In matters of safety and security,
the Peace Corps makes the following key assumptions. Click on one of
the statements below to learn more.
Serving as a Volunteer Involves
Safety and Security Risks
Living and traveling in an unfamiliar environment, having a limited understanding
of local language and culture, and being perceived as well-off are some of the
factors that can put a Volunteer at risk. Many Volunteers experience varying
degrees of unwanted attention and harassment. Petty thefts and burglaries are
not uncommon, and incidents of physical and sexual assaults do occur.
Volunteers Are Expected to
Adopt a Culturally Appropriate Lifestyle to Promote Their Safety
Being a Volunteer requires changes in lifestyle preferences and habits in deference
to host country cultural expectations and in order to minimize security risks.
Choices in dress, living arrangements, means of travel, entertainment, and companionship
may have a direct impact on how Volunteers are viewed, and thus treated, by their
communities. Navigating the differences in gender relations may be one of the
most sensitive and difficult lessons to learn, but one which could have a direct
impact on the Volunteer's safety and the protection provided by the local community.
Mature behavior and the exercise of sound judgment will enhance personal safety.
Each Peace Corps Post Maintains
a Volunteer Safety Support System Designed to Minimize Safety Risks, as Prescribed
by Peace Corps Policy
Fundamental to the Peace Corps approach to Volunteer safety is the fact that
Volunteers can most effectively minimize their safety risks by building respectful
relationships with those in their community. Peace Corps has instituted a broad
and systematic approach to increase Volunteers' capacity to keep themselves safe
during their two-year service. This approach is based upon several fundamental
tenets of Volunteer safety and security, which are outlined below. These include:
building relationships, sharing information, training, site development, incident
reporting and response, and emergency communications and planning.
Building Relationships Is Key
to Volunteer Safety
Like the Peace Corps mission, safety and security are predicated on the development
of close interpersonal relationships between Volunteers and host-country community
members. The agency recognizes that Volunteers' daily safety is, for the most
part, best assured when they are well integrated into the local community, valued
and protected as extended family members, and viewed as contributors to development.
To this end, the Peace Corps strives to build and maintain the support of host
country governments, authorities, and local communities for the Peace Corps'
presence in country and the work the Volunteers have been requested to perform.
The responsibility of Volunteers is to learn the local language and integrate
into the host community. Volunteers are expected to build and maintain respectful
relationships with sponsoring agency representatives, colleagues, and other community
members. These relationships help Volunteers establish a presence in their new
homes, pave the way for many work and social opportunities, and become the basis
of their new support systems in country.
Knowing What to Expect Helps
Applicants and Volunteers Make Informed Choices
The Peace Corps is committed to providing accurate information about Volunteer
service to interested individuals. This information describes the nature and
conditions of Peace Corps service; the challenges Volunteers face; the impact
that serving in another culture will have on individual lifestyle, comfort,
and safety (e.g., living with host families, conservative dress, restrictions
on movement and night travel); and the support Volunteers will receive in their
respective countries of service. From the moment an applicant is invited to
serve in a particular country, specific information about potential challenges
is provided from a variety of sources. These challenges often include unwanted
attention; harassment; health and safety risks; and cultural behaviors that
an American might find offensive, uncomfortable, or threatening. With this
information, potential Volunteers can make informed decisions about whether
Peace Corps service is right for them and whether they are prepared to live
at any site in their host country, where local community members will be their
primary support system. Once the Volunteers are in-country, Peace Corps staff
will keep them informed of security issues and provide guidance for maintaining
their safety and well-being as appropriate.
In addition, for the welfare of Volunteers, Peace Corps policy requires
that Volunteers report their whereabouts when they travel away from their
sites or change residences, and that they obtain Peace Corps authorization
if they intend to leave their country of assignment for any reason.
On-Going Training Equips
Volunteers for a Safe and Productive Service
The Peace Corps takes an integrated approach to Volunteer training. Through
language, cross-cultural, and health and safety instruction, training is designed
to raise the Volunteer's awareness of their new environment, build their capacity
to effectively cope with the many challenges they will face, and provide the
tools the Volunteers need to adopt a safe and appropriate lifestyle. Volunteers
are also instructed in Peace Corps policies and procedures and the Volunteer's
responsibility to abide by them.
Before reporting to the communities where they will live and work, Volunteers
participate in 8-12 weeks of intensive training in their country of service.
During pre-service training, Peace Corps typically places Volunteers
with local families to aid in cultural integration and language acquisition.
