[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 19 (Tuesday, March 3, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H735-H736]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    PAYING HONOR TO THE PEACE CORPS AND ITS VOLUNTEERS ON ITS 37TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. SHAYS. Mr. Speaker, this is one of the first 5 minutes I have 
done in a very long time. I do so because I want to pay honor to the 
Peace Corps and to the volunteers who have served.
  Today is the 37th anniversary of the founding of the Peace Corps by 
President Kennedy in 1961, as well as the first annual Peace Corps Day.
  In my judgment, the Peace Corps is not a Democrat program, not a 
Republican program, it is a program that is bipartisan. It is a program 
that has served not only our country with distinction, but also the 
many countries that we serve. And speaking as a former Peace Corps 
volunteer, I know we also get so much out of this enriching, cross-
cultural experience.
  Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is, the Peace Corps has done an 
extraordinary job, through its volunteers, in bettering the lives of 
people throughout this world, from providing safe drinking water to 
helping new businesses start up, from dealing with health care issues 
to establishing agricultural programs and fishery programs. I also want 
to commend the tremendous number of volunteers who were teachers and 
taught in schools throughout the world.
  I would like to, as well, pay my respects to the Peace Corps 
volunteers who happened to serve in Fiji, where I served from 1968 to 
1970, who now have completed their task. We have been in Fiji for 30 
years, and this past August we bid farewell to our years of service in 
that beautiful country. The Peace Corps has finished its 
responsibilities in Fiji.
  On August 22, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Education 
and Technology, Taufa Vakatale, addressed the Peace Corps volunteers 
who were there and thanked them for their service. Mark Gearan, the 
director of the Peace Corps, was there as well. I would like to just 
read a portion of her comments to the volunteers in the closing 
ceremonies in Fiji.
  She said:

       The Peace Corps volunteers gave the local people in a new 
     insight into the English language, with the variety of 
     accents, pronunciation and spelling; they gave a new 
     perception of what the white people or Europeans are really 
     like. We learned they are down-to-earth ordinary people--not 
     a class above locals.

  She goes on to say:


[[Page H736]]


       The presence of the American Peace Corps volunteers in Fiji 
     has made us in Fiji more aware of the importance of giving 
     something back to society rather than expecting something 
     from society. The fact that the volunteers have come from 
     afar to give of themselves to a society they owe nothing to 
     have made us realize that we are all a part of a global 
     village. Thank you, Peace Corps, for that valuable lesson in 
     the giving of oneself for the advancement of peace in this 
     global community.
       We, the people of Fiji, cannot be disheartened by this 
     departure, for were it simply a matter of choice, we the 
     people and the government of Fiji, would always prefer to 
     maintain our personal and close relationship with the Peace 
     Corps. We also sincerely believe that if it weren't for 
     existing circumstances, this longing would be reciprocated by 
     the government and people of the United States of America.

  Then she concludes:

       To all those Peace Corps volunteers presently serving or 
     who have graced our tropical islands in the past, words 
     simply cannot express the gratitude our people and government 
     would like to extend to you all, especially your having given 
     up a specific time in your lives to spend with us. In 
     retrospect, I can only try and fathom the sense of your 
     leaving behind your land of skyscrapers, freeways and mega-
     entertainment to come down to a country such as ours with its 
     basic facilities, unfamiliarity, food and inclement weather.
       Nevertheless, I can only be grateful for your courage and 
     service towards humanity, for in your caring and hope for a 
     more humane world, you have been great ambassadors of your 
     great nation.

  Mr. Speaker, I include for the Record the entire statement of the 
Deputy Prime Minister, and once again congratulate the Peace Corps, 
congratulate the volunteers who served, and congratulate our country 
for having the foresight, and a former President, President Kennedy, 
for establishing the Peace Corps.
  The remarks of the Honorable Taufa Vakatale are as follows:

