General News
Two Peace Corps volunteers from America, Mr John Sidle and Mr. Robert Leichtner from the Peace Corps Response Volunteer (PCRV) Programme were sworn in to begin their one-year tenure with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
Members of the Peace Corps and SPREP welcomed them at a ceremony at the Peace Corps headquarters in Apia last week.
L - R Mr Clark Peteru SPREP, Mr John Sidle and Mr Robbie Leichtner the Peace Corps Volunteers,
Mr Kosi Latu SPREP, Ms. Sherry Russell Peace Corps, Mr. Eddie Stice Peace Corps
"Today marks the beginning of a relationship between Peace Corps and SPREP in a regional climate change adaptation project. Being involved in a regional project, consisting of 10 Pacific island countries, including Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, is a first for Peace Corps," said Mr Eddie Stice, Peace Corps Country Director.
After the swearing in of Mr Sidle and Mr Leichtner, the Deputy Director General of SPREP also welcomed the volunteers.
"It is momentous for SPREP making history having Peace Corps volunteers strengthen the partnership between SPREP and the US government," said Mr Kosi Latu, Deputy Director General of SPREP.
"This relationship has grown steadily over the last year and a half, which included Yale students who worked as interns at SPREP for three months at a time, which indicates the commitment the US government has made towards this relationship."
Mr John Sidle holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from Oregon State University and will be working as the Pacific Islands Protected Areas Portal Adviser within the Biodiversity and Eco-systems Management team of SPREP.
Mr. Robert Leichtner will be the Contracts Adviser within the Environmental Monitoring and Governance Team. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology from Harvard College.
Members of the Peace Corps and SPREP welcomed them at a ceremony at the Peace Corps headquarters in Apia last week.
L - R Mr Clark Peteru SPREP, Mr John Sidle and Mr Robbie Leichtner the Peace Corps Volunteers, Mr Kosi Latu SPREP, Ms. Sherry Russell Peace Corps, Mr. Eddie Stice Peace Corps
"Today marks the beginning of a relationship between Peace Corps and SPREP in a regional climate change adaptation project. Being involved in a regional project, consisting of 10 Pacific island countries, including Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu, is a first for Peace Corps," said Mr Eddie Stice, Peace Corps Country Director.
After the swearing in of Mr Sidle and Mr Leichtner, the Deputy Director General of SPREP also welcomed the volunteers.
"It is momentous for SPREP making history having Peace Corps volunteers strengthen the partnership between SPREP and the US government," said Mr Kosi Latu, Deputy Director General of SPREP.
"This relationship has grown steadily over the last year and a half, which included Yale students who worked as interns at SPREP for three months at a time, which indicates the commitment the US government has made towards this relationship."
Mr John Sidle holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Biology from Oregon State University and will be working as the Pacific Islands Protected Areas Portal Adviser within the Biodiversity and Eco-systems Management team of SPREP.
Mr. Robert Leichtner will be the Contracts Adviser within the Environmental Monitoring and Governance Team. He holds a Juris Doctor degree from Harvard Law School and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Psychology from Harvard College.