Show Up, Stand Up

RPCVs mobilize in times of crisis.

Dear Peace Corps Community,

This issue of WorldView arrives at a worrisome time. As I write, Peace Corps and the values it promotes are under threat like never before, with Peace Corps just the latest government agency to suffer substantial cuts at the behest of the current administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. So far, this has resulted in a roughly 40% reduction in Peace Corps staff at the agency’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., and up to a 25% reduction in local staff at some Peace Corps country offices, which is especially troubling. These cuts are currently underway. The agency remains committed to supporting Volunteers’ health, safety, and security as they continue their service, but its ability to sufficiently recruit, train, and support Volunteers has been significantly undermined, as have its efforts to rebuild the program to pre-pandemic numbers, which was already challenging and may now be a near impossibility. 

The current threat to Peace Corps is arguably more profound than the attempted dismantling of the agency by the Nixon administration in the late 1960s. 

For now, at least, Peace Corps remains one of the last vestiges of America’s position at the vanguard of soft power, leadership, and international cooperation. Other organizations focused on soft power, like USAID and the U.S. Institute of Peace, no name just a few, have been virtually wiped off the map. It seems this administration is no longer interested in the question posed by John F. Kennedy during the launch of Peace Corps in 1961, when he encouraged our “fellow citizens of the world [to] ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”

So what are we at the National Peace Corps Association doing in the face of this threat? 

We’re standing up for service.

In our recent publications, we have emphasized our belief that national service is a vital part of the solution to healing a divided nation, and that service (especially Peace Corps service) makes our country stronger, safer, and more prosperous. And over the past three months, NPCA has hosted multiple virtual town halls, drawing upon the collective insights of our community as we seek to respond to this unprecedented moment. Thousands of you have participated and shared your views, which we have integrated into a larger campaign that emphasizes the benefits Peace Corps returns for America. Sargent Shriver, whose spirit permeates this entire issue of WorldView, called this the “domestic dividend.” It’s the idea that when Volunteers return home, they bring with them a skill set that manifests as social, economic, and professional contributions to their communities—making those communities, and America, a better place.

It’s a message we’ve mobilized around, with support from our tireless advocacy and communications teams at NPCA. Massive efforts are now underway as our community activates in a way that only RPCVs can—with passion and persistence. These efforts include advocating for Peace Corps at both federal and state levels with increased frequency and intensity, organizing public awareness campaigns, and standing firmly with our friends and allies, including USAID, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, AmeriCorps, and the U.S. Institute of Peace, to name just a few. Many of you have seen this effort in action in our social media campaigns, frequent e-newsletters, and virtual gatherings. This is more than an advocacy effort; it is a rallying cry for a comprehensive approach to national and international service that supports America’s interests at home and abroad.

As Peace Corps seeks to reposition itself while these unprecedented cuts to its staff are taking place, each of us has a role to play—whether advocating for funding, sharing our experiences to inspire others, or volunteering our time and energy to support fellow community members and initiatives. We will be called upon to unite and to fill in the gaps where agency resources may not reach, transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and engagement. Together, we can cultivate a powerful movement rooted in our shared mission.

I urge you, as a cherished member of this community, to embrace one of the most valuable lessons I learned during my own Peace Corps experience: Show up when called upon, and good things will happen. 

One place you can show up is at our upcoming Peace Corps Connect Conference, to be held July 18–21 in Washington, D.C. We will come together not only to share our stories, but to strategize and to rejuvenate our commitment to peace and service. 

I look forward to seeing many of you there as we reaffirm our dedication to Peace Corps’ vital mission. 

Together, we can and will make a difference.

Dan Baker (Boliva 1999–2002; Timor-Leste 2002–03) is president and CEO of the National Peace Corps Association.