October 14, 2004: Headlines: Peace Corps Directors - Vasquez: Expansion: Safety and Security of PCVs: Journalism: Television: VOA News: Vasquez tells National Press Club that Peace Corps now works in 18 Muslim countries and that 27 additional countries have requested a Peace Corps presence including 13 Muslim countries

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Directors of the Peace Corps: Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez: Gaddi Vasquez: Archived Stories: October 14, 2004: Headlines: Peace Corps Directors - Vasquez: Expansion: Safety and Security of PCVs: Journalism: Television: VOA News: Vasquez tells National Press Club that Peace Corps now works in 18 Muslim countries and that 27 additional countries have requested a Peace Corps presence including 13 Muslim countries

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-141-157-9-111.balt.east.verizon.net - 141.157.9.111) on Saturday, October 16, 2004 - 12:24 pm: Edit Post

Vasquez tells National Press Club that Peace Corps now works in 18 Muslim countries and that 27 additional countries have requested a Peace Corps presence including 13 Muslim countries

Vasquez tells National Press Club that Peace Corps now works in 18 Muslim countries and that 27 additional countries have requested a Peace Corps presence including 13 Muslim countries

Vasquez tells National Press Club that Peace Corps now works in 18 Muslim countries and that 27 additional countries have requested a Peace Corps presence including 13 Muslim countries

Peace Corps Expanding Cooperation With Muslim Countries

Stephanie Ho

Washington

The director of the U.S. Peace Corps says his agency has recently put emphasis on expanding its presence in Muslim countries. The director says for decades, Peace Corps volunteers have presented what he called America's best face to the world.

Since the Peace Corps began 43 years ago, it has sent more than 170,000 volunteers to work in 135 countries.

At a luncheon speech at the National Press Club Thursday, Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez said the agency has adapted to the times, but still retains its foundations. "The principle mission of the Peace Corps is to promote global peace and friendship. And I would submit that if there was ever a time that we needed to advance the ideal of peace and friendship, promote cross-cultural understanding of people throughout the world, and promoting an understanding of Americans, that time is now," he said.

Mr. Vasquez said of the more than 70 countries the Peace Corps currently works in, 18 of them are predominantly Muslim countries. He added that this accounts for nearly 20 percent of the 7,500 Peace Corps volunteers. "Last year, we opened a new program in Azerbaijan. And we returned to Morocco, to Chad, to Jordan and Albania, all predominantly Muslim countries. These countries, I believe want to better understand America, and volunteers want to better understand their host countries and the people of those host countries," he said.

He said volunteers in Islamic countries work on a wide range of projects. "...implementing innovative ideas, like showing farmers in Senegal how to maximize their cashew yields, demonstrating computer skills to students in Bangladesh and creating after-school programs in the Gambia, that combine sports with information and preventing, also, through education and prevention programs, the spread of HIV," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr. Vasquez said 27 additional countries have requested a Peace Corps presence, including 13 Muslim countries. He said the main obstacle has been finding enough money to finance any expansion. The Peace Corps this year unsuccessfully requested $401 million from Congress. "We were not able to achieve full funding, so we have had to, not necessarily scale back, because we've increased the number of volunteers, but we have not been able to grow at the pace or level we would like to," he said.

The Peace Corps budget for fiscal year 2004 is $308 million.





When this story was posted in October 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:


"RPCVs for Kerry" support their candidate "RPCVs for Kerry" support their candidate
"RPCVs for Kerry" held a Press Conference last week and made their statement of support for John Kerry. Read why Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz say RPCVs should support Kerry for President.

Take our poll and tell us who you are going to support for President .
Director Gaddi Vasquez:  The PCOL Interview Director Gaddi Vasquez: The PCOL Interview
PCOL sits down for an extended interview with Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez. Read the entire interview from start to finish and we promise you will learn something about the Peace Corps you didn't know before.

Plus the debate continues over Safety and Security.
Schwarzenegger praises PC at Convention Schwarzenegger praises PC at Convention
Governor Schwarzenegger praised the Peace Corps at the Republican National Convention: "We're the America that sends out Peace Corps volunteers to teach village children." Schwarzenegger has previously acknowledged his debt to his father-in-law, Peace Corps Founding Director Sargent Shriver, for teaching him "the joy of public service" and Arnold is encouraging volunteerism by creating California Service Corps and tapping his wife, Maria Shriver, to lead it. Leave your comments and who can come up with the best Current Events Funny?
 Peace Corps: One of the Best Faces of America Peace Corps: One of the Best Faces of America
Teresa Heinz Kerry celebrates the Peace Corps Volunteer as one of the best faces America has ever projected in a speech to the Democratic Convention. The National Review disagreed and said that Heinz's celebration of the PCV was "truly offensive." What's your opinion and can you come up with a Political Funny?


Read the stories and leave your comments.






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.

Story Source: VOA News

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Peace Corps Directors - Vasquez; Expansion; Safety and Security of PCVs; Journalism; Television

PCOL14332
86

.


Add a Message


This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.
Username:  
Password:
E-mail: