David Bane accepted into Peace Corps - assigned to Honduras
Mike's brother David has been accepted into the Peace Corps to help local governments in Western Honduras develop their ability to provide public services to their residents. The red circle on the map shows the specific area in which David will be assigned.
The assignment comes after a six month application process that included medical screenings and background checks.
David's term of service begins January 30, 2001. On that day he will be required to report to Miami and join other volunteers. They will be flown from Miami to Honduras for three months of in-country training. On April 27, he will begin working with local government officials for two years and will come home in May, 2003.
Assistance in local municipal planning is critical for Honduras. Originally a Spanish colony, government services were heavily centralized. This trend continued after Honduras' independence until 1990, when the Municipal Reform Law started the decentralization of public services. Because local governments were obviously not ready for this change, the Peace Corps began a new assistance program to help plan roads, transit systems, zoning, utilities and emergency services. It is hoped that citizen participation in government will also increase.
The Peace Corps was established on March 1, 1961 by John F. Kennedy's executive order. In August, 1961, the first group of volunteers arrived in Ghana. Today, there are 7,000 volunteers working in 77 countries.
