Behind the Screen
The opinions, views, and insights stated within this Monologue are my own. The facts, fallacies, and errors, however, belong to someone else (see disclaimer).
Thursday, September 26, 2002
It has been three weeks since I emailed the Peace Corps office requesting reinstatement or re-enrollment to Peace Corps service. I have yet to receive a response other than a brief email saying that they are working on it. Today, I decided to send them another email.
Date: Thu, 26 Sep 2002 13:27:30 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Jason.Pearce.net"
Subject: RE: Request for reinstatement, re-enrollment, or transfer
To: serdman@peacecorps.gov, bpayne1@peacecorps.govDear Brian Payne and Sarah Erdman,
Three weeks ago I wrote Sylvie Mortimer requesting reinstatement or re-enrollment to Peace Corps service. I have not received a response from your office and would appreciate an update. I understand that Sylvie is on maternity leave and that the two of you will be servicing my request.
Per my rights as an Early Termination/Interrupted Service (MS 284, 5.0) Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), and per written and verbal advice given to me by Guyana Country Director Earl Brown, I am requesting immediate reassignment to another Peace Corps program -- one that will best utilize my web development skills.
I appreciate your prompt response to this request, for I am eager to begin my service as a volunteer.
Sincerely,
Jason A. Pearce
Tuesday, September 24, 2002
It's official, the Peace Corps has confirmed receipt of my application for their "Internet Communications Manager Application (PC2-103w)" position. I received this generic post card in the mail yesterday.
Dear Applicant:
We have received your application for a staff position with the Peace Corps. The vacancy announcement number and the date we received your application are printed on the address label of this postcard.
Our staffing specialists are currently reviewing the applications for this position. When they complete their review, they will forward to the selecting officials the applications of the individuals whose experience and background meet the requirements of the position.
This selection process may take up to 100 days. You can monitor the status of the position to which you have applied by visiting www.peacecorps.gov/employment/. Select Vacancy Status Listing from the list of options.
Thank you for your interest in the Peace Corps.
I came across a Forbes story today entitled "Vox Unpopuli." It talked about how more and more people are using websites to publicly voice complaints about a company's services.
While I did not develop my personal site to become critical of the Peace Corps, it might become so. Several of you have suggested that I make my Blog (this Monologue) open to the general public again. Some of you have also suggested that I publicly post my case for appealing the Peace Corps' decision to end my service early.
Although it would be satisfying to do so, I believe that I'm going to wait to take such actions until after I have heard the outcome of my request for reinstatement. Should it become an unfavorable outcome, I would then have little to lose in making my site completely public once again.
Here are a few excerpts from that Forbes' story. Enjoy.
Forbes: ASAP
Vox Unpopuli
Josh McHugh, 10.07.02Employee complaint boxes are a waste of time. If you really want to torpedo a company, you've got to start a web site.
Through the ages, most institutions, whether religious, political, cultural, or commercial, have offered their individual constituents at least token methods to suggest improvements or submit criticism. Even the most self-distancing despot knows it's wise to keep tabs on the mood of his subjects. But institutions generally supply such limited feedback tools--customer satisfaction surveys, toll-free suggestion lines, midterm elections--that anyone trying to effect serious change must find non sanctioned avenues of expression. Precious few revolutions have started in a suggestion box. In fact, the less receptive an institution is to input from its constituency, the more creative and determined that constituency becomes in expressing its dissatisfaction. The Boston Tea Party comes to mind.
In a time when networks of all kinds offer rebels almost limitless distribution opportunities, institutions need to tread more carefully than ever when reacting to subversive feedback. In 1999, 3Com ran an ad in magazines and on billboards depicting a naked woman seated on the ground with her knees drawn up to her chest and a strategically placed Palm handheld blocking her private parts from view. The text superimposed on the image read: "Simply Palm."
Many thought the ad was in poor taste, including Web designer Jason Kottke, who used Adobe Photoshop to create a nearly identical image, but with the Palm placed elsewhere, leaving the model (in this case an image downloaded from an X-rated site) exposed. Written in the same font used in the 3Com ad, the text of Kottke's parody read "Simply Porn."
Kottke emailed his ad to a few dozen fellow Web designers and posted it on his Web site. The episode would have ended there, but someone at 3Com got wind of the gag, checked Kottke's site, and alerted 3Com's legal department. 3Com's lawyers, in standard corporate fashion, contacted Kottke, accusing him of violating 3Com trademarks and threatening legal action. Before he removed the ad from his site, Kottke alerted his friends in the Web design community to 3Com's heavy-handedness, and within days scores of "mirrors," exact replicas of Kottke's parody, had popped up all over the Web. Word got out. News outlets started picking up the story, now that of a David-and-Goliath cyberstruggle with a First Amendment twist. Realizing that every dollar it spent trying to stamp out the fire would cost it several more in terms of its public image, 3Com wisely backed down.
