[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 26 (Thursday, March 1, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E263]]
        REMARKS HONORING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE CORPS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. STEVEN R. ROTHMAN

                             of new jersey

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 1, 2001

  Mr. ROTHMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the Peace 
Corps and to join in the celebration of this wonderful organization's 
40th anniversary.
  Since its founding in 1961, few government initiatives have captured 
the imagination of the American people like the Peace Corps. Born out 
of President John F. Kennedy's bold vision for the future, the Peace 
Corps has served to promote world peace and friendship for four 
decades.
  Remarkably, since 1961 over 160,000 Americans have joined the Peace 
Corps, serving in 134 countries and bringing hope to millions of people 
around the world. By working to bring clean water to villages and 
towns, teaching children, helping start new small businesses and 
stopping the spread of dangerous diseases, Peace Corps volunteers have 
served as our nation's ambassadors of ``good will'' to the rest of the 
world.
  I am pleased to have Philip Peredo, a former Peace Corps volunteer, 
serve on my staff in my District Office in Hackensack, New Jersey. As a 
Peace Corps volunteer from 1998 until just last year, Phil taught 
English language classes at Neijiang Teacher's University in the 
Sichuan Province of the People's Republic of China. The lessons Phil 
taught his students about America will long endure, just as the lessons 
he learned from his students will stay with Phil for the rest of his 
life.
  Whether they are in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Central Asia, 
Eastern and Central Europe, or Central and South America, Peace Corps 
volunteers continue to make our world a better place.
  For their idealism, for their commitment to achieving real progress 
for the less fortunate, I salute all Peace Corps volunteers, past and 
present. I wish the Peace Corps continued success in sharing America's 
promise with people around the world.

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