[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 28 (Thursday, March 10, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E419]]
                CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL PEACE CORP WEEK

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 10, 2005

  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 44th Anniversary 
of the Peace Corp and to also recognize National Peace Corp Week, which 
was officially celebrated February 28 to March 6, 2005.
  Mr. Speaker, in 1961, President John F. Kennedy courageously 
challenged American citizens during his inauguration speech to ``ask 
not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the 
freedom of man.'' This, along with a speech then Senator Kennedy gave 
in October 1960 to the graduating students of the University of 
Michigan, daring them to be agents of peace and freedom by living and 
working abroad, became the guiding principles of what the Peace Corp 
has become today.
  In countries where poverty is rampant and development lacking, 
American volunteers, through the work of the Peace Corp, have helped 
bring medicine to the sick, education to the illiterate, and skills 
training to the poor. American Peace Corp volunteers accomplish this by 
living two years of their lives away from their family, away from their 
loved ones among the people who need their help the most. They are 
there in the morning, when the farm needs irrigation; during the day, 
when the children need guidance; and at night, when the community comes 
together to share the day's experiences. They are there not only as 
volunteers, but also as advocates and friends.
  Mr. Speaker, because of these dedicated and compassionate young men 
and women and because of their desire to promote equality and knowledge 
among those less fortunate, the volunteers of the Peace Corp have 
helped to build a positive image of America around the world, even 
during some of the most trying times in our nation's foreign policies. 
As ambassadors of American ideals, they have allowed nations around the 
globe to gain a better understanding of our country, and have in turn 
taught us about the cultures and practices of other nations.
  As current Peace Corp volunteers, scattered over 72 countries, carry 
on the legacy of those before them, I stand here today to applaud all 
the progress and achievements the Peace Corp has accomplished to date.
  On the 44th Anniversary of this uniquely American institution, I urge 
the volunteers of the Peace Corp to remember their responsibility to 
the world and to the nation they represent. I urge them to maintain the 
idealism that brought them to countries such as Albania, Niger, El 
Salvador, Uzbekistan, and East Timor. And in return, I ask my 
colleagues to help promote the same ideals of peace and freedom within 
our Nation.
  Let us not forget the poor and the unfortunate inside and outside our 
borders, let us not forget the underprivileged, and let us continue to 
fight for equality for all.

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