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A DAYTON DAILY NEWS SPECIAL REPORT

Chris Stewart/Dayton Daily News

'I don't like living in fear,' says University of Dayton graduate and Peace Corps volunteer Michelle Ervin, seen here riding a bus in the African country of Cape Verde. Assaults and danger are a common feature of life in the Peace Corps. Most of the Corps' volunteers — and most of its victims — are young women.

PART ONE

Mission of Sacrifice

Peace Corps volunteers face injury, death in foreign lands

Ohio leaders recall defining moments in Corps

Tony Hall: 'You've got to go in . . . with your eyes open'

Volunteer decides to return home

Englewood native left Africa after bouts with illness

Not every crime victim counts in tracking system

Three rapes and two assaults count as one 'incident' to Corps

Corps unwilling to release information on crime

'Daily News' fights legal battle against agency to access records

EDITORIAL

Peace Corps' policies don't honor promise

The Peace Corps' good intentions and its public image as an army of ambassadors doing good around the world shouldn't exempt the agency from accountability

PEACE CORPS RESPONSE

A letter from the Peace Corps

We have concerns about 'inaccuracies and misleading information'

EDITOR'S COMMENTARY

Perils faced by volunteers need to be reported

Peace Corps has proven to be more dangerous and disturbing than is generally perceived. By Jeff Bruce

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Key findings of 'Daily News' Peace Corps investigation

Chronology of the Peace Corps

See where the volunteers serve worldwide

Breakdown of assault incidents against Peace Corps volunteers

Who we are: Learn about the series' writers, photographer

Peace Corps Death in Service database

Photo gallery

MESSAGE BOARD

Post your opinion on Peace Corps fatalities

PART TWO

Missing without a trace

Peace Corps answers few questions in disappearance

Roadside robbery leaves victim angry

Volunteer fears community she was helping to rebuild

Life of intrigue leads to murder of volunteer

Woman drawn into dangerous lifestyle during service

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Crimes against volunteers in Bolivia

Photo gallery

PART THREE

Danger in the highlands

Volunteers on edge in scenic African country

Searching for success despite risks

Two local volunteers see impact of efforts during missions in Africa

Volunteer believes lack of support cost her right eye

Beth Heyward says her pleas to go home for medical treatment were ignored

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Photo gallery

PART FOUR

Mystery deaths

Official records fail to tell complete story

'Full of malaria,' Ohio woman dies

Family says tests should have caught disease

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Bright lights of peace page (1.9MB PDF file)

Bright lights of peace extinguished

Photo gallery

PART FIVE

Who killed Karen Phillips?

Female volunteers warned Peace Corps about danger in Gabon

Satisfaction in service not enough to offset fears

Safety training inadequate, volunteer says

Murder victim speaks through diary

Grieving mother says book should be required reading

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Karen Phillips case timeline

Photo gallery

PART SIX

Marked for death

Botched robbery plot, romance leads to murder in Ukraine

Parents push for protection

'I was being treated like a worrisome mother'

Russia routs volunteers from country

Peace Corps mission called an anachronism

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Senators call for Peace Corps hearings

Photo gallery

PART SEVEN

Trouble in paradise

Problems arise when volunteers get caught up in Cape Verde culture

Dayton volunteer details machete attack

'Wrong place, wrong time' could have cost her life

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Opinion: Peace Corps mission begs reassessment

Photo gallery

REACTION

Series prompts major debate

Peace Corps volunteers launch impassioned global dialogue in response to 'Casualties of Peace'

Series elicits vigorous response

Many former volunteers quick to defend Peace Corps

Senate panel seeks Peace Corps safety plan

Request follows 'Daily News' report on volunteers

Q & A: Tony Hall on the Peace Corps

GUEST COMMENTARIES

Easier to believe myth than face need for reform

Isolated incidents aren't fair representation

Peace Corps hurt by unwise policies

Volunteer safety is top priority

Times, expectations have changed

Series overlooked success stories

Harsh realities may block vision of Peace Corps

SPEAK UP

Brief comments from readers

LETTERS TO EDITOR

Positive news buried in article

Anecdotes are not evidence

Death ratio similar

Many had rewarding experiences

Mother's fears about son in Bangladesh heightened

Reporters committed crime of omission

Partial truth harmful

Organizations make world a better place

Number of volunteers problematic

Stories not placed in context

MESSAGE BOARD

Post your opinion on Peace Corps fatalities