May 21, 2003 - White House: President Bush announces "Volunteers for Prosperity"

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By Admin1 (admin) on Wednesday, May 21, 2003 - 2:48 pm: Edit Post

President Bush announces "Volunteers for Prosperity"





Read and comment on this speech that President Bush gave at the US Coast Guard Academy this afternoon in which he reiterated that he supports the doubling of the size of the Peace Corps and also announced a new program under the USA Freedom Corps call the "Volunteers for Prosperity" that would place professionals such as doctors and nurses overseas in countries of their choice to work on specific developmental initiatives for however long their projects take:
For more than four decades, the volunteers of the Peace Corps have carried the good will of America into many parts of the world. Interest in this program is greater than ever before. I'm determined to double the size of the Peace Corps over five years.

Today, I would like to announce a new USA Freedom Corps initiative called Volunteers for Prosperity, which will give America's highly skilled professionals new opportunities to serve abroad. The program will enlist American doctors and nurses and teachers and engineers and economists and computer specialists, and others to work on specific development initiatives, including those that I have discussed today. These volunteers will serve in the countries of their choice, for however long their project takes. Like generations before us, this generation of citizens will show the world the energy and idealism of the United States of America.
No further details were available at this time on how the "Volunteers for Prosperity" will function. Read the speech at:

President Discusses American Values in Coast Guard Commencement*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



President Discusses American Values in Coast Guard Commencement
Remarks by the President in Commencement Address to United States Coast Guard Academy
Cadet Nitchman Field
New London, Connecticut

11:37 A.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you very much. Thanks for the warm welcome. Admiral Collins and Admiral Olsen, Secretary Ridge, Lieutenant Governor Rell, Mr. President, I'm glad you're here, thank you for coming, sir; Congressman Simmons, the fine professors of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, distinguished guests, proud family members and the graduates. Thank you for your welcome, and thank you for the honor of speaking to the newest officers of the United States Coast Guard.

You know, I was born in this state, just down the road. (Laughter and applause.) I've still got relatives living here. (Laughter.) And it looks like some of them were up late last night painting Pride Rock. (Laughter and applause.)

This is a proud day for the Class of 2003, I know you've worked hard to get here. You've persevered through the rigors of Swab Summer, you've faced difficult trials -- in the classroom, aboard Eagle. And now, with silver dollars in your pockets, you're ready to become officers in our nation's oldest, continuous sea-going service. You have shown each day that you "revere honor" and that you "honor duty." You have made your families, your professors and your country proud. On behalf of the American people, thank you for choosing a life of service, and congratulations on a great achievement. (Applause.)

I bring with me a small graduation present. Pursuant to the longstanding tradition, I hereby grant amnesty to all cadets on restriction for minor conduct offenses. (Laughter and applause.) I leave it up to Admiral Olsen to determine the definition of "minor." (Laughter.)

Coast Guard Academy life is demanding, and it should be -- because you are entrusted with solemn responsibilities, in peace and in war. America counts on the Coast Guard to enforce maritime law, to secure our waterways and ports, to rescue those in distress, and to intercept illegal drugs. In this new century, we will count on you even more. The men and women of this class are the first ever to graduate into the Department of Homeland Security, which is charged with protecting the American people against terrorist attacks. You are bringing a long tradition of duty to this new and urgent task. Terrorists who seek to harm our country now face your "Shield of Freedom." Every citizen can be grateful that the Coast Guard stands watch for America.

The Coast Guard is also playing a vital role in America's strategy to confront terror before it comes to our shores. In the Iraqi theater, Coast Guard cutters and patrol boats and buoy tenders, and over a thousand of your finest active duty and reserve members protected key ports and oil platforms, detained Iraqi prisoners of war, and helped speed the delivery of relief supplies to the Iraqi people. Many have returned safely to port, and many remain on duty in the Persian Gulf. All have helped to liberate a great people. And all have brought great credit to the uniform of the United States Coast Guard. (Applause.)

