[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 44 (Wednesday, March 27, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E464]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                THE 35TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE CORPS

                                 ______


                               speech of

                            HON. JACK QUINN

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 26, 1996

  Mr. QUINN. Mr. Speaker, 35 years ago President John F. Kennedy had a 
dream. He wanted to share America's idealism and know-how with other 
nations, not just through impersonal foreign aid loans or grants, but 
more importantly through direct people-to-people contact. He wanted 
American citizens to work directly in foreign nations, helping those in 
need to lean how to develop the basic skills necessary to promote their 
own well-being and advancement. As a result of his dream turned into 
reality, whole societies have gained insight and experience in 
improving their lives, from learning how to drill wells and improve 
their agricultural output to developing the social, educational, and 
medical skills necessary for their well-being.
  This program, established through the Peace Corps Act of 1961, now 
provides programs in over 90 different countries. Its purpose, to 
promote world peace and friendship, to help other countries in meeting 
their needs for trained men and women, and to promote understanding 
between the American people and other peoples served by the Corps has 
had an unprecedented record of success.
  Volunteers from throughout the Nation, including many from my own 
northwestern New York, have selflessly given of themselves through 2-
year commitments in foreign countries where they lived and worked as 
integral parts of the communities in which they served.
  Peace Corps volunteers today work in six basic program areas: 
Education, agriculture, health, small business development, urban 
development, and the environment. Community-level projects are designed 
to incorporate the skills of volunteers with the resources of host 
country agencies and other international assistance organizations to 
help solve specific development problems, often in conjunction with 
private volunteer organizations.
  In the United States, the Peace Corps also serves an important 
purpose in promoting a better understanding of the people and cultures 
of other countries. Through the Peace Corps World Wise Schools Program, 
volunteers are matched with elementary and junior high schools 
throughout our Nation to encourage an exchange of letters, pictures, 
music, and artifacts. Participating students increase their knowledge 
of geography, languages, and different cultures, as well as learning 
the value of volunteering, whether in their own communities or in 
faraway nations.
  The Peace Corps is a dream that fortunately became a reality. It is a 
program for which every American can be proud, both for what it has 
accomplished and for what it is now doing. To the Peace Corps and its 
thousands of volunteers, I offer a sincere congratulations and thank 
you on this, its 35th anniversary.

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