2008.08.18: August 18, 2008: Headlines: COS - Liberia: Associated Press: US, Liberia sign agreement for Peace Corps return
Peace Corps Online:
Directory:
Liberia:
Peace Corps Liberia :
Peace Corps Liberia: Newest Stories:
2008.06.30: June 30, 2008: Headlines: COS - Liberia: All Africa: Johnson-Sirleaf Welcomes U.S. Peace Corps Return :
2008.08.18: August 18, 2008: Headlines: COS - Liberia: Associated Press: US, Liberia sign agreement for Peace Corps return
US, Liberia sign agreement for Peace Corps return
Liberia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement the two nations signed an agreement to resume the program because of improving security. The volunteer program in Liberia was suspended just after fighting broke in the final days of 1989. The war caused an estimated 250,000 deaths in a population of 3 million for a country that was founded by freed American slaves in the 19th century. Another round of fighting ended in 2003 with a peace agreement and the 2005 election of Africa's first freely elected president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is largely credited with turning the country around. In the ministry's statement, U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affairs Brooks A. Robinson was quoted as calling the move an "important milestone" that reflects Washington's confidence in Liberia's recovery. "The decision to bring back Peace Corps Volunteers was not made lightly," Robinson said. "We considered the security situation nationwide, and we considered the capacity of Liberia government institutions to work with us."
US, Liberia sign agreement for Peace Corps return
US, Liberia sign agreement for Peace Corps return
28 minutes ago
MONROVIA, Liberia (AP) — U.S. Peace Corps volunteers will return to Liberia for the first time since civil war broke out in this West African nation nearly two decades ago, U.S. and Liberian officials said Monday.
Liberia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement the two nations signed an agreement to resume the program because of improving security. The volunteer program in Liberia was suspended just after fighting broke in the final days of 1989.
The war caused an estimated 250,000 deaths in a population of 3 million for a country that was founded by freed American slaves in the 19th century. Another round of fighting ended in 2003 with a peace agreement and the 2005 election of Africa's first freely elected president, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who is largely credited with turning the country around.
In the ministry's statement, U.S. Embassy Charge d'Affairs Brooks A. Robinson was quoted as calling the move an "important milestone" that reflects Washington's confidence in Liberia's recovery.
"The decision to bring back Peace Corps Volunteers was not made lightly," Robinson said. "We considered the security situation nationwide, and we considered the capacity of Liberia government institutions to work with us."
There was no word on when Peace Corps volunteers might start arriving. U.S. Embassy officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
The late President Kennedy founded the Peace Corps in 1961, challenging college students to serve their country in the cause of peace. Since then, the corps has sent more than 180,000 volunteers around the world to help people in developing nations and serve as goodwill ambassadors for America.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: August, 2008; Peace Corps Liberia; Directory of Liberia RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Liberia RPCVs; Safety and Security of Volunteers
When this story was posted in August 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Dodd vows to filibuster Surveillance Act Senator Chris Dodd vowed to filibuster the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that would grant retroactive immunity to telecommunications companies that helped this administration violate the civil liberties of Americans. "It is time to say: No more. No more trampling on our Constitution. No more excusing those who violate the rule of law. These are fundamental, basic, eternal principles. They have been around, some of them, for as long as the Magna Carta. They are enduring. What they are not is temporary. And what we do not do in a time where our country is at risk is abandon them." |
Read the stories and leave your comments.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Story Source: Associated Press
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Liberia; Safety
PCOL42000
20