In Iraq, America's military and our allies carried out every mission, and exceeded every expectation. Heavy units of armor and infantry moved with a speed and agility that kept the enemy in a state of constant surprise and deadly confusion. Air strikes and cruise missiles destroyed the power centers and meeting places of the regime, while targets were carefully examined to protect the innocent from harm. Our forces confronted an enemy that rejected every rule of warfare and morality -- but our men and women in uniform showed their decency and kept their honor. In a month of battle, American Armed Services set an example of skill and daring that will stand for all time. (Applause.)

America will not relent in the war against global terror. (Applause.) We will hunt the terrorists in every dark corner of the earth. And we're making good progress. Nearly one-half of al Qaeda's senior operatives have been captured or killed. (Applause.) We will deny the terrorists the sanctuary and bases they need to plan and strike -- as we have done in the battle of Afghanistan. We will not permit terror networks or terror states to threaten or blackmail the world with weapons of mass destruction -- as we have shown in the battle of Iraq. (Applause.) Our country has been attacked by treachery in our own cities -- and that treachery continues in places like Riyadh and Casablanca. We have seen the ruthless intentions of our enemies. And they are seeing our intentions: we will press on until this danger to our country and to the world is ended. (Applause.)

Yet, the national interest of America involves more than eliminating aggressive threats to our safety. We also stand for the values that defeat violence, and the hope that overcomes hatred. We find our greatest security in the advance of human freedom. Free societies look to the possibilities of the future, instead of feeding old resentments and bitterness. Free countries build wealth and prosperity for their people in an atmosphere of stability and order, instead of seeking weapons of mass murder and attacking their neighbors. Because America loves peace, America will always work and sacrifice for the expansion of freedom. (Applause.)

The advance of freedom is more than an interest we pursue. It is a calling we follow. Our country was created in the name and cause of freedom. And if the self-evident truths of our founding are true for us, they are true for all. As a people dedicated to civil rights, we are driven to defend the human rights of others. We are the nation that liberated continents and concentration camps. We are the nation of the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Airlift and the Peace Corps. We are the nation that ended the oppression of Afghan women, and we are the nation that closed the torture chambers of Iraq. (Applause.)

America's national ambition is the spread of free markets, free trade, and free societies. These goals are not achieved at the expense of other nations, they are achieved for the benefit of all nations. America seeks to expand, not the borders of our country, but the realm of liberty.

Our vision is opposed by terrorists and tyrants who attack a world they can never inspire. This vision is also threatened by the faceless enemies of human dignity: plague and starvation and hopeless poverty. And America is at war with these enemies, as well.

The advance of freedom and hope is challenged by the spread of AIDS. Today, on the continent of Africa, nearly 30 million people are afflicted with HIV/AIDS, including 3 million children under the age of 15. The African continent has lost 7 million agricultural workers. In some countries, almost a third of the teachers are HIV positive. A 15-year old boy living in Botswana has an 80 percent chance of dying of AIDS. It is a desperate struggle for any person, or any nation, to build a better future in the shadow of death.

Yet, this shadow can be lifted. AIDS can be prevented, and AIDS can be treated. Lives can be saved, and others extended by many years. In my State of the Union Address in January, I put forward an Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, directing $15 billion over the next five years to fight AIDS abroad. And we will especially focus our efforts on 14 African and Caribbean countries where HIV/AIDS is heavily concentrated.

I'm pleased that both Houses of Congress have now passed a bill authorizing these funds; I look forward to signing the bill next week. (Applause.) The Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief is the largest, single up front commitment in history for an international public health initiative involving a specific disease.

With this dramatic expansion of America's efforts, we will prevent 7 million new HIV infections; treat at least 2 million people with life-extending drugs; and provide humane care for 10 million HIV-infected individuals and AIDS orphans.

When I travel to Europe next week, I will challenge our allies to make a similar commitment which will save even more lives. I will remind them that the clock is ticking -- that every single day 8,000 more people will die from AIDS in Africa. There will be 14,000 more infections. I will urge our European partners, and Japan, and Canada, to join a great mission of rescue, and to match their good intentions with real resources. (Applause.)