       Honorable Christopher Shays, Peace Corps Director Mark 
     Gearan, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is with great 
     pleasure that I welcome you all here tonight on behalf of the 
     government and people of Fiji to farewell from our shores of 
     the United States Peace Corps. Pleasure, of course, not in 
     the Corps' departure, but in your attendance here tonight to 
     share in this rather small gesture of appreciation towards 
     the endurance, grace, self-sacrifice, and unwavering 
     determination the young women and men of the Peace Corps 
     volunteers, brought with them to our islands, and have shared 
     with us over the last 30 years.
       The contribution of the Peace Corps towards the socio-
     economic development of the country, among others in the 
     immediate region, does not need any elaboration other than 
     the fact that the cross-cultural exchanges since have further 
     enriched our already diverse society. When the Peace Corps 
     volunteers first came to Fiji, they were used mainly in 
     teaching in the rural areas. The majority went out to remote 
     rural primacy schools where they lived in thatched bures with 
     no electricity, piped water and other basic facilities. They 
     mingled with the villagers and spoke the language, are the 
     local food and generally participated in all the communal 
     activities such as fish-drives, Mekes, church services, etc.
       The Peace Corps volunteers gave the local people a new 
     insight into the English language, with the variety of 
     accents, pronunciations and spelling; they gave a new 
     perception of what the white people or Europeans are really 
     like. We learned that they are down-to-earth ordinary 
     people--not a class above locals.
       Many Peace Corps volunteers, over the years, have taken 
     part in ceremonial Mekes, one performed with the people of 
     Cakaudrove for Queen Elizabeth II's visit in the early 70's. 
     One notable Peace Corps volunteer was renowned for making 
     wine from local fruit, another helped to establish a 
     museum collection of local artifacts, etc. in a school. 
     Another volunteer who was a teacher in an outlying island 
     helped the islanders to develop a cheap and effective 
     Copra drier. Yet another, Alipate of Koro, turned to music 
     and sang many Fijian songs which have been taped and sold 
     locally. I could go on and on, but suffice it say that 
     they have endeared themselves to the people of Fiji.
       While Peace Corps volunteers have given their services in 
     all areas of government, let me just highlight the Corps' 
     contribution to education. In the early days the volunteers 
     were posted to rural schools to help in the teaching of 
     English and Math. We soon found, however, that we were 
     wasting valuable resources and that this was not how we could 
     use them efficiently. Hence they were posted to secondary 
     schools to upgrade and assist in the teaching of math and 
     science and at one stage, in the teaching of economics and 
     accounting. We have not yet produced enough local teachers to 
     replace the volunteers who were especially good in physics, 
     chemistry and math, and my Ministry will certainly feel the 
     gap left by the volunteers when they leave.
       The presence of the American Peace Corps volunteers in Fiji 
     has made us in Fiji more aware of the importance of giving 
     something back to society rather than expecting something 
     from society. The fact that the volunteers have come from 
     afar to give of themselves to a society they owe nothing to 
     have made us realize that we are all a part of a global 
     village. Thank you Peace Corps for that valuable lesson in 
     the giving of oneself for the advancement of peace in this 
     global community.
       The departure of the Peace Corps exemplifies one of the 
     significant developments now taking place in our global 
     community and which we developing countries will have to 
     address immediately and effectively. That of diminishing 
     assistance from developed countries in the North due to a 
     general shift in foreign policy following the end of the Cold 
     War and as their respective citizens demand improved public 
     services neglected or overlooked prior to 1991.
       We, the people of Fiji, cannot be disheartened by this 
     departure, for were it simply a matter of choice we the 
     people and government of Fiji, would always prefer to 
     maintain our personal and close relationship with the Peace 
     Corps. We also sincerely believe that if it weren't for 
     existing circumstances this longing would be reciprocated by 
     the government and people of the United States of America.
       To all those Peace Corps Volunteers presently serving or 
     who have graced our tropical islands in the past, words 
     simply cannot express the gratitude our people and government 
     would like to extend to you all, especially your having given 
     up a specific time in your lives to spend here with us. In 
     retrospect, I can only try and fathom the sense of your 
     leaving behind your land of skyscraper, freeway and mega-
     entertainment to come down to a country such as ours with 
     its basic facilities, unfamiliarities, food and inclement 
     weather.
       Nevertheless, I can only be grateful for your courage and 
     service towards humanity, for in your caring and hope for a 
     more humane world you have been great ambassadors of your 
     great nation. Your contribution to our nation is substantial 
     and is gratefully acknowledged. In appreciation of your 30 
     years of dedication and devotion toward the progress of our 
     nation let me say, ``Vinaka Vakalevu.''
       The words of Dr. Albert Schweitzer come to mind as I try to 
     find words to thank the American Peace Corps volunteers: ``I 
     do not know what your destinies will be. But I know that 
     those amongst you who will be the happiest are those who will 
     have sought and found how to serve.''
       I know you have come to Fiji to be of service and you have 
     found how to give that service effectively to Fiji. It is 
     thus my hope and the hope of the people and government of 
     Fiji that you have been happy.

                          ____________________