February 4, 2004 - Toronto Star: Plan for 'Peace Corps' cheered in Canada

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Headlines: February 2004 Peace Corps Headlines: February 4, 2004 - Toronto Star: Plan for 'Peace Corps' cheered in Canada

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-141-157-42-145.balt.east.verizon.net - 141.157.42.145) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 11:20 pm: Edit Post

Plan for 'Peace Corps' cheered in Canada



Plan for 'Peace Corps' cheered in Canada

Plan for `Peace Corps' cheered
`Harness idealism of young:' PM

Scheme similar to U.S. '60s program

GRAHAM FRASER
NATIONAL AFFAIRS WRITER

OTTAWA—The government is looking at developing a Canada Corps of young people working in developing countries, similar to the U.S. Peace Corps.

Prime Minister Paul Martin drew a standing ovation from the Liberal benches yesterday as he announced a program to send young Canadians abroad, saying there was an opportunity "to more fully harness the idealism of young Canadians" in the effort to help the developing world.

"One of the distinct ways in which Canada can help developing nations is to provide the expertise and experience of Canada, in justice, in federalism, in pluralistic democracy," Martin told the House of Commons in his reply to the Speech from the Throne.

"We will therefore create a new initiative, Canada Corps, to help Canadians to participate in this international assistance, harnessing the energy of young Canadians and allowing them to learn while they contribute."

Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham, who will be responsible for the project, told the Star that the government wants to direct the desire of young people to get involved in the world.

The Peace Corps was a program launched by former U.S. president John F. Kennedy in the early 1960s, which has sent thousands of Americans to developing countries working as teachers or aid workers.

A few years later, Canada developed its own program for students, Canadian University Students Overseas (CUSO), but it has never been as well-known in Canada as the Peace Corps.

The idea has been germinating in Martin's mind for four decades. He always wanted to work in the developing world and at one timeplanned to go to Peru for the United Nations.

In the summer of 1963 his younger sister, Mary Anne, went to Africa with the aid organization Crossroads Africa.

Later, she travelled to India, where she taught French at the university in Chandigargh.

Graham cautioned that the idea is clearly still in a formative stage, and that it would be at least a year before the program is ready.

He said the first step will be to bring together under one roof the various government programs that now exist for young people. Once that co-ordination is completed, the program will be expanded.

"We're going to make them more effective, more available to students," he said.




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Story Source: Toronto Star

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Canada; International Corps

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By RPCV (237.47.171.66.subscriber.vzavenue.net - 66.171.47.237) on Friday, February 06, 2004 - 12:01 pm: Edit Post

How does this new "corps" differ from or complement CUSO? I've met CUSO vols in several countries in which I've worked.

By Delanea McGinn (208.168.240.42) on Wednesday, January 02, 2008 - 4:56 pm: Edit Post

I am a canadian citisen who is now living in Grand Cayman, I would like to join the Canadian Peace Corps to do what I can for others around the world. How do I find out who to talk to? I am a cook but would like to do more. I have level 1 first Aid and am willing to learn whatever is needed to help.


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