The advance of freedom and hope in the world is also challenged by an ancient enemy: famine. Our world produces more than enough food to feed its 6 billion people. Yet tens of millions are at risk of starvation, and millions more lack water fit for drinking. This crisis also is concentrated in Africa. We have the ability to confront this suffering. And we accept the duty, a old as the Scriptures, to comfort the afflicted and to feed the hungry.

America is already the largest provider in the world of food relief -- giving more than $1.4 billion in global emergency food aid, and one-half of all contributions to the World Food Program. And we are determined to do more. I've committed to a nearly $1 billion initiative to provide clean drinking water to 50 million people in the developing world. I've also asked Congress to provide $200 million for a new Famine Fund, which will give us the flexibility to act quickly when the first signs of famine appear. I call on other nations to follow our lead by establishing their own emergency funds. By saving time in responding to crisis, we will save lives.

We can also greatly reduce the long-term problem of hunger i Africa by applying the latest developments of science. I have proposed an Initiative to End Hunger in Africa. By widening the use of new high-yield bio-crops and unleashing the power of markets, we can dramatically increase agricultural productivity and feed more people across the continent.

Yet, our partners in Europe are impeding this effort. They have blocked all new bio-crops because of unfounded, unscientific fears. This has caused many African nations to avoid investing in biotechnologies, for fear their products will be shut out of European markets. European governments should join -- not hinder -- the great cause of ending hunger in Africa. (Applause.)

We must also give farmers in Africa, Latin America and Asia and elsewhere a fair chance to compete in world markets. When wealthy nations subsidize their agricultural exports, it prevents poor countries from developing their own agricultural sectors. So I propose that all developed nations, including our partners in Europe, immediately eliminate subsidies on agricultural exports to developing countries so that they can produce more food to export and more food to feed their own people. (Applause.)

The advance of freedom is also undermined by persistent poverty and despair. Half the human population lives on less than $2 a day. Billions of men and women can scarcely imagine the benefits of modern life because they have never experienced them.

For decades, many governments around the world have made sincere and generous efforts to support global development. Far too often, these funds have only enriched corrupt rulers and made little or no difference in the lives of the poor. It's time for governments of developed nations to stop asking the simplistic question: How much money are we transferring from nations that are rich? The only question that matters is: How much good are we doing to help people that are poor? (Applause.) The only standard worth setting and meeting is the standard of results.

The lesson of our time is clear: when nations embrace free markets, the rule of law and open trade, they prosper, and millions of lives are lifted out of poverty and despair. So I have proposed the creation of a new Millennium Challenge Account -- an entirely new approach to development aid. This money will go to developing nations whose governments are committed to three broad standards: they must rule justly; they must invest in the health and education of their people; and they must have policies that encourage economic freedom. (Applause.)

To fund this account, I have proposed a 50 percent increase in America's core development assistance over the next three years. Under this proposal, our annual development assistance eventually will be $5 billion greater than it is today. I urge the Congress to give its full support to the Millennium Challenge Account. And when I'm in Europe, I will call on America's partners to join us in moving beyond the broken development policies of the past, and encourage the freedom and reform that lead to prosperity. (Applause.)

These goals -- advancing against disease, hunger and poverty -- will bring greater security to our country. They are also the moral purpose of American influence. They set an agenda for our government, and they give idealistic citizens a great cause to serve. President Woodrow Wilson said, "America has a spiritual energy in her which no other nation can contribute to the liberation of mankind." In this new century, we must apply that energy to the good of people everywhere.

For more than four decades, the volunteers of the Peace Corps have carried the good will of America into many parts of the world. Interest in this program is greater than ever before. I'm determined to double the size of the Peace Corps over five years. (Applause.) Today, I would like to announce a new USA Freedom Corps initiative called Volunteers for Prosperity, which will give America's highly skilled professionals new opportunities to serve abroad. The program will enlist American doctors and nurses and teachers and engineers and economists and computer specialists, and others to work on specific development initiatives, including those that I have discussed today. These volunteers will serve in the countries of their choice, for however long their project takes. Like generations before us, this generation of citizens will show the world the energy and idealism of the United States of America. (Applause.)

