[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 37 (Friday, March 7, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E399-E400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  RECOGNIZING NATIONAL PEACE CORPS DAY

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. MARK UDALL

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 6, 2003

  Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, last Friday, February 28th, we 
celebrated National Peace Corps Day, honoring the 168,000 Americans who 
have served as volunteers since the creation of the Peace Corps in 
1961. These amazing men and women have served our nation in 136 
countries. Peace Corps volunteers have made enormous contributions in 
the areas of agriculture, business development, education, health, and 
the environment, and in so doing have improved the lives of individuals 
and communities around the world. The Peace Corps has become an 
enduring symbol of out nation's commitment to encourage progress and 
create opportunity in the developing world.
  My own background as an educator and director at Outward Bound for 
twenty years taught me about the importance of national and community 
service. But I also have strong connections to the Peace Corps through 
my great state of Colorado and through my family. Colorado has one of 
the highest levels of recruitment of Peace Corps volunteers nationwide, 
and returned Peace Corps Volunteers in the 2nd Congressional District 
alone number over 500. Of course, the most important Peace Corps 
connection for me is my mother, who served as a volunteer in Nepal 
decades ago.
  Because of these connections I have a special interest in advancing 
the ability of the Peace Corps to play an important role in these new 
times. I believe we must work to continue to promote world peace and 
friendship through the people-to-people approach of the Peace Corps. 
That's why I worked with my colleague Rep. Sam Farr in the last 
Congress to introduce legislation known as the Peace Corps Charter for 
the 21st Century Act. We have reintroduced the bill again in this 
Congress as H.R. 250.
  The ``Peace Corps Charter'' strengthens the Peace Corps in a number 
of ways. It restates and further promotes its goals--to provide 
technical assistance to those in need around the world, to promote 
better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served, 
and to bring the world home to America. It authorizes funding to allow 
for a Peace Corps expansion to 15,000 volunteers in five years. It 
reaffirms the independence of the Peace Corps. It authorizes a number 
of reports, such as one on host country security. It spells out a 
commitment to recruit and place Peace Corps volunteers in countries 
where they could help promote mutual understanding, particularly in 
areas with substantial Muslim populations. It establishes training 
programs for Peace Corps volunteers in the areas of education, 
prevention, and treatment of infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. It 
streamlines and empowers the Peace Corps Advisory Council, with an 
added focus of making use of the expertise of Returned Peace Corps 
Volunteers. Finally, the bill creates a grant program to enable 
Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to use their experience and expertise 
to continue to carry out the goals of the Peace Corps through specific 
projects.
  The Peace Corps is one of the most admired and successful initiatives 
ever put in place. I'm proud that the following young people from the 
2nd Congressional District are presently serving in countries all over 
the world: Vanessa Adams, Ben Armitage, Shaun Cosgrove, Amy Ellerman, 
Thomas Fleming, Megan Haldy, Rebecca Knerl, Lydia Labelle, Lynell 
Lacey, Benjamin Liu, Erica Manteuffel, Kelly Oberg, Stephanie Ogden, 
Kelly O'Rourke, Johanna Patrick, Matthew Rice, Kathleen Shannon, Mary 
Simonson, and Robert Sweetman.
  A pebble tossed into a still pond creates ripples that begin small 
and grow larger. Peace Corps volunteers have had this same effect on 
the people they have touched. The Peace Corps experience exemplifies 
how individuals can make a tremendous difference in the lives and 
perceptions of people in developing countries as well as people right 
here at home.
  National Peace Corps Day honors the volunteers, past and present, and 
reaffirms our

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country's commitment to helping people help themselves throughout the 
world. Today I honor all of the men and women who have selflessly and 
generously served our country in the Peace Corps.

                          ____________________