2010.04.13: Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams visits Jordan
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2010.04.13: Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams visits Jordan
Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams visits Jordan
On Monday, HRH Prince Feisal, the Regent, met with Williams at the Royal Court, where he emphasised His Majesty King Abdullah's concern with improving the educational system and achieving sustainable development, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. At the meeting, Prince Feisal voiced appreciation of Peace Corps activities in the country, especially educational and capacity-building programmes for youths. Minister of Social Development Hala Lattouf also met with Williams yesterday, and discussed joint efforts to enhance the concept of voluntary work, Petra reported. During Monday's roundtable, Williams highlighted the mutual benefits of Peace Corps programmes, noting that they promote understanding by allowing Americans to work side-by-side with Jordanians on issues important to the Jordanian government. "When the Americans go back home they become advocates and goodwill ambassadors for Jordan," Williams said, highlighting the friendships and ties volunteers build with local residents.
Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams visits Jordan
Peace Corps activities in Jordan highlighted
Caption: HRH Prince Feisal, the Regent, meets with Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams on Monday (Petra photo)
By Mohammad Ghazal
AMMAN - Tens of thousands of Jordanians throughout the Kingdom have benefited from Peace Corps programmes, its country director in Jordan, Alex Boston, said on Monday.
He made the remarks during a media roundtable held by Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams, who is in Amman to check on projects implemented by the programme's volunteers in the Kingdom.
The Washington-based Peace Corps is an independent US federal agency that seeks to promote understanding between Americans and other peoples of the world.
The Peace Corps Jordan programme was established in 1996 and since the first volunteers arrived in 1997, over 430 Americans have served in the Kingdom in the spheres of community, women and youth development, environmental management and awareness, special education, and teaching English as a foreign language, according to a US embassy statement.
On Monday, HRH Prince Feisal, the Regent, met with Williams at the Royal Court, where he emphasised His Majesty King Abdullah's concern with improving the educational system and achieving sustainable development, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
At the meeting, Prince Feisal voiced appreciation of Peace Corps activities in the country, especially educational and capacity-building programmes for youths.
Minister of Social Development Hala Lattouf also met with Williams yesterday, and discussed joint efforts to enhance the concept of voluntary work, Petra reported.
During Monday's roundtable, Williams highlighted the mutual benefits of Peace Corps programmes, noting that they promote understanding by allowing Americans to work side-by-side with Jordanians on issues important to the Jordanian government.
"When the Americans go back home they become advocates and goodwill ambassadors for Jordan," Williams said, highlighting the friendships and ties volunteers build with local residents.
According to the Peace Corps director, each volunteer serves for 27 months in Jordan, three of which are for training.
"During the pre-service period, volunteers receive training on Jordanian culture, traditions and customs," Boston said, adding that the local communities also receive information to familiarise them with the upcoming projects.
Volunteers attending yesterday's roundtable shared their experiences.
Maria, who was only identified by her first name in accordance with Peace Corps policy, said she enjoyed her experience volunteering in a village in Maan Governorate, where she teaches English as a foreign language to 6th, 7th and 8th graders.
"I am not just a teacher. The people in my village are my friends. I have very personal relations with them and that is how we can truly learn from one another," she noted.
Bryan, a special education volunteer, who served in a centre in Tafileh for two years, said he extended his stay in Jordan and is currently working with an NGO in Amman.
He said he used his experience in special education to help develop curricula and materials for the centre's teachers.
Melissa, who has been in Jordan for a year-and-a-half, said she works at the Jordan University of Science and Technology's civil society development centre, where she teaches English and Spanish and helps develop students' personal skills.
Since its establishment in 1961, nearly 200,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 139 countries. Today, 7,700 volunteers are serving in 76 countries, including 60 in Jordan.
The Peace Corps trains volunteers, who must be US citizens aged at least 18, in technical skills, local languages and cross-cultural understanding.
Links to Related Topics (Tags):
Headlines: April, 2010; Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams; Peace Corps Jordan; Directory of Jordan RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Jordan RPCVs; Peace Corps Directors; Peace Corps Dominican Republic; Directory of Dominican Republic RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for Dominican Republic RPCVs; Peace Corps Headquarters
When this story was posted in April 2010, this was on the front page of PCOL:
Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers
| Memo to Incoming Director Williams PCOL has asked five prominent RPCVs and Staff to write a memo on the most important issues facing the Peace Corps today. Issues raised include the independence of the Peace Corps, political appointments at the agency, revitalizing the five-year rule, lowering the ET rate, empowering volunteers, removing financial barriers to service, increasing the agency's budget, reducing costs, and making the Peace Corps bureaucracy more efficient and responsive. Latest: Greetings from Director Williams |
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Story Source: The Jordan Times
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Jordan; Directors; COS - Dominican Republic; Headquarters
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