I see that idealism in the faces of our soldiers and sailors and airmen and Marines. I see that idealism in the faces of this academy class. The men and women of the Coast Guard are "always ready" to defend the security of this nation. You are "always ready" to rescue those in trouble. These two commitments define your mission -- and they define America's role in history. We understand that strength is necessary to confound the designs of evil men. And we know that the compassion and generosity of this land can aid the suffering, and inspire the world. We will use the great power of America to serve the great ideals of America. And by these efforts we will build a lasting, democratic peace -- for ourselves, and for all humanity. (Applause.)

Congratulations. May God bless the Class of 2003. May God continue to bless the United States of America. Semper Paratus. (Applause.)

END 12:03 P.M. EDT

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Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; USA Freedom Corps; Volunteers for Prosperity

PCOL4833
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By Admin1 (admin) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 10:05 am: Edit Post

More Details on "Volunteers for Prosperity"





Read and comment on this Press Release from the Washington File that contains more details on the "Volunteers for Propsperity" program that President Bush announced today at his commencement address at the US Coast Guard Academy:
How it works: A doctor in Chicago who wants to volunteer for three months to help HIV/AIDS patients in Uganda can contact the USA Freedom Corps and be matched with an organization that is working in Uganda; needs highly skilled volunteers; meets established safety, recruitment, and mobilization protocols; and has funding from a U.S. initiative. She could then be sent to Uganda as a volunteer with her expenses paid by the organization she is helping and, in this case, with support from the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
The bottom line is that from the description given, "Volunteers for Progress" is not a new program or a new organization, but the renaming and of a program that the USA Freedom Corps has had in place for some time for matching volunteers with volunteer organizations that are registered with the USA Freedom Corps. Read the story at:

Bush Announces Volunteer Corps for Overseas Development*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Bush Announces Volunteer Corps for Overseas Development

(Encourages professionals to volunteer for major U.S. development initiatives) (1410)

Following is a May 21 White House fact sheet on a new "Volunteers for Prosperity" initiative through which highly skilled volunteers can support U.S. development efforts by working with nongovernmental and voluntary service organizations in countries around the world:

(Note: In the fact sheet "billion" means 1,000 million.)

(begin fact sheet)

THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary May 21, 2003

FACT SHEET

The Advance of Freedom and Hope

"America's national ambition is the spread of free markets, free trade, and free societies. These goals are not achieved at the expense of other nations, they are achieved for the benefit of all nations. America seeks to expand, not the borders of our country, but the realm of liberty. Our vision is opposed by terrorists and tyrants who attack a world they can never inspire. This vision is also threatened by the faceless enemies of human dignity: plague and starvation and hopeless poverty. And America is at war with these enemies, as well."

-- President George W. Bush, May 21, 2003

Today's Presidential Action

Today, in his commencement address at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, President George W. Bush announced "Volunteers for Prosperity," a new volunteer-based initiative to support major U.S. development initiatives using the talents of highly skilled Americans to work with nongovernmental and voluntary service organizations in countries around the world. He also called on our partners in Europe, Japan, and Canada to follow the lead of the United States and increase their financial commitments to the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Volunteers for Prosperity

"These goals -- advancing against disease, hunger and poverty -- will bring greater security to our country. They are also the moral purpose of American influence. They set an agenda for our government, and they give idealistic citizens a great cause to serve."

-- President George W. Bush, May 21, 2003

Volunteers for Prosperity, a program of the USA Freedom Corps, encourages highly skilled American professionals in a variety of fields to volunteer for a flexible term in developing countries and emerging economies.

