This partnership between GlobalGiving and the National Peace Corps Association brings together two great organizations to make a difference in the lives of poor people overseas. GlobalGiving is pioneering web-based techniques and new strategies to create virtual giving communities. The Peace Corps community is the largest group of Americans around who have served for peace overseas. Now that we're back in the US, a lot of us wonder how we can reach out to help people who we KNOW need help overseas. This partnership creates new pathways for many more people to do just that.

Go to this link: GlobalGiving NPCA giving page

We can help end hunger and unnecessary suffering and promote grassroots development overseas one person, one family, one community at a time. We'll do it by our own engagement combined with that of our friends, families, and communities here. Are you going to be part of this?

RPCVs PROJECT! is a new way to reconnect to people and projects overseas. I helped push this idea forward; that's why I'm starting this blog. (I don't work for the National Peace Corps Association or for GlobalGiving, the cosponsoring organizations.)

First, I want you to know that it is EASY to contribute to these 3 PROJECTs through the GlobalGiving web site. So, if you are interested in supporting grassroots projects in Burkina Faso, Morocco, and/or Thailand, this new site and link makes it simple: Go ahead and Give!

Second, those of you who are interested in one of these projects -- think about PROJECTing your interest to your friends and colleagues -- RPCVs and others. It's EASY: forward the link with a note from you to some of your friends who you think might be interested.

It's great if you contribute yourself. But think, too about letting some of your friends know about this. As we all PROJECT our own interest, our impact only goes up -- and up.

Over time, I will post lots more ideas on how to PROJECT interest in this type of development.

But wait -- most of us are RPCVs who DIDN'T serve in one of these three countries (I served in the Congo -- see my profile). What about us? Like a lot of RPCVs, I am most interested in supporting projects in my country of service.

Here's the answer for you: The promise of this endeavor, once it takes hold, is to expand the number of PROJECTs, so that some day, and I hope soon, a project you like from YOUR country of service also will be on the site.

Interested? GREAT! But, before you contact GlobalGiving, make sure you look at the following link, and think through some of the basic requirements. You get a lot when your project is posted here, but GlobalGiving will only post projects that have been appropriately vetted.

And even if you're not interested in supported any of these projects, check back in a month to see how things are developing!

Thanks. Tony