Although most subversive feedback stems from a desire for change, Dan Parisi, a Secaucus, New Jersey-based lawyer, seems to regard anticorporate heckling as an end in itself. Type "gmsucks.com," "lockheedmartinsucks.com," "intelsucks.com," or some other well-known corporate name with sucks as a suffix into your browser, and chances are you'll be redirected to Parisi's site, Sucks500.com. The site is set up as a portal for aggregating gripes against companies, politicians, celebrities--even the City of Brotherly Love.
Parisi, who also runs a porn site with the provocative URL of whitehouse.com, has used his legal skills to turn back attempts by powerhouses such as Lockheed Martin and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to take his URLs away from him. Although participation in the Sucks500 forums is anemic, Parisi seems to have succeeded in advancing his primary cause: defending his right to continually annoy powerful people and companies.
Jeremy Cooperstock, a 35-year-old professor at Montreal's McGill University, is far more focused than Parisi. Cooperstock wrote a letter to United Airlines complaining about shoddy service on a trip he took to Tokyo in 1996. When United delayed getting back to him, Cooperstock declared war on the company. He put up a Web page parodying the airline--later calling it Untied.com--on his college server. The battle escalated when United contacted the University of Toronto, where Cooperstock was a student at the time. He put the site up on his own server and in the five years since has been a steadfast thorn in United's side, soliciting and posting complaints from fellow sufferers and digging up internal secrets from United employees.
Cooperstock recently received copies of maintenance reports detailing mechanical problems that United supervisors allegedly covered up in order to get a flight in the air on time. The reports are posted on the site. Untied.com also has gradually become a forum for employee grievances, and United brass has taken notice; server logs show that Untied.com gets more Web traffic from United headquarters than from anywhere else, Cooperstock says.
If United's paying attention to Cooperstock's site, is it doing anything about what it finds there? Soon after Untied.com berated the airline for asking for customer feedback but requiring customers to use a toll line, United announced a toll-free customer suggestion line. Another time, United flight attendants alerted Cooperstock that the airline had continued to require them to stay in a Los Angeles hotel, allegedly in which a flight attendant recently had been raped. Untied.com ran an item on the matter, and soon Cooperstock heard that United had switched to a different hotel. He says the flight attendants' union sent him a letter commending him for his key role in persuading United to change hotels.
Cooperstock remains modest about his role in the governance of the airline. "Whether they made the changes because of my efforts, I have no way of knowing," he says.
Josh McHugh is a freelance writer living in San Francisco. His work has appeared in Forbes and Wired magazines. He regularly subverts shoddy PR at Buzzkiller.net.
Friday, September 20, 2002
I kind of took a week off from working on my Peace Corps appeal. Mostly because I've been spending my time at my dad's office helping his company update its website. It's been a great distraction and I have enjoyed the work. But it has also distracted me from my job search, which is becoming a growing necessity.
Once the site launches, I'm sure I'll post a link to it and add it to my online portfolio.
Another reason for my lack of Peace Corps postings this week is the simple fact that I haven't heard from them. I still have not received a response regarding my request to receive a new assignment. I also haven't heard anything about my application for their webmaster position. But I'll keep you posted if I do.
I did receive an email from one of the Georgetown volunteers. Here is her update:
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 05:45:50 -0700 (PDT)
From: Hidden
Subject: dead kittens and field hockeyJason,
Hey! What's up these days? Any news on the peace corps interview? Did you get one?
I'm doing a little better since the last time I wrote. Time still goes by slowly, but I'm trying to make the best of it.
Did I tell you that my kittens died? Yup, after one week. I have no idea what happened. I think they were sick when I got them. I was pretty upset about it for a few days--mostly feeling guilty--but then I realized I didn't do anything wrong. It sucked.
So anyway, I have another volunteer's cat now. She's an adult, so I don't think I can kill her. You never know I guess:) Frankly, I'd rather have no pets. But the mice scare the hell out of me.
My job is going well. Actually, I love my job. This is a huge deal because so many volunteers aren't enjoying their jobs. At least I have something to look forward to during the week. Sure I face the typical Peace Corps frustrations they warn you about: lack of resources, rigid structures, etc., but I enjoy the challenge and I like working with all women. There's kind of a homey atmosphere to the place, albeit kind of "bitchy" at times.
I've also started playing field hockey with three other volunteers. It's really fun. I didn't realize how much I missed being on a team. We have practice three nights a week. It's also nice because I can be out at night without feeling like I'm going to get assaulted at any minute.
Thanks for the great update. The funny thing is that I think that you now have the cat that was going to be living with me. Did it have a name, or was it just called CAT?
Monday, September 16, 2002
Here is another volunteer's take on my early departure, as well as other excerpts about what it is like to be a Peace Corps volunteer.
From: "hidden"
To: hidden
Subject: riding a roller coaster
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 10:16:15 -0700I have been on an unbelievable roller coaster. the last 4 weeks have delivered me more emotions and feelings than I ever imagined. An experience that without a doubt is challenging and full of lessons in life.
Culinary skills
Let me first share with you. living without a refrigerator is not easy. More frequent trips to the open market and learning how quickly mold grows (like fuzzy coconut that shouldn't be eaten. but I didn't realize until after I was chomping on a piece and I looked in the container - yikes).