-- Supporting U.S. development initiatives: Working with federal government agencies, the USA Freedom Corps will match doctors, nurses, teachers, engineers, economists, computer specialists, and others with organizations working on specific U.S. development initiatives including: the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief; the Millennium Challenge Initiative; the Trade for Africa Development and Enterprise Initiative; the Water for the Poor Initiative; the Digital Freedom Initiative; and the Middle East Partnership Initiative.

-- How it works: A doctor in Chicago who wants to volunteer for three months to help HIV/AIDS patients in Uganda can contact the USA Freedom Corps and be matched with an organization that is working in Uganda; needs highly skilled volunteers; meets established safety, recruitment, and mobilization protocols; and has funding from a U.S. initiative. She could then be sent to Uganda as a volunteer with her expenses paid by the organization she is helping and, in this case, with support from the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

-- Volunteers needed now: Some organizations are prepared to take volunteers now. People can find these international volunteer service opportunities through the USA Freedom Corps and its USA Freedom Corps Volunteer Network at www.usafreedomcorps.gov.

-- Increased Interest in Serving Overseas: Approximately 183,000 people have requested Peace Corps applications since the President launched the USA Freedom Corps and announced his intent to double over five years the number of men and women serving overseas for two years as Peace Corps volunteers. The President is using the new effort announced today to help more Americans find more opportunities to share American compassion abroad.

The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief

In his remarks today, the President called upon our partners in Europe, Japan, and Canada to match their good intentions with real resources and join the U.S. in the global fight against AIDS.

President Bush hailed the passage of the five-year $15 billion Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in both Houses of Congress. This initiative will help the most afflicted countries in Africa and the Caribbean: Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethipoia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. The initiative will:

-- Prevent 7 million new infections, or 60 percent of the projected 12 million new infections in the target countries.

-- Provide antiretroviral drugs for 2 million HIV-infected people, whereas only 50,000 are receiving these drugs in Africa today.

-- Provide medical care for 10 million HIV-infected individuals and AIDS orphans.

The $15 billion for this initiative -- $10 billion in new funds -- nearly triples the U.S. commitment to international AIDS assistance. Funding will begin with $2 billion in FY 2004, and ramp up thereafter. The $15 billion includes an additional $1 billion commitment to the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, conditioned on the Fund showing results.

Famine and Agricultural Productivity

President Bush today called for renewed efforts to combat famine and hunger worldwide, as part of his FY 2004 $1.4 billion commitment to fund emergency aid to alleviate world hunger.

-- The President called upon Congress to provide $200 million for a new Famine Fund to prevent famine in vulnerable developing countries, and called on other nations to follow our lead by establishing their own emergency funds.

-- President Bush also urged our partners in Europe to follow America's lead and join us in widening the use of new, high-yield biotechnology crops that will dramatically increase agricultural productivity throughout Africa.

-- To give farmers in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and elsewhere a fair chance to compete in world markets, the President urged all developed nations, including our European partners, to immediately eliminate subsidies on agricultural exports to developing countries -- so that they can produce more food to export, and to feed their own people.

-- The President's Initiative to End Hunger in Africa, announced by Secretary of State Powell in Johannesburg, will increase agricultural productivity through technological advances, widen trade opportunities, and implement the right policies to prevent future famines. Today in Africa, 38 million people are at risk of starvation or are facing severe food shortages, including 14 million people in Ethiopia alone.

Water for the Poor Initiative

The President called for renewed efforts to bring safe drinking water to the world's poor. He reiterated the U.S. commitment made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August 2002, of a nearly $1 billion 3-year water program that will provide at least 50 million poor people with clean water.

The Water for the Poor Initiative is focused on three areas: enhancing access to clean water and sanitation, improving watershed management, and increasing the productivity of water use.

This initiative will provide people with technologies and materials to disinfect water at its "point of use" in the home. "Point-of-use" technologies have been identified by the World Water Development Report as the most cost-effective means of reducing water-related diseases in all regions of the world.

