During the recent visit to Colombia as part of the Friends of Colombia's 180-person entourage of former Peace Corps volunteers, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe spoke of his gratitude to the 4,600 Peace Corps volunteers who had served in Colombia between 1961 and 1981. As a nation, Colombia has always stressed the importance of el Cuerpo de Paz and the deep bond that has held fast over the years between our two countries. For Former Volunteers and Friends of Colombia members, this return to Colombia was a chance to deepen that bond by revisiting our former sites, reconnecting with old friends and studying the effect our work has had. The group also explored avenues for future growth by way of community-based development projects and collaborations with the Colombian private sector. But, mainly, former Peace Corps volunteers returned to Colombia because we will always care. We will always care about Colombia and its wonderful people who became our extended family and friends when we served.
Bob Arias writes: I can only speak from experience. Serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from 1964 to 1966 was an experience that changed my life
Peace Corps service changes lives
Bob Arias
March 1, 2008
The Peace Corps was created with a single vision: to develop a federal government agency that would be a people-to-people effort on a grand scale.
It has been 47 years since Executive Order 10924 was signed, and the Peace Corps is still growing and responding to the needs of more than 139 countries where more than 190,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served.
But what does it mean when Peace Corps volunteers return from service emphatically saying that they received more out of their Peace Corps experience than they gave, yet host country nationals are often quoted as describing the positive and enduring changes Peace Corps volunteers have made within their local communities?
I can only speak from experience. Serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from 1964 to 1966 was an experience that changed my life. I even married a beautiful Colombian, saw my son born there and consider myself fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve.
Yet during the recent visit to Colombia as part of the Friends of Colombia's 180-person entourage of former Peace Corps volunteers, Colombian President Alvaro Uribe spoke of his gratitude to the 4,600 Peace Corps volunteers who had served in Colombia between 1961 and 1981. As a nation, Colombia has always stressed the importance of el Cuerpo de Paz and the deep bond that has held fast over the years between our two countries.
For Former Volunteers and Friends of Colombia members, this return to Colombia was a chance to deepen that bond by revisiting our former sites, reconnecting with old friends and studying the effect our work has had. The group also explored avenues for future growth by way of community-based development projects and collaborations with the Colombian private sector.
But, mainly, former Peace Corps volunteers returned to Colombia because we will always care. We will always care about Colombia and its wonderful people who became our extended family and friends when we served.
Again, my time in Colombia as a Peace Corps volunteer was an experience that changed my life.
The Peace Corps experience continues to change the lives of many individuals. A good friend of mine, Sam Farr, was the first Willamette University graduate to join the Peace Corps. He served in Colombia in 1964. Today, Sam is a member of Congress who (like many former Peace Corps volunteers) returned home to the United States determined to put to positive use the skills and experience he had gained overseas.
To serve in the Peace Corps now or later is your choice. And how you choose to use the skills and experience you gained as a Peace Corps volunteer is your choice. But the decision to serve is a pivotal one. Ask any returned Peace Corps volunteer.
Bob Arias of Dallas is the director of CASA of Polk County. He can be reached at flacobob@yahoo.com. For more information about the Peace Corps, visit peacecorps.gov or call (800) 424-8580.
