Welcome to Peace Corps Iran Association!
This War Must End
Special March 15 Advocacy Bulletin
Contents
* This War Must End, Note from the Editor, Paul Barker-
* The Bombing of ‘Half the World’, by Paul Barker-
* UNESCO’s Nightmare, and Mine: Losing Our World Heritage, by Carolyn Yale
* No Funding for Trump’s Unconstitutional War on Iran, letter
* PCIA Board Statement on US-Israel-Iran War
* John Limbert Interviews
* War Damage
* Why This War?
* How Can This War End?
* Nuclear Concerns
* History
* This War Must End
Note from the Editor, Paul Barker
We are now entering the third week of the US-Israel war against Iran. If you consider the current fighting to be a continuation of the war which was launched in June 2025, we are now in the 9th month of the war. We cannot remain silent and still claim allegiance to our roots as volunteers who worked for global peace and understanding. This second Special Edition of the PCIA Advocacy Bulletin calls out and condemns the damage being inflicted on UNESCO world heritage sites in Iran, but is also mindful of the human suffering and economic and security losses being inflicted in countries between Iran and Israel. It suggests actions that peace activists can take to counter this disastrous war.
Read the complete issue by clicking HERE.
Statement on the US-Israel-Iran War
Board of Directors Peace Corps Iran Association
March 4, 2026
Fifty years ago (between 1962 and 1976) we served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Iran. We worked in Iranian schools and offices. We lived in Iranian communities. We earned salaries comparable to those of our Iranian counterparts. We learned to speak Farsi and to appreciate the depths of Iranian friendship and hospitality. Some of us even married Iranians. Our love and appreciation of many things Iranian has endured over the decades.
We know enough history to know that our country has sometimes been a strong ally and sometimes a foolish enemy of Iranian national aspirations for a better life with dignity, freedom and prosperity. We are pained to witness now some of the worst strands of that history repeated and amplified. Our country has become the major party to a war of choice against Iran, launched in defiance of American laws and the US Constitution as well as international laws and structures. The war is highly destabilizing to regional and likely global economic and political security.
We are deeply sympathetic to the aspirations of the Iranian people for a government that reflects the values animating recent anti-government demonstrations: Women’s rights, life and freedom (zan, zendigi, azadi). We are also deeply aware of the limitations of American military power when it comes to affecting positive change in foreign societies. We are mindful of the costs to international order when laws and conventions are willfully violated. We know that it is easy to blow things up, and ever so complicated to create and build on solid foundations for a better future.
You can download a PDF version by clicking HERE.
Last PCIA Reunion and Conference
“Past Reflection and Future Vision”
To view conference videos , click HERE.
Order a copy of the PCIA Yadegari Booklet by clicking HERE.
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2026 DOOREH KETAB BOOK CLUB SCHEDULE
Book club discussions are on Zoom. Contact [email protected] to receive the Zoom link.
NOTICE: THIS BOOK CLUB SESSION HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18.
March 18
King of Kings: The Unmaking of the Modern Middle East by Scott Anderson. Scott Anderson will join us at our usual time, 5 PM Pacific. Contains the story of Mike Metrinko, Peace Corps Volunteer who was one of the US Embassy hostages.
May 13
Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History by Vali Nasr. Nasr will join us at 5 PM Pacific.
This will be the last Dooreh Book Club discussion scheduled by the Peace Corps Iran Association.
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PCIA ANTHOLOGY
Available now, the PCIA anthology of 203 pages with over 48 stories and poems submitted by volunteers. Memories and Insights: Iran through the Eyes of Peace Corps Volunteers, is edited by John Krauskopf and published by the Peace Corps Iran Association. Proceeds from the sale of this book benefit PCIA and help support PCIA activities. To use a personal check please download and print this ORDER FORM.
PCIA ANTHOLOGY II
A second PCIA Anthology is in the works. Contact John Krauskopf ([email protected]) to learn more and to submit your story.
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LAND BETWEEN TWO WATERS: THE PEACE CORPS FOURTEEN YEARS IN IRAN 1962-1976
By Genna Wangsness
Land Between Two Waters is a chronological history from fifty groups that trained for and served in the Middle East country of Iran during the reign of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and of how those who lived through those times adjusted to a way of life so different from the places they called home. In addition to background history, hundreds of stories tell of the experiences of Peace Corps volunteers serving in the era of 1960-1970 Iran. When the country became rich with oil and expats with little knowledge of the country’s language or culture began filling the cities, working at jobs paying extravagant wages, Peace Corps made the decision to withdraw. What was lost was the interaction of Americans and Iranians sharing their lives at a personal level, developing relationships that for many lasted a lifetime. Land Between Two Waters tells of a time that no longer exists, but records for posterity memories of those who lived through historic and life-changing times.
Available on Amazon.
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PRESERVING PEACE CORPS LEGACIES
The Museum of the Peace Corps Experience collects and preserves stories and objects of material culture donated by volunteers who serve in communities around the globe. It fosters cultural understanding through education and promotes research on the impact of Peace Corps, encouraging visitors to serve—wherever they live, however they can.
Contact: (1-503-381-4206) [email protected]
The Peace Corps Community Archive at American University collects diaries, letters, or photographs, plus journals, reports, lesson plans, scrapbooks, photographs, and film, video, and audio recordings.
Contact: (1-202-885-3256) [email protected]
The Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation manages the development of Peace Corps Park (a commemorative work in Washington, DC honoring the American ideals that were fundamental in creating the Peace Corps and that are expressed in Peace Corps service.)
Contact: (1-202-251-6216) 5636 Connecticut Ave., NW Suite 42143 Washington, DC
The Peace Corps Connect: NPCA Peace Corps Advocacy supports needed legislative changes that affect returned and future Volunteers, and helps retool Peace Corps for a changed world.
Contact: (1-202-293-7728) [email protected]
Introducing Connect+
The exclusive digital hub for the Peace Corps community — powered by National Peace Corps Association and created by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who understand what service means.
After service, we all search for that familiar sense of purpose and community — and now, it’s closer than ever. Connect+ is more than a platform; it’s a living network built by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, future Volunteers, and the global friends who share our values.
Here, you’re not just signing up for another social network. You’re stepping into an all-in-one hub where you can reconnect with the people who understand your journey, engage in real-time conversations through an active live feed, and grow your network across generations, countries of service, and causes that still ignite your passion.
On Connect+, you can:
– Join community groups that speak to your story.
– Engage in lively discussions that matter — without the noise and distractions of other platforms.
– Amplify your impact by broadcasting your work, projects, writings, and passions to a community that truly gets it.
– Discover opportunities through job boards, volunteer listings, and events.
– Add your own events to NPCA’s global and local calendars, expanding your reach and helping others stay connected.
Whether you’re seeking new connections, new opportunities, or simply a place that feels like home, Connect+ is where your Peace Corps journey continues — together.
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