The Millennium Challenge Account

In his address today, President Bush called on Congress to pass legislation supporting the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA) Initiative that links greater contributions by developed nations to greater responsibility and accountability by developing nations, in order to promote sound policies in the developing world. In sound policy environments, every dollar of aid attracts two dollars of private capital. In countries where poor public policy dominates, aid can harm the very citizens it is meant to help by crowding out private investment and perpetuating failed polices.

-- The President's MCA Initiative calls for a 50 percent increase in our core development assistance by 2006, beginning with a $1.3 billion increase in FY 2004 and rising to $5 billion annually by FY 2006, and each year thereafter, to help developing nations spur economic growth and poverty alleviation.

These funds will be managed by a separate government corporation and distributed to developing countries that demonstrate a strong commitment toward:

-- Good Governance. Rooting out corruption, upholding human rights, and adherence to the rule of law are essential conditions for successful development.

-- The health and education of their people. Investment in schools, health care, and immunization provide for healthy and educated citizens who become agents of development.

-- Sound economic policies that foster enterprise and entrepreneurship. More open markets, sustainable budget policies, and strong support for development will unleash the enterprise and creativity for lasting growth and prosperity.

(end fact sheet)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)



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5/21/03
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Bush announces "Volunteers for Prosperity" 21 May
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Kerry calls for 25 thousand Volunteers 19 May
Peace Corps on the wagon 14 May
A Russian Peace Corps? 14 May
Watch Director Vasquez on web tv 8 May
Concerns over Relief Efforts in Iraq 6 May
SARS disrupts PCV's mission in China 5 May
Family spans 3 generations of PCVs 4 May
Bush thanks Vasquez on AIDS Initiative 29 Apr
White House kicks back Gearan nomination 28 Apr
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PCOL Magazine - May 2003 Issue
Jack Vaughn - Peace Corps Legend
The Digital Freedom Initiative
Committee Approves Dodd's PC Legislation
PCV returns to China on her own
The Peace Corps' Secret

Special Report - Iraq Reconstruction
Shays says aid organizations curtailed in Iraq
RPCV to re-establish financial system in Iraq
US has obligations in Iraq says RPCV


Special Reports
Exclusive: How RPCVs organized anti-war Ad
Improvements needed in Volunteer Support
From Russia with Love
GAO Reports on PCV Safety and Security
The Controversy over Lariam
Senior Staff Appointments at PC HQ
PC Expansion: The Numbers Game?
Why the Peace Corps needs Shriver's 4th Goal
When should PC return to Afghanistan?
RPCV Spy dies in Moscow
The Case for Peace Corps Independence
USA Freedom Corps paved with good intentions
more special reports ...



Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; USA Freedom Corps; Volunteers for Prosperity

PCOL4835
07

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By Admin1 (admin) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 10:47 am: Edit Post

More Details on "Volunteers for Prosperity", confusion over Geek Corps and the Digital Freedom Initiative





Read and comment on this Press Release from the State Department's Washington File with more details on the "Volunteers for Prosperity" program. The program matches volunteers with non-governmental organizations and will also provide millions of dollars in new federal funding to non-governmental organizations to implement the president's program. The story also says that:
Another of Bush's international volunteer service programs, the Digital Freedom Initiative, has more than 40 computer specialists, called the Geek Corps, currently working as volunteers in Senegal. The program is designed to help 360,000 small businesses in Senegal grow with the introduction of information technology. The Bush administration plans to expand the initiative to 20 countries throughout Africa.
This information does not appear to be accurate. The Geek Corps is an NGO that has been working for many years to bring computers and technology to the third world. One of their biggest programs has been in Ghana. They have no volunteers in Senegal to our knowledge. The Digital Freedom Initiative is another program altogether and was announced on March 5 at the White House as a partnership between the Department of Commerce, USAID, the Peace Corps, and several private companies including Hewlett Packard and Cisco Systems. Read the story at:

Bush Announces New International Service Initiative*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Bush Announces New International Service Initiative

("Volunteers For Prosperity" to enlist professionals to help around world) (750) By Alicia Langley Washington File White House Correspondent

President Bush announced May 21 a new international service initiative known as Volunteers For Prosperity, a program to enlist and deploy highly skilled professionals such as doctors, nurses, computer specialists, engineers and educators to countries around the world to promote global prosperity.

