January 30, 2002 - Position Paper: US Freedom Corps

Peace Corps Online: Peace Corps News: Peace Corps Library: Special Reports: President Bush proposes doubling size of Peace Corps [1/29/02]: January 30, 2002 - Position Paper: US Freedom Corps

By Admin1 (admin) on Wednesday, January 30, 2002 - 10:32 am: Edit Post

US Freedom Corps





Read and comment on the Position Paper for the US Freedom Corps which was posted on their main web site. Visit their web site at:

Strengthening the Peace Corps*

* This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.



Strengthening the Peace Corps

Established in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, the Peace Corps has mobilized more than 160,000 volunteers in 135 countries to “promote world peace and friendship.” Over the past 40 years, Americans of all ages have given two or more years of service to help meet the need for trained men and women in developing countries and to promote a better understanding between Americans and citizens of other nations. President Kennedy’s idea captivated the Nation and continues to instill in new generations of Americans the importance of serving citizens throughout the world.

In June of 1966, the Peace Corps had more than 15,000 volunteers working in the field, the largest number in its history. Today, the number of volunteers is less than half that. We have an obligation to carry on this noble mission, to provide more service opportunities, and to inspire a new generation of Americans to serve abroad.

The Peace Corps has also launched innovative new programs to address important needs. One example is the Crisis Corps, which allows returning volunteers to provide short-term assistance during natural disasters and humanitarian crises. Crisis Corps volunteers have worked on reconstruction efforts in the Caribbean and Central American countries devastated by Hurricanes Georges and Mitch, provided assistance to refugees in Guinea, and are working today in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Former volunteers can be rapidly deployed to meet urgent needs because they know the language, culture, and traditions of the areas in which they serve.

In order to strengthen the Peace Corps, continue its Crisis Corps mission of serving urgent needs, and provide new opportunities in other countries, the Administration is proposing the following initiatives as part of the USA Freedom Corps:

Double the number of Peace Corps volunteers within 5 years, returning the number of volunteers to near its historically high level of 15,000.

Support Reconstruction Efforts in Afghanistan through the Crisis Corps. The Peace Corps will soon send an assessment team to Afghanistan to determine the type of assistance volunteers can provide to help in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The goal will be to deploy Crisis Corps volunteers to Afghanistan as quickly as possible, consistent with the safety and security of Crisis Corps volunteers.

Enter More Countries in 2002. The Administration is sending Peace Corps volunteers to re-enter Peru. The Administration will work with other countries that do not have Peace Corps volunteers, including more Islamic countries and East Timor, the first nation to be created in the 21 ~ Century. All decisions will be made in a manner consistent with the safety and security of volunteers.

The Administration is requesting more than $200 million in Fiscal Years 2003 — 2007 for these initiatives.



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