Politics
As the world of politics comes, I'm not usually a fan of and even more so now that I volunteer for the government. As a group of 23 who arrived in country a lil over 3 months ago, we're now down to 22. One of our fellow trainees, Jason, was sent home nearly 4 weeks ago.
Our Country Director, Earl Brown, (which is new to country also CD's have terms of 30 months) has displayed his authority and in his words is "not here to be buddy-buddy" with us. He has been extremely condescending to many of us and frankly we all feel like we have to walk on egg shells or we'll get sent home, hmmm, and we're volunteers, right?!
Jason didn't even get to be sworn in as a volunteer with us and was humiliated at the ceremony, since Earl wouldn't even let him sit with us. The grounds he was sent home was twisted and were as "the world wildlife fund (WWF) didn't want him because he wasn't sworn in (which was due to his website) and there weren't any other sites. Which was complete B.S.
many of us have written letters to Peace Corps Headquarters in D.C. and some have even routed their complaints to their congressman. his demeanor is like as my aunt said Hitler.
You can check out his website at www.jason.pearce.net - even though his monologue was instructed to be shut down because it disclosed information like: "one volunteer got Dengue Fever and another volunteer got robbed"
anyhoo it really stirred us all up in the first week of being official volunteers, in addition to being homesick and lonely. Another controversy brought up were having digital photos online which I confronted Earl and asked him
how different is it having photos displayed on www.ofoto.com from having our swearing in ceremony picture plastered on the front page of the Guyana newspaper. where did I sign a photo consent. So now I'm on his "radar" as he says.
but I felt it wasn't right to be contradictory. Anyhoo, there's more to the story of course. but I won't bore you. Jason is considering an appeal and most of our blood has stopped boiling, even though we miss him.
Little Guyana
My safety was tested last Friday when another volunteer and I walked home from another volunteer's home (did you get that? Tee hee)
about 5 blocks. I had my (newly bought purple machine) bicycle that I was pushing and together we felt it would be safe to walk home together since we live right next door to each other. Walking together seemed much safer. It was a lil after 9pm, early for a Friday night.
We were 2 houses away from our homes when 2 men came from behind us. They took my bicycle and tried to get the other volunteer's jewelry, but realized it wasn't of any high value. It all happened within a matter of maybe 30 seconds.
I was very startled and shook up, glad to have been okay and not hurt more than I was, which was a few marks on my back and bruised on my legs. I've had a number of thoughts running thru my head like "is this worth it"? & "why am I here?"
The tough lesson learned was don't take anything for granted, it can happen when you're least expecting.
I take many more precautions now and try not to be out after dark. I definitely have on and off day, and I've contemplated coming home because of safety, but I really want to be here. so hopefully I complete my 2-year service and I don't ever encounter an incident like that again.
Eye openers
The amount of attention is tremendous as a foreigner. Nearly every man here feels the privilege to try to pick you up, and they're blunt.
There isn't a day that passes that I don't hear this kissing sound (almost like if they were to suck any harder their lips would get swallowed) and being called "hey baby" or "where you from?"
We were prepared for this during our cultural training, so you grow really thick skin and sometimes you simply get burnt out. It's common for Guyanese women to be picked up this way, but we Americans are not so much accustom to such direct lines as "hey sweetheart, I wanna marry you."
It's always just verbal comments, but oye my ears get full! The other fellow volunteers get called "whitee" or "white meat." Definitely an eye opener!
Friday, September 13, 2002
On Tuesday, a friend of mine heard an interesting story about Blogging on NPR show Public Interest, Tech Tuesday. Here is where you might find and listen to that story.
For years, Web loggers, or "bloggers," have used the Internet to express their viewpoint or document their lives. A Tech Tuesday look at how blogging has influenced the national debate since September 11th.
Rebecca Blood, editor of We've Got Blog: How Weblogs Are Changing Our Culture and author of The Weblog Handbook: Practical Advice on Creating and Maintaining Your Blog (both from Perseus Books)
David Gallagher, freelance journalist specializing in Internet and technology news
John Foley, Executive Editor, InformationWeek
Eric Olsen, editor of BlogCritics.org; and editor of Blog Nation, an upcoming book that will compile the very best blogs from the aftermath of September 11th
Some of my fellow colleagues in Guyana have written a few letters to the Peace Corps DC office regarding my termination. Others have also been asking me who they can send letters to, should they decide to do so. This weekend, I plan on adding a page to my site that will give a list of various people and organizations that will help you with this process.
In the meantime, here is the Peace Corps' instructions regarding who should receive letters about my departure.
--- ?Frola, Kimberly? wrote:
From: "Frola, Kimberly" KFrola@PeaceCorps.gov
To: current volunteer
Subject: RE: Could you help us?
Date: Tue, 3 Sep 2002 10:22:11 -0400Hi [Hidden Name]! My apologies for just returning the message. I had planned to come in over the week-end to catch up on e-mails, but that did not happen. I do remember you from my ever so brief period in Guyana. I had such a lovely time and enjoyed getting to meet your group, especially since I had been in previous e-mail contact with many of you.
