The Foreign Service Journal, February 2011

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 1 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 13 a personal appeal to the president on grounds of morality in “President Obama Should Join the Mine Ban Treaty,” publishedDec. 2 in McClatchy ( www.mcclatchydc.com ). C iting the suffering of innocent civilians affected by war and its aftermath, they urged the president to recognize that “the devastating impact of land mines on civilians is a terror of its own sort.” —Mohammad Alhinnawi, Editorial Intern The Peace Corps Is In! More people are volunteering with the Peace Corps ( www.peacecorps. gov ) th an at any time since 1970, the agency announced on Oct. 28. As of Sept. 30, the end of Fiscal Year 2010, 8,655 Peace Corps Volunteers — dis- tributed almost evenly across Latin America, Africa, Europe and Asia — were working in 71 posts serving 77 countries. That total represents an in- crease of nearly 1,000 from the previ- ous year. The agency recently re- opened programs in Colombia, In- donesia and Sierra Leone, and also re- instated its suspended program in Madagascar. In Washington Post articles that appeared on Oct. 29 and Dec. 8 ( www. washingtonpost.com ) re porter Ed O’Keefe shared some fun facts about the Peace Corps, which became an in- dependent federal agency in 1981 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary this September: • More than 200,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps Volunteers in 139 countries thus far. • The average age of volunteers is currently 28, but 7 percent of the Corps are over 50; the oldest individual cur- rently serving is 86. • Nineteen percent of volunteers are minorities, 60 percent are women and 90 percent hold at least a bachelor’s degree. • Education remains the most pop- ular sector of service, but other sought- after areas include health and HIV/ AIDS prevention, business develop- ment, youth development and environ- mental and agricultural projects. • The District of Columbia and Vir- ginia both rank among the top states and metropolitan regions in terms of producing Peace Corps Volunteers. — Steven Alan Honley, Editor C Y B E R N O T E S The Smar t Choice For Washington DC Fully Furnished Shor t Term Housing Rentals ▪ TDY Per Diem Rates Accepted ▪ ▪ 30 Days Stay or Longer ▪ ▪ Locations Near Metro All Over DC ▪ ▪ Any Size Apartment: Studio, One & Two bedrooms ▪ ▪ All Inclusive: All Utilities, Cable & Wifi ▪ ▪ Pets & Credit Cards Accepted ▪ ▪ Locally Woman Owned & Operated Business ▪ Signature Properties 1 (888) 812-3545 ▪ (202) 747-1800 info@sig ▬ properties.com www.sig ▬ properties.com AFSA Resource Marketplace Find the Most-Requested Resources from the Overseas Briefing Center Online at www.afsa.org/ads 1. FSI’s Transition Center 2. U.S. Department of State Overseas Briefing Center (OBC) 3. Security Overseas Seminars: PSOS, ASOS, SAA, SOS, SOS 4. Transition Center Training home page for eligible family members and members of household (MOH) 5. International Jobs - Working Overseas 6. Country Information (Bidding Resources) 7. Transition Center Courses 8. Preparing to Go Overseas 9. Pets and International Travel 10. Foreign Service Assignment Notebook: What Do I Do Now? 11. U.S. Department of State Career Transition Center (CTC) 12. Personal Post Insights 13. Elementary School Stuff 14. Arrange Medical Clearance and Immunizations 15. High Stress Assignment Outbrief Program