director and a personal friend, presented the award. Bob first served as a PCV in Sevilla, Colombia, from 1964-66. Bob returned to Colombia in 1968 as North Coast Director, covering Barranquilla, Santa Marta, Cartagena, La Guajira, and the island of San Andrés. Later he was in charge of language training in Bogotá when PC moved its training for South America there. He settled down to work in Los Angeles County, but returned to Peace Corps in 1993 as Country Director for