As you said, though, I too am sorry to hear that there have been difficulties between the PCVs and the CD. Thank you for thinking of us on the Country Desk Unit as a resource. The letters you refer to below can be sent to Country Desk Officer Rita Jimenez at rjimenez@peacecorps.gov. (You can cc me on them if you would like.) CDO Jimenez will then compile them and discuss them with the appropriate regional senior staff.
Should anyone want to send copies via fax to Rita's attention, the fax number is 202-692-2501. The mailing address is: Peace Corps, South America Desk Unit, 1111 20th St., NW, Washington, DC 20526.
Despite the issues with the CD, I do hope that you and the rest of your group are settling in well at your sites. Please send my greetings to all.
Take care!
-Kim
-----Original Message-----
From: current volunteer
Sent: Friday, August 30, 2002 12:49 PM
To: Frola, Kimberly
Subject: Could you help us?Good afternoon Kim!
I hope you remember me from your visit to Guyana so you can put a name with a face. This is [Hidden Name] (a boat paddler on the brief excursion downstream, on "culture day".), a recently sworn in volunteer. I wish my reason for contacting you was to look back fondly on that time, but unfortunately current events have embittered me to make a request.
We have had several conflicts with our country director, Earl Brown, from the onset of our training; and the recent situation with one of our fellow colleagues has forced us to voice official complaints. In light of this, nowhere in the volunteer handbook states who we are supposed to contact in reference to voicing concerns about our country director. I know you're a busy woman, but I was hoping you could at least point me in the right direction.
I'll be passing this information along to other Guy 9 and 10 volunteers who have letters written (an email address would be great, as not many of us have access to typewriters-a hand written copy might be a bit sloppy). I appreciate all your assistance in this matter. Enjoy your weekend!
Sincerely,
Current Volunteer
I have officially applied from the Peace Corps' Internet communications manager position. It would be so ironic if I were to get this job, or even get interviewed, since the Peace Corps kicked me out of Guyana due to my personal website and online content. We'll see.
--- "Picado, Patricia" PPicado@PeaceCorps.gov wrote:
From: "Picado, Patricia" PPicado@PeaceCorps.gov
To: 'jason@pearce.net'
Subject: RE: Internet Communications Manager Application (PC2-103w)
Date: Fri, 13 Sep 2002 09:16:48 -0400Your application has been received. Thank you for applying to work at the Peace Corps.
Our staffing specialists are currently reviewing the applications for this position. When they complete their review, they will forward to the selecting officials the applications of the individuals whose experience and background meet the requirements of the position. This selection process may take up to 100 days. During that time we appreciate your patience in waiting for the selection officials to contact you should they decide to request an interview.
Thank you for your interest in the Peace Corps.
Sincerely,
Office of Human Resource Management-----Original Message-----
From: Jason.Pearce.net
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2002 11:18 PM
To: hrmjobs@peacecorps.gov
Subject: Internet Communications Manager Application (PC2-103w)Dear Peace Corps,
In the past five years I have been actively involved in managing and developing the architecture, content, format, and design of nonprofit and for profit websites. My participation in these projects has been primarily in the areas of concept development, marketing, project management, communications strategies, and hands on design and development.
Having served as editor of a magazine for five years, I offer experience in organizing vast amounts of information and details, writing and editing content, and creating clean and user-friendly design. My strong editorial and communications background has served me well online, helping me develop clean design and effective content. I am skilled in a wide variety of authoring and development tools such as Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, Photoshop, and ImageReady. Although these tools are helpful and efficient, I use them without compromising the frequent need to write code by hand.
I am currently seeking an opportunity to manage and develop a company's website; ensuring that its online presence, design, and content is consistent and supportive of the company's offline marketing objectives by providing guidance and direction for the daily and long-term benefits of online communications.
I believe that my comprehensive knowledge of web development, my vision for its application in corporate communications, and my experience as a senior manager offer a unique mix of credentials - all summarized in the enclosed resume.
I would be delighted to discuss my qualifications with you at your convenience. Thank you for your consideration.
Sincerely,
Jason.Pearce.net
jason@pearce.net
(919) 787-4142-------------------
SAMPLES OF MY WORKResume:
http://net.jasonpearce.com/vocation/resumes.htmlWebsites:
http://net.jasonpearce.com/vocation/websites.htmlAnimation:
http://net.jasonpearce.com/vocation/animation.htmlWriting:
http://net.jasonpearce.com/vocation/writings.htmlAwards:
http://net.jasonpearce.com/vocation/recognition.html
Thursday, September 12, 2002
On September 5, 2002, I sent an email to Sylvie Mortimer of the Office of Placement, Business Desk, regarding my request for reinstatement or re-enrollment to Peace Corps service, or transfer to another country, without having to submit a new application. Please scroll down to read that email if you haven't already done so.
Today, I received the following email in reply. And as I imagined, just about everyone at the Peace Corps is involved with coming up with a response to my simple and clear request.
