Strategic Planning

Recent Progress on Strategic Plan

By: Mike Kiernan, NPCA Consultant

The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) and Returned Peace Corps Volunteers for Environmental Action (RPCV4EA) have worked closely together this year to expand the capacity of RPCV4EA and make it the go-to resource on climate change for the Peace Corps community.

Since January, we have increased membership by 50 percent and welcomed new RPCV members to manage our website, help with social media, recruit new members, produce a monthly newsletter and lead advocacy efforts. In addition, RPCV4EA also has made important progress in developing a strategic plan to advance the issue of climate change among RPCVs that reflects the values and perspectives of the Peace Corps community.

After a series of four forums of about 10 participants each between May 11 – May 21 to get further input, a Town Hall Meeting on Climate Change and Social Action was set for June 15. More than 50 RPCVs from around the country reviewed and voted on a proposed goal and key objectives for the climate change action campaign. In a July 6 Zoom meeting, 14 members of RPCV4EA attended a 90-minute strategic planning session to review the objectives and develop more than 30 different suggested activities to meet the objectives. The planning process will continue into August as the objectives are further refined. Here is the current iteration of RPCV4EA’s goal and major objectives.

Main Goal: Engage the RPCV community in applying its unique skills, connections and lifelong commitment to service to address the existential threat of climate change.

Four Objectives:

1. Education & Outreach: Develop a shared understanding within the Peace Corps community of the impact of climate change on other major global issues including global health, racial injustice, mass migrations, access to clean water, women’s empowerment and girls’ education, food security, extreme poverty and other causes of concern to the Peace Corps community – causes that many individual RPCVs and NPCA affiliates are already working to address.

1. Advocacy: Increase the capacity of NPCA’s affiliates and their interested members to engage in effective community-based advocacy on climate change and other issues of concern.

1. Partnerships: Increase recognition of NPCA and its affiliate groups by the climate change community and its activists of the Peace Corps community as a strong collaborative ally for changing attitudes, policies and practices related to climate change.

1. Resource Development: Strengthen the role of RPCV4EA as the go-to resource for the Peace Corps Community on climate change. 

Global Issues Survey Background

In late January, NPCA asked the RPCV community to respond to a Global Issues Survey to determine the level of interest in strategic actions. The consultant working on this project, Mike Kiernan, presented the results and discussed at a meeting of the RPCVs for Environmental Action (RPCV4EA) on May 7, 2020. Why? Because 62% of the >3,000 respondents felt that Climate Change was the #1 concern. That towered over the next three issues of Access to Clean Water, Women’s Empowerment/Girl’s Education, and Food Security, all at 28%. It was generally agreed that climate change is the overarching threat to all other social issues. Since then, we have been actively working with Mike to build our capacity.

Because of the skewed representation of the population (more than half >age 65, and overwhelmingly white) and the new global issue of COVID-19, Mike organized four Global Issues Forums during May 2020, covering each time zone (plus Hawaii…six!) with the intent of expanding the diversity of the audience. Each Forum had 8-9 participants. He shared these results at the June RPCV4EA meeting.

Phase III of the analysis was an NPCA Town Hall on Social Action & Climate Change on Monday, June 15, with an expected participation of 75+ RPCVs. We looked at the conclusions that came out of the Forum and engaged in discussion around whether these provide the framework for the right goals.

And next? RPCV4EA will hold a smaller strategic planning session in July to identify goals and action steps to accompany our Mission and Vision statements. We expect to work with the RPCV network to engage more deeply in work on climate change issues.

RPCV4EA Next Steps

And then? RPCV4EA will hold a smaller strategic planning session in July to identify goals and action steps to accompany our Mission and Vision statements. We work with the RPCV network to engage more deeply in work on climate change issues. Our success depends on involvement and participation from the community.

Since we started this process in January, both a global pandemic and a worldwide social outcry around #BlackLivesMatter have rocked our world. Our work has taken on a stronger meaning of Environmental Justice and Environmental Action.

What does the RPCV4EA do?

One of our current key initiatives is our partnership with the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL). We have formed a Peace Corps Action Team (PCAT) to reach out and activate the community in advocacy on Capitol Hill for legislation to reverse climate change. It is highly likely that many RPCVs an engaged community like PCIA, dedicated to advocacy, are involved in or at least familiar with CCL, which has hundreds of local chapters and action teams worldwide, especially in the U.S. If so, we welcome your participation in the PCAT. Please consider joining that as well (CCL membership required…both are free). Brady Fergusson (RPCV Kiribati 2006-2008) and Mike Roman (RPCV Kiribati 2000-2002) are co-leaders of the PCAT.

Brady and Mike have prepared a movie screening of Anote’s Ark followed by Q&A. Details are evolving, but will be kept updated here. You will be able to watch the movie between July 10-12, in advance of the Q&A panel on Sunday, July 12 at 7:30 pm EST. Their familiarity of the real impact of climate change in the South Pacific low-lying islands has made them passionate about doing whatever possible to draw attention to the perils of climate change, and make sure that the story of the i-Kiribati is told and never forgotten.

Join Us

The RPCV4EA affiliate group invites input and participation, whether as an interested member who is standing by and responding to the information flow, or as an involved team member. Join us with“Add Affiliate” to your NPCA membership. There are no dues. We also have a Twitter feed and a Facebook group.

Why?

Here’s a quick look at the issue. The CO2 level in the atmosphere the year I was born was 310.7 parts per million. Today it is 416.7; 106 ppm higher. The safe level of CO2 is 350 ppm. Test it against your birthdate at Data source: co2levels.org/.

We are…for the planet

Contact us: info@rpcv4ea.org