Peace Corps & NPCA Updates: February 2025

02/13/2025

NPCA National Call-In Day to Congress—through March 1!

📢 On February 13, the first of two nationwide call-in actions to Congress will take place in anticipation of Peace Corps Day on March 1st, urging lawmakers to show their support for the Peace Corps. To get involved, visit our call-in page for all the information you need, including step-by-step instructions, resources, and links to help you take action. Learn more here.

 

02/12/2025

NPCA launches Stand Up For Service campaign

NPCA unifies the Returned Peace Corps Volunteer community and its allies.

In response to community concerns, we’ve launched the Stand Up for Service campaign. Our goal is to unite and activate our community in support of Peace Corps’ mission, emphasizing the “domestic dividend” of national service in support of American prosperity and leadership.

At this critical time, our message is simple:

  1. International cooperation and humanitarian assistance make our country stronger. Peace Corps strengthens America through an internationally recognized and emulated program that directly sharpens the skills and international competitiveness of America’s workforce.
  2. Peacebuilding through soft diplomacy makes our country safer. Through its mission of building intercultural understanding around the world, Peace Corps’ intercultural goals build friendships and mutual understanding, contributing directly to our country’s security.
  3. National Service makes our country more prosperous. Peace Corps Service unites our country, builds a skilled workforce, encourages entrepreneurship, and instills a patriotic sense of community service.

We call on our members to join us in a number of activities, including congressional outreach, op-ed writings, and more.

Your support matters! Click here to donate and stand with us. 

02/07/2025

Town Hall Key Takeaways

The contributions during our Town Hall were wide-ranging, including calls to action, suggestions for NPCA’s leadership, expressions of concern, practical advocacy actions, and real-life stories from currently serving volunteers. We will further summarize what we heard from you on our website and include an FAQ section to ensure that questions we were unable to address during the Town Hall receive responses.

In the coming days, we will also post the Q&A from the meeting along with additional resources. In the meantime, here are some key takeaways from the discussion:

Immediate Concerns & Impact on the Peace Corps – NPCA and participants shared what is currently known about the Peace Corps’ future following disruptions in foreign assistance. NPCA shared updates from meetings earlier this week with the Peace Corps’ transitional leadership team:

  • 90% of Peace Corps funding comes from congressional appropriations, which are provided directly to the agency to carry out the Peace Corps Act.
  • Peace Corps service has largely continued uninterrupted. Most recruitment-related activities, invitations to serve, as well as Pre-Service Training and Peace Corps service, continue.
  • The majority of projects funded by small grants (e.g., from USAID, SPA, and PEPFAR VAST) have been paused for 90 days.

Need to Focus on Advocacy – The greatest emphasis during the discussion was on advocacy. While there is no direct evidence of planned cuts or restructuring of the agency, attendees expressed concern that it is only a matter of time before the new administration focuses on the Peace Corps programs. Therefore, the RPCV community should take immediate action through congressional outreach and strategic messaging.

Funding Disruptions – Current volunteers expressed concern about not being able to secure funds for their projects through traditionally reliable channels such as USAID’s Small Project Assistance (SPA) and other programs.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – The comprehensive and abrupt ending of all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion-related support mechanisms raises concerns about ensuring the health, safety, and well-being of volunteers.

02/06/2025

Executive Order UPDATE

At this time, no actions by the new administration have been focused solely on the Peace Corps, and volunteers remain on the job.

However, a variety of Executive Orders are having several serious impacts on agency and volunteer operations. At the same time, thousands of individual Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who have proudly served in various government agencies, or who work for or contract with non-governmental organizations that provide critical global development support and humanitarian relief, are facing existential threats to their work.

The Peace Corps has not issued any public statement to current PCVs; however, current PCVs have been informed that their projects are no longer funded, and they need to be given new assignments, especially regarding HIV work with PEPFAR funding.

The most affected Peace Corps Volunteers may be those in health roles, particularly those working with PEPFAR, as those projects have been suspended. Certain posts have also suspended secondary project grants until further notice. Farmer-to-Farmer has received stop-work orders from USAID due to the reevaluation and realignment of U.S. foreign aid executive orders. Consequently, Farmer-to-Farmer will be part of the 90-day review by the Secretary of State. During this period, the Farmer-to-Farmer Program has been instructed to suspend performance until further notice. Therefore, NPCA’s partnership with them has been halted.

