Happy Anniversary, Peace Corps!

Peace Corps was established by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961 with the purpose of promoting development, spreading peace, and forming cross-cultural relationships with people throughout the world. Yesterday marked the 50^th anniversary of Peace Corps, and since its foundation more than 200,000 volunteers have served in over 139 countries throughout the world. Currently there are more than 8,000 volunteers serving in 77 countries, and Peru has one of the strongest and most developed Peace Corps programs. Peru was one of the first countries to receive Peace Corps volunteers, and the legacy of Peace Corps remains evident in the history of the country.

Yesterday we attended a formal event hosted at the US Ambassador’s residence in Lima to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of Peace Corps World Wide. The event fell during our Project Design Management Training, so we were able to attend this event with a counterpart representing our community. Various influential leaders were in attendance, including Peace Corps Washington staff, Peace Corps Peru staff, US Embassy workers, the Ambassador, and even previous Peruvian President, Alejandro Toledo. Toledo was president from 2001-2005, and is currently campaigning for the upcoming presidential elections in 2011. Toledo has a special bond with Peace Corps Peru, because he grew up in a family that hosted a Peace Corps volunteer in their home. He came from a humble background and apparently was influenced strongly by the presence of the Peace Corps volunteer in his early childhood. I had the chance to speak with Toledo, and even got a picture with him! His face floods TV advertisements and is plastered on campaign billboards throughout the entire country, so I was pretty excited to meet him.

Here´s ex-President Toledo!

My Community Counterpart, Nurse Luz

In addition to Peruvian representatives, I had the chance to meet Stacey Rhodes, who is #3 for Peace Corps World Wide. He attended our training event and I was able to share an extensive conversation with him over lunch. His anecdotes from his own service in the 60s as well as his visions for the future of Peace Corps were quite interesting. The party was beautiful and quite a change from our daily lives as volunteers living in tiny towns in rural Peru. Although you might not expect it, Peace Corps volunteers clean up well!

Fifty years ago President Kennedy appealed to the compassion and curiosity of thousands of young people by offering them the opportunity to serve others as they experience a distinct culture and way of life. Since its creation hundreds of thousands of lives, both those of US volunteers and host country partners, have been impacted by the role of Peace Corps, and surely thousands more will be affected as Peace Corps continues to interact with people throughout the world.

To quote Kennedy:

“Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed—doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language.

But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps- who works in a foreign land- will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bring to man that decent way of life, which the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace.”

Happy 50^th Anniversary Peace Corps!