October 21, 2005: Headlines: Speaking Out: Arizona Republic: Peace Corps finds renewed passion in volunteerism

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Peace Corps finds renewed passion in volunteerism

Peace Corps finds renewed passion in volunteerism

Many high schools now have a community service program that ensures student involvement. "The more you are exposed to volunteerism as a young person, the more likely you are to do something like the Peace Corps," Cole said. "I've had a lot of people who have referenced a high school teacher who put the idea of volunteerism in their head."

Peace Corps finds renewed passion in volunteerism

Peace Corps finds renewed passion in volunteerism

John Faherty
The Arizona Republic
Oct. 21, 2005 12:00 AM

The graphic images of people suffering in the wake of last year's tsunami and the rising casualties from the AIDS epidemic in Africa are spurring young people to get involved.

Today, the Peace Corps has more volunteers in the field than any time in the past 30 years. Of the 7,810 volunteers, 136 are from Arizona.

Joining means going to a developing country for 27 months to help locals live a better life.

The reasons for the renewed spirit of volunteerism are many and include:

• Increased global awareness after 9/11.

• Institutionalized volunteerism at many high schools.

• Support from the Bush administration to promote volunteerism, including active support of the Peace Corps.

"The world gets smaller and smaller all the time," said Sarah Daniels of Tucson.

Daniels spent two years in the Peace Corps in Namibia in Southwest Africa.

"I wanted to do something to help people, and this was a good way to do it," said Daniels, 28, who is now in her last year of medical school at the University of Arizona.

And there are many more people like her.

"People are caring more about things going on around the world," said David Briery, who works for the Peace Corps' Western region, which includes Arizona and Southern California. "I have a renewed faith in young people and what they seem to care about."

Desire to help

Steven Cole is the Peace Corps recruiter at UA as well as an anthropology doctoral student. Last year, UA had 49 alumni serving in the corps.

He served two years in Zambia working with local people in agriculture and health programs. The experience was so rewarding he decided to serve another two years.

When he talks to people who are thinking about joining, he tries to make sure they understand the commitment.

"The first thing is a global awareness," Cole said. "And a zeal, a passion, to understand another culture. If you don't have that, it doesn't matter how rugged you are, how much you want to help."

Cole knows it is a cliche about planting a seed of helping others when people are young, but it works.

Many high schools now have a community service program that ensures student involvement.

"The more you are exposed to volunteerism as a young person, the more likely you are to do something like the Peace Corps," Cole said. "I've had a lot of people who have referenced a high school teacher who put the idea of volunteerism in their head."

Peace Corp volunteers are provided with an allowance that lets them live similarly to the people in their community.

At the end of service, they receive $6,075 to help transition back to home.

Jacob Dang, 25, grew up in Mesa and is thinking about joining, despite his career as an engineer.

The time commitment, more than two years, is giving him pause, but he still feels a desire to serve.

Dang is interested in "helping the unfortunate" and getting to see the world.

He is motivated, in part, by the fact that he knows he grew up more comfortably than most people.

His parents knew hardship before they emigrated from Vietnam. "I feel very fortunate, helping would be good," he said.

Eric Chase, 29, has been in Kenya for three months with the Peace Corps. He will work as a teacher.

His mother, Gail Chase of Phoenix, has been able to speak with him just once since he left.

"I am extremely proud of him," Gail said. "I'm happy for him, too, because this is such an adventure."

Gail said her son, a graduate of Bourgade Catholic High School in Phoenix, has always been aware of a bigger world beyond the borders of the United States.

"He has a social streak in him," she said. "He truly wants to make an impact on the world. Make things a little bit better, even if it is just in one village in Kenya."

Diversifying volunteers

The face of the Peace Corp volunteer is changing. The average volunteer is now 28, and 6 percent of all volunteers are over 50.

The Peace Corps has also made a concerted effort to increase minority involvement, and now nearly one in six volunteers is a minority.

Briery says some people may be joining because of the president's encouragement.

"There has been a push with this administration for volunteerism in general. And for more Peace Corps volunteers," Briery said.

Gail Chase worried about her son when he first went to Kenya. "At first I was really concerned. Concerned about him getting sick, about all the cultural differences. . . . But he is doing great."





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


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Congratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest number of volunteers in 30 years with 7,810 volunteers serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course, the President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal spending stretching far off into the future, any substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new administration. Choose your candidate and start working for him or her now.

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The U.S. military is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. Read the results of our poll among RPCVs. Latest: Congressman John Kline introduces legislation to alter the program to remove the Peace Corps as an option for completing an individual’s military enlistment requirement.

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Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

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Story Source: Arizona Republic

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