If you’re interested in learning about Peace Corps experiences in South America, the Friends of Colombia Archive is a great place to start.
As a member group, Friends of Colombia is an organization of returned Peace Corps volunteers who served in Colombia. The organization’s mission is to unite and provide a community for returned volunteers and staff, as well as actively supporting community-based activities in Colombia.
Initiated by Tom Bauder, the organization gathered for the first time at the Peace Corps’ 25th anniversary conference held in Washington, DC. After Colombia RPCVs in the Washington, DC area met, the group formed the Board and elected Bob Colombo as the first president. The group created by-laws and became incorporated as Friends of Colombia, a non-profit organization, in Maryland in 1990.
American University Archives is the home of the Friends of Colombia Archives, established by the organization, as a means for documenting the lives of members during and after their Peace Corps service. The archives include organizational records, biographies of Peace Corps volunteers, correspondence, and newsletters. Individual members’ donations include interviews, photos, letters, publications, and training materials.
Many of the collections included in the Peace Corps Community Archives are from the Friends of Colombia Archive. Be sure to browse the Catalog for specific collections containing materials from volunteers’ training and service in Colombia.
Sources:
“About FOC,” Friends of Colombia, (2007)
“FriendsPresent,” Friends of Colombia, (2007)
“Special Collections,” AU Library, (2014)