[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 28 (Thursday, March 10, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S2479]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  44TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE CORPS

  Mr. OBAMA. Mr. President, as the Peace Corps celebrates its 44th 
anniversary this month, I would like to take this opportunity to 
commend its many wonderful volunteers, past and present, and the 
remarkable work they do. I am very pleased to report that three 
universities in Illinois--the University of Illinois at Champaign-
Urbana, Northwestern University, and the University of Chicago--are 
three of the top Peace Corps-volunteer producing colleges and 
universities in the country. There are currently 295 volunteers from 
Illinois working in countries around the world, and I am tremendously 
proud of the service provided by each and every one of them.
  The work of the Peace Corps in promoting mutual understanding between 
our country and the rest of the world has never been more relevant than 
it is today. The Peace Corps began in 1961 under President John F. 
Kennedy as a unique experiment in humanitarian service and cultural 
exchange and has grown to become one of the most widely respected 
American institutions in the world. Since the founding of the Peace 
Corps, over 178,000 volunteers have served in 138 countries.
  Peace Corps volunteers share their knowledge, skills, and enthusiasm 
by serving as health educators, youth and agricultural workers, 
teachers, and business advisors. Of the 7,700 volunteers currently 
serving, over 3,100 are working on HIV/AIDS education and prevention 
projects, and I commend them on their critically important work on this 
global crisis.
  I also would like to honor past volunteers who have helped to build 
this wonderful program into what it is today, who have empowered and 
given voice to individuals and communities in developing countries 
around the world. Individually and collectively, Peace Corps volunteers 
represent the very best of our great country, and I am proud to salute 
them on their 44th anniversary.

                          ____________________