--- "Mortimer, Sylvie" SMortimer@PeaceCorps.gov wrote:
From: "Mortimer, Sylvie" SMortimer@PeaceCorps.gov
To: "'jason@pearce.net'" jason@pearce.net
CC: "Brown, Earl" ebrown@gy.peacecorps.gov, "Jimenez, Rita" RJimenez@PeaceCorps.gov, "Myers, Amber" AMyers@PeaceCorps.gov, "Smith, Kent" KSmith@PeaceCorps.gov, "Galloway, Lien" LGalloway@peacecorps.gov, "Glasow, Suzanne" SGlasow@PeaceCorps.gov, "Payne, Brian (Headquarters)" BPayne1@PeaceCorps.gov, "Erdman, Sarah" SErdman@peacecorps.gov
Subject: RE: Request for reinstatement, re-enrollment, or transfer
Date: Thu, 12 Sep 2002 11:51:52 -0400Jason,
Thanks for your email.
The matter regarding your Peace Corps application and status is being reviewed by the Office of the General Counsel in consultation with the Guyana staff. You will be informed as soon as the matter is resolved. Your Placement contacts while I am on maternity leave will be Brian Payne and Sarah Erdman. Both can be reached at ext. 1850 here at headquarters or by email: serdman@peacecorps.gov and/or bpayne1@peacecorps.gov.
Thanks,
Sylvie
Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Criminal activity in Georgetown, Guyana, counties to be a concern for some of the volunteers still stationed there. I recently received this email from one of them who currently lives on the same street that I lived on with my host family during training. It is also just three blocks away from where I would have been living and about five blocks away from the Peace Corps Guyana office.
The bad news.....i was walking home with a volunteer on Friday nite from another volunteer's house on Pike street and we got mugged and assaulted - yeah pretty darn traumatic and disturbing. They stole my bike and i got a couple of knife marks in my back - but i'm okay - it's certainly not an exciting aspect to my experience and of course i'm debating on whether my life is really worth it....being here that is....the crimes seems to be only getting worse and the incidents more often. So we'll see - i'm giving it to the end of the month to evaluate if it gets any better - since i hate my site too - but that's another story.
yeah you'd think that Kitty [the neighborhood she lives in] was safe - but it apparently happens anywhere any time - unfortunately - i feel bad for the other volunteer because this is the second time [she's been assaulted] - yowsers! The stats at the police station is partly what has me freaked - it has only been increasing in incidents/cases - nearly doubled since last years numbers and is only getting worse....and on top of that - even Henry [a Peace Corps host family and friend] tells me that he's scared - in addition to every other Guyanese i talk to - and in his response to what i told him what happened he was surprised i wasn't going home - yeah totally crazy i tell ya.
During training, we were asked to all be home before dark (6:30 p.m.) unless we were being escorted by our host family or Peace Corps staff. Naturally, it's tough to have a curfew.
Stay safe my friends. Stay safe.
I have received some wonderful feedback and advice regarding my appeal of the Peace Corps' decision to send me home. One friend in particular found a DC Federal District case involving a Peace Corps volunteer who was terminated for expressing his political views. Here is his email and an excerpt from that case:
Jason, Below is language from a DC Federal District case involving the termination of a Peace Corps volunteer. In this particular case, the individual was expressing political views related to the US military intervention in Grenada, while stationed in the Dominican Republic.
"Peace Corps policy does not prohibit private speech by its volunteers on matters of political expression, although volunteers are admonished to portray their opinions as their own, and not as representative of the Peace Corps or the U.S. Government's position. ... It is only in situations ... where there has been a direct threat to the interest of the Peace Corps, that speech is prohibited; thus, the policy is narrowly tailored to restrict speech no more than is necessary to protect a compelling government interest." Wood v. Ruppe, 659 F.Supp. 403, 410-11 (D.D.C. 1987).
As I had suggested earlier, this case indicates that the Peace Corps has the same burden as any other federal agency in its efforts to restrict Free Speech. In particular, there must be a substantial governmental interest, and the restriction must be the least restrictive means.
I can't tell you how pleased I was to have someone find some legal precedent regarding my case. While I don't imagine that I'll take my case to court, it will be very useful to reference prior court rulings in my appeal to the Peace Corps.
My friend then offers me the following advice regarding the actions that I should take.
I took some time to read through the correspondence that you posted. Here are my thoughts and advice:
- Request all relevant documents and information contained in your personnel file relating to the decision to terminate your affiliation.
- Write a non-confrontational appeal that focuses on the objective facts. (i.e. You were asked to restrict access, and you complied in a timely manner.)
- Indicate that restrictions on speech are not clearly proscribed in any Peace Corps document, other than to be sensitive and refrain from political commentary; it appears from what I've seen that you complied with this. I'd avoid from making too strong of 1st amendment claim here, as they won't want to admit that they are violating your free speech rights, and then reinstate you. If you leave them wiggle room by suggesting that any restrictions were not clearly conveyed, than they can view it as a "mutual misunderstanding".
- The most confrontational I would be, is with respect to Brown individually. I'd use the phrase "arbitrary and capricious" to describe his conduct.
That is my advice if you want to be reinstated.
Now, if you want to drop a fire in the hole, and head for cover, there are a few other options I'd consider. First, I would look into your political contacts. Second, there is always the route of public embarrassment. You have the media experience, contacts, and know how to really disparage the Peace Corps. Third, a letter from someone on good legal letterhead is always fun too.
If I can be of any help or if you want to bounce anything off me, feel free to write. Best of luck Jason.
Oh the possibilities. Thanks so much for the advice. And thanks a bunch for finding the Wood v. Ruppe case.
Thursday, September 05, 2002
In addition to sleeping, eating, taking hot showers, and playing video games on my Xbox; I've spent the last two weeks organizing my case to appeal the Guyana country director's decision to terminate my service early. While I haven't decided to appeal his decision yet, it seems likely that I will.
In typical fashion, I have extensively organized information regarding my case and have placed it online for you to review. I hope to receive some comments and feedback from you before I submit my appeal to the DC office. I fortunate to have a lot of smart and wise friends, so your input is helpful.
Here is where you will find my Case for Appeal. You'll need a username and password, so here they are:
LOCATION: http://net.jasonpearce.com/peacecorps/cos/
USERNAME: closeofservice
PASSWORD: firstamendmentThere is a lot of information here, I know. So if you are just wanting a summary of my case, click here. Thanks again for your input.
This week I spent some time in contact with the Peace Corps office in DC. While I wish I could give you some promising news on my case, I'm afraid it's rather bleak. Here is the story...
On August 27, 2002, I called the Peace Corps Office of Placement to be considered for re-enrollment. I did not speak with anyone directly, but left a message asking to be called back.
Having received no response from the Peace Corps, I gave the Office of Placement another call on September 3, 2002. This time I was able to speak with Sylvie Mortimer of the Office of Placement, Business Desk. Sylvie was the placement officer who extended me my invitation in February 2002.
Sylvie was unaware that I had returned and said that she would have to do some research about my case; talk to Earl Brown, the Guyana country director; and talk to Rita Jimenez, the country desk officer, South America Desk. I told her I understood.
I then asked about the timeline and how long it might take for me to receive a new assignment, if one was granted. She said that she has only two IT assignments available in the winter and both require a fluency in Spanish. Other than that, it wouldn't be until the Spring 2003. This was disappointing news.
The following day, Sylvie left me an even more disappointing voicemail. While the news was discouraging, she was pleasant and helpful. Here is what she said:
September 4, 2002 (3:52 p.m.)
Hi. This message is for Jason Pearce. This is Sylvie Mortimer [Office of Placement, Business Desk] from the Peace Corps calling back. I talked to you yesterday. My extension is (202) 692-1854. You can also dial the 800 number, extension 1854, to reach me.I just wanted to let you know that I followed up a little bit with Earl [Earl Brown, Peace Corps Guyana Country Director] and with Rita [Rita Jimenez, Country Desk Officer, South America Desk] and got more of the whole story. So I just wanted to talk with you about it and let you know what your options are at this point, which is basically just like any other early termination.
You have to wait one year before reapplying to the Peace Corps, and to do that, you have to go through a recruiting office. And you will also have to get a reference from someone in Guyana. We have all of the other documentation of what happened in the file.
So feel free to give me a call back if you have questions about this. But this is defiantly our policy and I wanted to let you know as soon as possible so you didn't have your hopes up of being re-invited somewhere else very soon.
So feel free to give me a call if you have any questions. Bye bye.
Determined, I sent Sylvie the following email, for I believe that as an Early Termination/Interrupted Service Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, I have the right to request for reinstatement, re-enrollment, or transfer.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jason Pearce
Sent: Thursday, September 5, 2002
To: Sylvie Mortimer
Cc: jason@pearce.net
Subject: Request for reinstatement, re-enrollment, or transferSylvia,
Thank you for your prompt reply regarding my request for re-enrollment. Your thoughtful timeliness was appreciated.
If I understand your voicemail correctly, you are saying it is Peace Corps policy that volunteers who have received early termination must wait one year before reapplying. And should an early-terminated volunteer choose to reapply after that one-year period, they would have to submit a new application through a Regional Recruitment Office.
Please let me know if I misunderstood your message, for perhaps I did. As I?m sure you would agree, the vast amount of Peace Corps policies, literature, and guidelines can be daunting and confusing.
What I have found, however, indicates that I could be considered for re-enrollment without having to submit a new application. Here's what I've found:
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PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK
Under some circumstances, an RPCV may re-enroll for another term without having to submit a new application. Re-enrollment is possible if:
- Within the past two years, the RPCV completed service (COS) or has his/her service terminated early for medical reasons or due to exceptional circumstances beyond his or her control; and
- The RPCV has particular skills or experience requested by host countries which are not sufficiently available from current applications.
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According to Earl Brown's August 21, 2002, memo, I was given an Early Termination/Interrupted Service per MS 284, 5.0, stating, "The host country (or other cooperating agency to which the volunteer is assigned) requests that the volunteer be removed from service for reasons that would not consist grounds for administrative separation."