He made the announcement during his commencement address at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut.

Under Bush's plan, volunteers will be matched through USA Freedom Corps with non-governmental organizations working through the Millennium Challenge Account, the Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Digital Freedom Initiative, the Water For the Poor Initiative, the Trade for Africa Development and Enterprise Initiative, and the Middle East Partnership Initiative. The initiative calls upon professionals to be deployed for a limited period of time, normally weeks or months.

The Executive Director of USA Freedom Corps, John Bridgeland, told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to Connecticut that there are several organizations "prepared to accept skilled volunteers, for example, to work in hospitals to help prevent and treat AIDS patients, through City Links partnership to deploy individuals from city governments to help work on clean water and sanitation projects."

"We hope, eventually, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands" will work as volunteers in the new program, Bridgeland said.

Millions of dollars in new federal funding will be awarded to non-governmental organizations to implement the president's program. The organizations will then be responsible for paying for the volunteers and using those resources as leverage to solicit additional private contributions.

Bush told the graduating class of Coast Guard cadets that every citizen can be grateful that the Coast Guard stands watch for America and that the Coast Guard is also playing a vital role in America's strategy to confront terror before it comes to America's shores.

He also explained that "the national interest of America involves more than eliminating aggressive threats to our safety. We also stand for the values that defeat violence and the hope that overcomes hatred. We find our greatest security in the advance of human freedom."

"America's national ambition is the spread of free markets, free trade and free societies, Bush said. "These goals are not achieved at the expense of other nations. They are achieved for the benefit of all nations. America seeks to expand not the borders of our country but the realm of liberty."

"Free countries build wealth and prosperity for their people in an atmosphere of stability and order, instead of seeking weapons of mass murder and attacking their neighbors," the president said. "Because America loves peace, America will always work and sacrifice for the expansion of freedom."

Sadly, Bush said, the advance of freedom around the world is undermined by persistent poverty and despair, hunger and disease. He said it is his hope that a new U.S. approach to development aid, including the Millennium Challenge Account and his Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 14 African and Caribbean nations, will save lives and pave the way for greater global prosperity.

He promised he would challenge America's allies to make a similar commitment to save lives when he visits Europe prior to the economic summit of the group of eight major industrialized nations (G8) in Evian, France, June 1-3.

"I will remind them that the clock is ticking, that every single day 8,000 more people will die from AIDS in Africa. There will be 14,000 more infections. I will urge our European partners and Japan and Canada to join a great mission of rescue, and to match their good intentions with real resources."

Bush also restated his commitment to double the capacity of the Peace Corps from 7,000 to 15,000 volunteers over the next five years.

"We remain on track to do that," Bridgeland told reporters. He said interest in the Peace Corps is greater than ever, noting that while there have been 183,000 requests for applications by Americans who want to serve, only 7,000 slots are available at this time.

Another of Bush's international volunteer service programs, the Digital Freedom Initiative, has more than 40 computer specialists, called the Geek Corps, currently working as volunteers in Senegal. The program is designed to help 360,000 small businesses in Senegal grow with the introduction of information technology. The Bush administration plans to expand the initiative to 20 countries throughout Africa.

