The Peace Corps attracted scores of idealistic young men and women willing to do good work in foreign lands



The surprising thing is the United States gained as much as it gave. The volunteers were educated about the world and brought that knowledge back home to our insular USA. Our government gained more credibility than it deserves, especially in Central and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. And yes, there were business and military intelligence contacts that helped in the Cold War era, when we were fighting international communism.

The Peace Corps attracted scores of idealistic young men and women willing to do good work in foreign lands

Left Justified: Peace Corps or war corpses?

By Stanley Campbell Print this page

The Peace Corps has been around for 45 years. It was started by the assassinated president, John F. Kennedy, in 1961. And he put his brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver, in charge. A little bit of nepotism, but I think we can forgive him.

The Peace Corps attracted scores of idealistic young men and women willing to do good work in foreign lands.

The surprising thing is the United States gained as much as it gave. The volunteers were educated about the world and brought that knowledge back home to our insular USA. Our government gained more credibility than it deserves, especially in Central and South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. And yes, there were business and military intelligence contacts that helped in the Cold War era, when we were fighting international communism.

So I invite you to help celebrate the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps at a special Coffee Talk this Monday, March 6, 7:30 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 4848 Turner St.

Five veteran Peace Corps volunteers will share their stories while we share some birthday cake. A panel of Peace Corps veterans, moderated by Loren Floto of Rockton, will tell the tales of traveling to distant countries and working in the most primitive conditions. The panel includes Jim Peterson, director of Northwest Community Center; Christian Tscheschlok of Rock Falls, Ill.; Duane Wilke and Sue Pisano, teachers in Rockford.

Loren Floto served in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and Chile; Jim Peterson served in the Dominican Republic and the Philippines. Christian was in Slovakia, Pisano in Kenya, Duane Wilke served in Korea.

These former Peace Corps volunteers will regale us with their adventures, and discuss the impact of the Peace Corps about world peace. There will be information on how to sign up as a volunteer; I encourage all those who think about helping this world to consider volunteering for the Peace Corps.

The Peace Corps’ first official day was March 1, 1961. The total number of volunteers to this date is 182,000, serving in 138 countries. Right now, there are 7,810 volunteers in the field, 58 percent female and 42 percent male. Their average age is 28. They come from all walks of life, but 96 percent have at least a college degree. The volunteers serve in 77 different countries; they work in education, health, business development, environment, agriculture and other areas.

The usual period of training is three to four months, including language training. After that, two years of service is spent in the countries that invite the Corps to come. The countries specify what kind of jobs they need to have done.

The military branches recruit youngsters with slogans like “Join us and see the world” and “Be all that you can be.” Well, you can be even more and see the world without carrying a gun in the Peace Corps. Unfortunately, you won’t have as much equipment as the military. But you will have the freedom to help people, get a ground-level education that will change your life and may even make some interesting friends. Unlike the military, where you travel to distant lands, meet interesting people and kill them.

The war corps gets all the glory, media coverage and money. It’s good that we can still celebrate the Peace Corps.

Stanley Campbell is executive director of Rockford Urban Ministries and spokesman for Rockford Peace & Justice.

From the March 1-7, 2006, issu

When this story was posted in March 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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March 1, 1961: Keeping Kennedy's Promise On March 1, 1961, President John F. Kennedy issues Executive Order #10924, establishing the Peace Corps as a new agency: "Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed--doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language. But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps--who works in a foreign land--will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace. "

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The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory. New: Sign up to receive PCOL Magazine, our free Monthly Magazine by email. Like to keep up with Peace Corps news as it happens? Sign up to recieve a daily summary of Peace Corps stories from around the world.

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Top Stories: February 2, 2006 Al Kamen writes: Rice to redeploy diplomats 20 Jan Peace Corps mourns the Loss of Volunteer Tessa Horan 1 Feb RPCV pursues dreams in America's Heartland 1 Feb Sargent Shriver documentary to be shown in LA 30 Jan W. Frank Fountain is new board chairman of Africare 27 Jan Abbey Brown writes about acid attacks in Bangladesh 26 Jan Christopher Hill Sees Ray of Hope in N.Korea Standoff 26 Jan Jeffrey Smit writes on one man diplomatic outposts 25 Jan Joe Blatchford's ACCION and microfinance 24 Jan James Rupert writes: A calculated risk in Pakistan 23 Jan Sam Farr rips conservative immigration bill 21 Jan Americans campaign for PC to return to Sierra Leone 20 Jan Kinky Friedman supports Gay Marriage 20 Jan Margaret Krome writes on Women leaders 18 Jan James Walsh leads bipartisan US delegation to Ireland 17 Jan Mark Schneider writes on Elections and Beyond in Haiti 16 Jan Robert Blackwill on a "serious setback" in US-India relations 13 Jan Kevin Quigley writes on PC and U.S. Image Abroad 13 Jan Emily Metzloff rides bicycle 3,100 miles from Honduras 9 Jan Charles Brennick starts operation InterConnection 9 Jan Lee Fisher tells story of Pablo Morillo 7 Jan Nancy Wallace writes: Was PC a CIA front after all? 4 Jan

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Paid Vacations in the Third World? Retired diplomat Peter Rice has written a letter to the Wall Street Journal stating that Peace Corps "is really just a U.S. government program for paid vacations in the Third World." Director Vasquez has responded that "the small stipend volunteers receive during their two years of service is more than returned in the understanding fostered in communities throughout the world and here at home." What do RPCVs think?

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RPCV admits to abuse while in Peace Corps Timothy Ronald Obert has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor in Costa Rica while serving there as a Peace Corps volunteer. "The Peace Corps has a zero tolerance policy for misconduct that violates the law or standards of conduct established by the Peace Corps," said Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. Could inadequate screening have been partly to blame? Mr. Obert's resume, which he had submitted to the Peace Corps in support of his application to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, showed that he had repeatedly sought and obtained positions working with underprivileged children. Read what RPCVs have to say about this case.

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Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, 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 our poll results. Latest: Congress passed a bill on December 22 including language to remove Peace Corps from the National Call to Service (NCS) military recruitment program

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Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject.

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PC establishes awards for top Volunteers Gaddi H. Vasquez has established the Kennedy Service Awards to honor the hard work and service of two current Peace Corps Volunteers, two returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and two Peace Corps staff members. The award to currently serving volunteers will be based on a demonstration of impact, sustainability, creativity, and catalytic effect. Submit your nominations by December 9.

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Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

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