This early home-stay experience begins the process of building and maintaining
various networks of friends and contacts with host country nationals
and fellow Volunteers that will support each Volunteer's efforts for
a successful service. The Peace Corps provides this integrated safety
training throughout the Volunteer's tour of service to help Volunteers
better understand their surroundings, how to cope with unwanted attention,
and how to develop personal safety strategies.
Volunteer Sites Are Assessed
to Meet Safety and Security Criteria
Peace Corps staff in-country are responsible for assessing and approving the
communities where Volunteers will live and work to ensure that placements are
appropriate and safe and that secure housing and work sites are available.
Site selection is based on established safety and security criteria that reflect
consideration of site history; access to medical, banking, postal, and other
essential services; access to communication, transportation, and local markets;
availability of adequate housing and living arrangements; and the potential
for obtaining and maintaining the acceptance and consent of host country authorities
and the population-at-large. During their service, Volunteers are visited periodically
at their sites by Peace Corps program managers and medical staff members to
monitor issues related to Volunteers' site assignments. If a Volunteer's safety
or well-being is placed at risk or compromised, the Peace Corps staff will
try to resolve the situation or move the Volunteer to another location.
Peace Corps Responds to
Volunteers' Safety Concerns
Volunteers are strongly encouraged and expected to report safety concerns or
incidents to the appropriate Peace Corps staff member. Staff members are prepared
to provide appropriate medical, emotional, and administrative support as each
case warrants. In such cases, Volunteers' need for confidentiality will be
respected. The Peace Corps also maintains a collaborative relationship with
the U.S. Embassy and host government officials in order to respond to Volunteers'
safety and security concerns as they arise. Improvements in safety reporting
have allowed the Peace Corps to identify associated risk factors (time of day,
location, alcohol use, means of transportation, etc.) and develop strategies
to help Volunteers address them. Volunteers are urged to be aware of their
environment and to adopt a safe lifestyle and exercise judgment in a manner
that reduces their exposure to risks.
Emergency Communications
and Planning
Typically, Volunteers live and work with community members, at some distance
from the Peace Corps office in the capital city. Volunteers are expected to
stay in touch with the Peace Corps office on a periodic basis. They are required
to report their whereabouts when they travel away from their sites, and are
required to receive Peace Corps authorization if they intend to leave the country
of assignment for any reason. Although some Volunteers consider notification
of movement and regular contact with the Peace Corps office restrictive, it
is necessary to ensure that Volunteers can be contacted in case of emergency.
The Peace Corps addresses larger security concerns through country-specific
Emergency Action Plans (EAP) that are in place in each Peace Corps country.
These plans, developed to address such events as natural disasters or
civil unrest, set forth the strategies developed by each Peace Corps
office to prepare for, respond to, and recover from such crises. The
plan defines roles and responsibilities for staff and Volunteers, explains
standard policies and procedures, and lists emergency contact information
for every Volunteer in country. These plans are tested and revised annually.
A critical element of the EAP is a comprehensive locator form for each
Volunteer, which ensures that Volunteers can be contacted in case of
emergency and for important notices. Volunteers receive training about
the EAP, are provided a copy of the EAP, and are expected to familiarize
themselves with their roles and responsibilities during times of crises.
The Peace Corps works very closely with the U.S. Embassy to share information,
develop strategies, and coordinate communications in a crisis. If a situation
arises in country that poses a potential threat to Volunteers, the Peace
Corps will immediately assess the nature of the threat and respond in
a manner that ensures the Volunteers' safety and well-being. If the decision
is made to evacuate Volunteers from a country, the Peace Corps will commit
every resource at hand to safely move each Volunteer and staff member
out of harm's way. Although the Peace Corps does not automatically contact
family members in all crisis situations the Peace Corps will, in the
event of an evacuation, initiate calls to the emergency contact persons
each Volunteer has identified.
Safe Journey
Every staff member at the Peace Corps is committed to providing Volunteers
with the support they need to successfully meet the challenges they will
face to have a safe, healthy, and productive service. We hope that the information
provided here will help you gain a sense of these challenges, the changes
in attitude and lifestyle that may be required to adapt to a new environment,
and the level of support that can be expected from the Peace Corps, local
colleagues, and host communities. The success of each Peace Corps Volunteer
is our goal. We rely on Volunteers to exercise personal responsibility, demonstrate
a keen awareness of the world around them, and a willingness to adjust their
behavior in a manner that will enhance their safety and well-being. In the
end their efforts will be rewarded with an incredible, unique experience.
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