Carol Bellamy speaks at Grinnell College



Carol Bellamy speaks at Grinnell College

Grinnell graduates urged to help kids

Carol Bellamy, ex-director of the Peace Corps and UNICEF, stresses the
importance of service work.

By MADELAINE JEROUSEK
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
May 24, 2005

Grinnell, Ia. - The former director of UNICEF and the Peace Corps urged Grinnell College graduates Monday to pursue lives of public service.

Carol Bellamy , who spoke at Grinnell's outdoor graduation Monday morning, said work is particularly needed to improve the lives of children globally. Too many children still face death from preventable diseases, war and AIDS, she said.

"The sad truth is nearly half the world's children are living in poverty not because of benign neglect, but because too many governments are making deliberate, informed choices that hurt children," Bellamy said. "And too many people are letting those choices be made without challenge."

But Bellamy admitted she didn't need to push Grinnell graduates into public-service careers.

About 10 percent of Grinnell's 328 graduates plan to do volunteer work after graduation, including service programs such as AmeriCorps and Teach for America. Grinnell has the nation's highest per-capita Peace Corps volunteer rate of any college nationwide.

Graduate Marie Tan Kiak Li , 22, of Malaysia will stay in Grinnell to volunteer with Grinnell Corps, a one-year service program.

"I wanted to do something that keeps me happy, something that's fulfilling," she said. "Besides keeping me happy, it's got to make a difference."

Bellamy was executive director of UNICEF - the United Nations Children's Fund - for 10 years, until her term ended earlier this month. She was Peace Corps director from 1993 to 1995.

A lawyer, Bellamy was the first woman elected president of the New York City Council and also spent five years in the New York Senate.

Bellamy told graduates to be patient because change for good takes time.

"You may confront constant reminders - either direct or oblique - that you're not in Iowa anymore," she said. "But I believe that you may have a clear vision now more than ever of what you want, what you believe in and what you believe is possible."

When this story was posted in May 2005, this was on the front page of PCOL:


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May 7, 2005: This Week's Top Stories "Peace Corps Online" on recess until May 21 7 May Carol Bellamy taking the reins at World Learning 7 May Gopal Khanna appointed White House CFO 7 May Clare Bastable named Conservationist of the Year 7 May Director Gaddi Vasquez visits PCVs in Bulgaria 5 May Abe Pena sets up scholarship fund 5 May Peace Corps closes recruiting sites 4 May Hill pessimistic over Korean nuclear program 4 May Leslie Hawke says PC should split into two organizations 4 May Peace Corps helps students find themselves 3 May Kevin Griffith's Tsunami Assistance Project collects 50k 3 May Tim Wright studied Quechua at UCLA 2 May Doyle not worried about competition 2 May Dodd discusses President's Social Security plan 1 May Randy Mager works in Blue Moon Safaris 1 May PCVs safe in Togo after disputed elections 30 Apr Michael Sells teaches Islamic History and Literature 28 Apr

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May 7, 2005: Special Events "Iowa in Ghana" on exhibit in Waterloo through June 30 "American Taboo" author Phil Weiss in Maryland on June 18 Leland Foerster opens photo exhibition at Cal State RPCV Writers scholarship in Baltimore - deadline June 1 Gary Edwards' music performed in Idaho on May 24 RPCVs: Post your stories or press releases here for inclusion next week.

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