Blog

Virtual Screening of A Towering Task

We are excited to announce that SEAPAX will be hosting a virtual screening of the movie A Towering Task! This is a documentary film that tells the Peace Corps story through powerful interviews with host country nationals, volunteers and staff, and scholars and journalists who put the story of the Peace Corps into context. Voices from all over the world share not only the work and impact, but also the challenges, of half a century of peacebuilding and diplomacy.  You can find more information about the movie here.

On the day of the screening, we will also be hosting a question and answer session with the director of the film, Alana DeJoseph.  Alana is a former Peace Corps Volunteer (Mali 1992-1994).

The film will be made available to stream for FREE on an UNLIMITED viewing basis on the day of the event for registered participants.  You are encouraged to invite friends and family to register for this event so they can watch the film and learn more about the Peace Corps.   

Date: Saturday, July 18th

Time: Streaming available from 9a to 11:59p. A question and answer session with Alana DeJoseph will begin at 6p.         

Streaming & Video-Conference Access: At 9a on the day of the event, registrants will be sent an email that contains a link and a password to stream the video on the Vimeo platform.  The email will also provide details on how to access and participate in the Zoom video-conference with Alana DeJoseph.

Costs/Registration: All participants are expected to register for this event through the SEAPAX website, which can be done here.  There is no required cost to view the film, but there will be options to donate to SEAPAX to help support our activities and events.    

Seattle and King County RPCV COVID-19 Contact Tracers

In response to the current pandemic, and to the economic hardships facing recently evacuated Peace Corps Volunteers, members of SEAPAX have been in touch with local public health officials to explore how RPCVs can support contact tracing as part of the nationwide response to COVID-19.  

King County's Department of Public Health is currently offering several paid, short term temporary positions that require the kind of language and cross-cultural communications skills at which RPCVs excel. (There is particular demand for Spanish, Vietnamese and Somali speakers.) Positions are home-based, with a minimum of 20 hours per week and involve conducting in-depth interviews with confirmed cases and follow up with their contacts.

In order for us to better understand how our RPCV community can help respond to the COVID-19 crisis on a local and potential national level, SEPAX would like interested individuals to complete a short (< 2-minute) survey found here.

For specific Public Health – Seattle & King County job information regarding contact tracing, please click here. 

Survey for Evacuated Return Peace Corps Volunteers

The NPCA is offering a lot of great national transition & career resources, and SEAPAX wants to know what we can do at the local level to support you, too.

Please fill out this 2-minute survey.

Dear SEAPAX members,

We hope this message finds you safe and healthy. As RPCVs, we have all served our country to foster peace around our world. But peace is merely an empty concept without justice. The recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery have highlighted persistent racial injustice during a time when a global pandemic is disproportionally harming the Black community.

Black Lives Matter.

To our Black RPCVs and community: we recognize the weight of these recent deaths, ongoing police brutality, and deep systemic racism. We recognize the struggles Black PCVs endure daily in their effort to promote peace. We recognize significant work is necessary to combat racial injustice, and we will strive to do this work through listening, learning, and action.

In solidarity,

The SEAPAX Board