(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)



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By Admin1 (admin) on Thursday, May 22, 2003 - 10:48 am: Edit Post

Senator Leahy commends President for support of Peace Corps funding increase, criticizes other aspects of Bush's Foreign Assistance Plan





Read and comment on this Press Release from US Newswire on Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt. and the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, the Appropriations Committee panel that handles the Senate's work on the annual Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill, who commended the President for calling attention to the importance of foreign aid and for working to increase funding for HIV/AIDS, his Millennium Challenge initiative, a new famine fund, and the Peace Corps. However he also criticized other aspects of the President's initiatives:
"But even a cursory look behind the curtain reveals a shell game that slights our help to some of the world's most despairing people. Under the President's actual budget proposals, the President's words do not yet match his deeds. The President is asking other nations to do more, as they should. But he has budgeted only half the amount to combat AIDS that Congress authorized. His other initiatives rob Peter to pay Paul, and the Peters and the Pauls in this case are the poorest of the poor. The President's budget would require cuts in vital foreign aid programs, including work to improve child and maternal health, efforts to combat infectious diseases, initiatives to promote democracy building, and programs that feed and shelter refugees."
Read the story at:

Sen. Leahy Reaction to Bush Address on Foreign Assistance*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Sen. Leahy Reaction to Bush Address on Foreign Assistance

U.S. Newswire

21 May 17:32

Reaction of Sen. Patrick Leahy to the President's Address on U.S. Foreign Assistance

To: National Desk

Contact: David Carle of the Office of Senator Patrick Leahy 202-224-3693

WASHINGTON, May 21 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following are comments of Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., on President Bush's remarks today (Wed., May 21), at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Conn., about U.S. foreign assistance efforts. Leahy is the ranking Democratic member of the Senate Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, the Appropriations Committee panel that handles the Senate's work on the annual Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill. In his speech, the President singled out a handful of programs for which the Administration will seek increased funding in the Fiscal Year 2004 budget: HIV/AIDS, the Millennium Challenge Account, the Peace Corps, and the Famine Fund. Leahy today pointed out that several other critical foreign aid programs are being cut to help pay for these increases. For example, the President proposes $200 million for a new Famine Fund to help combat starvation in Africa. At the same time, his budget proposes cutting two programs that are used to respond to famines around the world -- the Title II Food Aid and International Disaster Assistance programs -- by a total of $307 million. Other cuts in the President's FY04 budget request include Refugee Assistance (-2.8 percent), Food Aid (-17.7 percent), Development Assistance (-2.5 percent), other Global Health programs (-14.3 percent), and International Disaster Assistance (-18.3 percent).

Comments of Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.):

"I commend the President for calling attention to the importance of foreign aid and for working to increase funding for HIV/AIDS, his Millennium Challenge initiative, a new famine fund, and the Peace Corps.

"But even a cursory look behind the curtain reveals a shell game that slights our help to some of the world's most despairing people. Under the President's actual budget proposals, the President's words do not yet match his deeds. The President is asking other nations to do more, as they should. But he has budgeted only half the amount to combat AIDS that Congress authorized. His other initiatives rob Peter to pay Paul, and the Peters and the Pauls in this case are the poorest of the poor. The President's budget would require cuts in vital foreign aid programs, including work to improve child and maternal health, efforts to combat infectious diseases, initiatives to promote democracy building, and programs that feed and shelter refugees.

"Short-changing this help for people who desperately need it would be short-sighted and harmful to our own security interests. I urge the President to send Congress a budget amendment to fully fund the AIDS bill, to restore funding for other foreign aid efforts, and to show the leadership that the world expects of the United States. If he does he will have bipartisan support for his effort."

http://www.usnewswire.com -0-

/U.S. Newswire 202-347-2770/

05/21 17:32

Copyright 2003, U.S. Newswire

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Watch Director Vasquez on web tv 8 May
Concerns over Relief Efforts in Iraq 6 May
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Jack Vaughn - Peace Corps Legend
The Digital Freedom Initiative
Committee Approves Dodd's PC Legislation
PCV returns to China on her own
The Peace Corps' Secret

Special Report - Iraq Reconstruction
Shays says aid organizations curtailed in Iraq
RPCV to re-establish financial system in Iraq
US has obligations in Iraq says RPCV


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PC Expansion: The Numbers Game?
Why the Peace Corps needs Shriver's 4th Goal
When should PC return to Afghanistan?
RPCV Spy dies in Moscow
The Case for Peace Corps Independence
USA Freedom Corps paved with good intentions
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Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.

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