So I turn to MS 284, 5.0 to see what it says. It reads:
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MS 284: EARLY TERMINATION OF SERVICE5.0 Interrupted Service
A Volunteer or Trainee may be separated with interrupted service status if the Country Director determines that circumstances beyond the control of the V/T make it necessary for the V/T to leave his or her present assignment. Because the nature of circumstances leading to interrupted service are beyond the V/T's control, interrupted service should not be used in lieu of administrative separation. All travel options under paragraph 8.0 are open to V/Ts who are separated with interrupted service status, but not in particular that 8.1.3 "Field Exception to Direct and Immediate Return" may be appropriate.5.1 Grounds for Interrupted Service
Interrupted service may be appropriate if:[This is the only applicable reason]
There is no viable assignment in country of assignment for which the V/T is qualified.A V/T who has been separated with interrupted service status may seek reinstatement or re-enrollment to Peace Corps service or may seek transfer to another country.
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So if I understand all of this correctly, as an Early Termination/Interrupted Service (per MS 284, 5.0) Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV), I may seek reinstatement or re-enrollment to Peace Corps service or may seek transfer to another country without having to submit a new application. This is what I am requesting.
If I am not eligible for reinstatement or re-enrollment to Peace Corps service or may not seek transfer to another country without having to submit a new application, please explain why. If there are relevant Peace Corps policies that I am missing, please provide them as well.
Thank you again for your attention to my request for reinstatement, re-enrollment, or transfer; it is kindly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Jason A. PearceI imagine that my email will likely pass Earl and Rita's desks before I hear her reply. I'll keep you posted.
In the meantime, I took care of some other Peace Corps business today by mailing my no-fee passport back to their office. I also asked for them to send me a copy of my Volunteer Description of Service (DOS) Statement, the official Peace Corps record of service for former Volunteers. I was supposed to receive this letter at my close of service but did not. I'm interested to see what it says.
Wednesday, September 04, 2002
Here's another email that I just had to share. It shows some of the frustrations that the volunteers are having with the Peace Corps hypocrisy. I removed the volunteer's name for privacy purposes.
Subject: "RADAR"
Date: Wed, 04 Sep 2002Well i'm probably on E.B.'s "radar" now but I did want to fill you in on a meeting I had with him a couple of weeks ago (for those of you who don't have email regularly - this was shortly after Jason was sent home).
I confronted him about the contradiction of web photos displayed and a newspaper article [found here].... what is the difference?
Basically, with all the talk of the Ofoto (not OTOFOTO - teehee) and personal web page information reprimandment - I asked Earl "where did i sign that I could have my photo released on the front page of the Guyana newspaper (which is also online)?"
He responded with "that is NOT the same thing - we hired someone, we invited them to the swearing in ceremony - and that was their job, to take photos" I replied with "you still didn't answer my question - where did i sign off to have my photo released?" "i need some clarification because i surely don't understand what is the difference among a newspaper and the Internet"
He of course didn't give me a straight answer and rebuked with "well you're obviously upset that Jason left, but you shouldn't be mad at me....blah blah blah" I of course said "i'm not even talking about Jason - this is about photo clarification"
He was extremely defensive and mad I was even bringing this up to him - so i said "i'm sorry are you mad at me? You seem defensive and I just need some clarification on this matter - i don't quite understand the difference" I was rather amused with how it went - me: calm; E.B.: speechless and babbling with annoyance.
I also brought it up that I felt that it's a big safety and security issue to have all 23 of our site attachments published on a program that could be easily dispersed. He responded with "oh...no.....those were only given to those who were invited to the swearing in" I said "you don't think it could be handed to one person, which would hand it to another and it could end up in the trash and then someone could pick it up....it's a safety/security issue."
Again, it was a rather intersting conversation and I got no real answer - just an ear full of nonsense. So i just wanted to share that with all of you....afterall we are all going thru this journey together :)
Maybe it was unnecessary - but I strongly believe that someone as our Country Director shouldn't be so contradicting and think it's okay. There's a lot going on and perhaps we don't know everything (like how other volunteers are being sent home, besides Jason) but I also think we should stand up for what we believe. "So that's my story and i'm sticking to it"
Hope you're all well and life is in bloom....
Well said. Most of all, I really liked this statement: "I strongly believe that someone as our Country Director shouldn't be so contradicting and think it's okay."
Many of my colleagues felt that I was singled out. For there are other Guyana volunteers who maintain websites, online photo albums, and listserves. And that's just in Guyana. Worldwide, there must be several hundered, if not thousands of online sites, communities, photo albums, and chat rooms relating to the Peace Corps.
I, however, am the only one that I know of who has been sent home because of it. Thanks for pressing the issue.
I really miss some of the friends I made in Guyana. I just got a great email from Patrick, one of the IT volunteers that I really enjoyed hanging out with.