In the meantime, we are stepping up our efforts to advocate for Peace Corps ideals and to protect PCVs and affected RPCVs.

Items to note for the week:

  1. Outreach to Congress: As part of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, NPCA is working with partner organizations to engage lawmakers on the dangers of a proposed foreign assistance funding freeze and stop-work orders affecting development programs.

  2. Letter Writing Campaign: NPCA is urging supporters to directly contact their representatives and voice their concerns, using this link.

  3. NPCA Affiliate Groups: NPCA plans to provide guidance to the affiliate groups on how to engage at the state and local levels to influence and advocate for the Peace Corps and affected RPCVs.

02/01/2025

THE IMPACT OF THE EXECUTIVE ORDERS BY SECTOR

CHANGES IN FOREIGN ASSISTANCE

How Does This Impact Peace Corps?

Most foreign assistance funding has been suspended for 90 days. The Peace Corps’ appropriated budget does not fall under this category; however, some of the funding the agency receives from other U.S. Government agencies has been paused.

NPCA Changes

Farmer-to-Farmer has received stop-work orders from USAID based on the reevaluating and realigning US foreign aid executive order. Therefore, our partnership with them has halted.

Under Review

USAID’s global operations were initially paused for 90 days to comply with the executive orders.

On January 28, Secretary of State Rubio approved a waiver to the freeze for humanitarian assistance, defined as “core lifesaving medicine, medical services, food, shelter, and subsistence, assistance.”

USAID and USAID contractors employ hundreds of RPCVS who are impacted by this EO. The U.S. is the largest donor of humanitarian aid, at 40% compared to other countries, and this freeze threatens essential programs.

DEI PROGRAMS 

DEI Halt

  • Executive orders are ending DEI initiatives in federal agencies.
  • Impact: Possible delays in processing, hiring freezes, and stricter regulations.

How Does This Impact Peace Corps?

While the Peace Corps does not have a dedicated DEIA office with employees working exclusively on DEIA, it will end or close any DEIA initiatives and programs. NPCA will continue to update and monitor the administration’s stance on DEI.

Within the Military

Executive orders end DEI within the military. Transgender troops may face policy reviews.

Progress Until Now for DEI in Peace Corps, Both at Home & Abroad

  • Increased efforts to recruit underrepresented communities, including partnerships with HBCUs, HSIs, and other MSIs.
  • Pre-service and in-service training on unconscious bias, cultural competency, and anti-racism.
  • Volunteer Support & Safety: Resources for LGBTQ+ Volunteers and Volunteers of color.
  • Creation of DEI-focused roles, advisory councils, and strengthened reporting mechanisms for discrimination and harassment.

HOW DOES THE FEDERAL HIRING FREEZE IMPACT CURRENT PCVS AND RPCVS?

RPCVs currently seeking employment through Non-Competitive Eligibility (NCE) are not able to gain federal employment due the hiring freeze.

Due to Congress’s failure to pass the Peace Corps Reauthorization Act, RPCVS with Noncompetitive Eligibility (NCE) are directly impacted by the federal hiring freeze. During the freeze, RPCVs are losing valuable time from their one-year NCE window. The longer the freeze lasts, the less time returned volunteers have to use their NCE status before it expires.

While the Peace Corps is subject to the current hiring freeze, Volunteer recruitment activities continue.

The agency anticipates that all upcoming cohorts will leave on their scheduled departure dates.

PEACE CORPS CONTINUES

Executive Orders Impact on Peace Corps Operations

The Peace Corps remains focused on supporting Volunteers and their work with host country partners to further the Peace Corps mission of world peace and friendship. At this time, the agency does not anticipate a change in Peace Corps service or geographical presence.

How We Can Support Our Community

  • Stay Informed: Keep track of policy updates and understand how they affect local and global programs.
  • Take Action now with our advocacy portal.
  • Connect with Affiliate Groups to get organized
  • Explore our workplace groups for networking assistance if your employment was impacted
  • Become a Mission Partner of NPCA to support our mission.
  • If you have firsthand experience with how the Peace Corps is being impacted, we’d love to hear from you at [email protected].
Tags:
Skip to content