He kids that his host mom Norma, who loved to feed the two of us, is concerned that I might not be getting enough to eat back here in the states. Then again, he might not be kidding because it wouldn't surprise me if she was worring about me. She and her husband Henry were great. They really took care of us.
Patrick also vents a few funny frustrations regarding what it's like to work as a Peace Corps volunteer. What's funny about his situation is that his conterpart was expecting two IT volunteers to be stationed at their site. Instead, they just got one - Patrick - and were concerned that there would be too much for him to do. Read his email and you'll see why its funny.
Jason, I say take the job and email Earl your new title.
Norma came by this last weekend. She is worried that you will not get food in the states. I told her that you will be ok.
I started my job on Mon. Guest how many students I have? I have ZZZZZZZero student as of now. I am not sure what I will be teaching. We have meetings but I only understand .1% of it.
Anna and I will have a Banks beer(well, I will have sveral) in your honor.
--PAtrickPatrick, I hope you get some students soon, for someone in the Peace Corps office might get the notion to send you home due to the loss of a "viable assignment in-country for which you could serve." Thanks for the email pal.
Tuesday, September 03, 2002
The irony runs so deep on this one that I laughed out loud. Today, while searching for "web content manager" jobs at Monster.com, you won't believe what I stumbled upon. Apparently, the Peace Corps is looking for an Internet Communications Manager to take over responsibilities for http://www.peacecorps.gov/.
How funny would it be for me to apply and get this job? I get kicked out of the Peace Corps Guyana due to my online activities only to get hired by its parent company to manage its website. Boy, that would be a hoot. Here is the actual posting:
US-DC-Washington/Metro-Internet Communications Manager
How to Apply
To receive maximum consideration, it is essential that applicants specifically address how they meet the Mandatory and Desired Qualifications. For correct instructions about how to apply, see the Peace Corps Web site at http://www.peacecorps.gov/employment/apply.cfm.Duties
The incumbent is responsible for managing long-term strategies and day-to-day operations of the Peace Corps? external Web site (www.peacecorps.gov). In managing the Web site and other Internet communications tools, the incumbent is responsible for developing and implementing effective design, content, and marketing projects. This includes developing an overall site architecture and graphic look, working with other offices to improve and expand site content, maintaining existing content, increasing site traffic through marketing and outreach efforts, identifying technical requirements for the site, and coordinating the external Web-based communications of all Peace Corps offices. Responsible for establishing policies and procedures for Web publishing, and must stay current on appropriate technologies, federal Web site requirements, and industry best practices. Responsible for developing and implementing Internet communications strategies related to Volunteer recruitment. To do so, s/he will coordinate activities of the Office of Volunteer Recruitment and Selection, Marketing, Press, Publications, and 11 domestic recruiting offices relating to Internet communications and recruitment and take the leadership role in developing and implementing successful ideas for strengthening the content, features, and functionality of our Web site as they relate to recruitment. Responsible for Internet communications strategies related to non-recruitment agency goals, such as communicating with educators, students, returned volunteers, and the media. Serves as a team leader for other staff supporting the Web site, providing guidance and direction for daily and long-term responsibilities. Conducts interviews and makes hiring recommendations. Manages relationships with external contractors, including drafting statements of work and making recommendations for selection. Exercises editorial judgment in the selection and presentation of content. Participates in research, evaluation and installation of appropriate emerging technology in line with Agency goals and budgets. Represents the agency at meetings and functions involving communications and information technology. Ensures compliance with federal regulations for Web sites.Mandatory Qualifications
In order to be selected for this position, applicants must be U.S. citizens, must not have been employed in intelligence-related activities. Applicants must have 52 weeks of specialized experience with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of this position, as described above, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent at least to the next lower grade in the normal line of progression. Knowledge, skills, and abilities are those that demonstrate performance of the duties and responsibilities as outlined above and must have included: 1) Professional work experience in the practices and techniques of Internet communications via a public Web site; 2) Thorough knowledge of Web site communications strategies and best practices; 3) The ability to plan, manage, design, and market Web-based and multimedia projects; 4) Strong editorial or communications background; 5) Solid Web technical knowledge, sufficient for defining Web hosting requirements, managing Web application development projects, and developing/maintaining a database-driven Web site; 6) Experience in Web project management, working with diverse teams, and hiring and managing contractors; and 7) Knowledge of HTML, authoring tools, and related technologies, such as javascript, DHTML, and cascading style sheets. All education and experience must be met by October 10, 2002.Desired Qualifications
The following qualifications are not mandatory for selection to this position. However, highly competitive applicants will have experience and/or education in all or most of the following: 1) Windows OS, Macromedia/Cold Fusion products, and Oracle databases; 2) Adobe Photoshop; 3) developing multimedia CD-ROM projects; and 4) Outstanding writing and speaking skills.Additional Information
Salary: USD 60,444.00 to USD 88,765.00 per year
Position Type: Full Time, EmployeeContact Information
Peace Corps
1111 20th St. NW
Washington DC 20526So what do you think? Should I apply? If I did, I'm sure they would really consider me arrogant then (the Guyana country director thinks I'm arrogant).