[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 35 (Thursday, March 1, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E436-E437]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         COMMEMORATING THE 46TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE CORPS

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 1, 2007

  Mr. LANTOS. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Peace 
Corps on its 46th anniversary, and commend the agency and its 
volunteers on the invaluable contribution they have made in promoting 
America's interests and values around the world since the 
organization's founding in 1961.
  Forty-six years ago, President Kennedy challenged Americans to ``Ask 
not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your 
country.'' His inspiring words launched the Peace Corps, which 
President Kennedy officially established by Executive order on March 1, 
1961. The response to the President's call for this bold experiment was 
swift and enthusiastic, with the first volunteers accepting the 
challenge and leaving for their overseas assignments less than 6 months 
later.
  Each successive generation has answered President Kennedy's call, 
expanding the Peace Corps' ranks and extending its reach every year. 
Since its inception, more than 187,000 Peace Corps volunteers have been 
invited by 139 host countries to work on issues ranging from HIV/AIDS 
education to information technology and environmental preservation.
  This year, more than 7,700 volunteers have fulfilled President 
Kennedy's vision by living and working alongside people in 73 
countries. Today's Peace Corps is more vital than ever, working on 
emerging and essential areas such as business, community, and youth 
development, and committing over 1,000 new volunteers as a part of the 
President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Peace Corps Volunteers 
reach over 1.6 million young people every year, working on service-
learning projects, teaching them the value of giving back to their own 
communities.

  The Peace Corps has received such extraordinary success because its 
mission resonates with Americans and with the millions of

[[Page E437]]

people across the globe that it has served. By immersing themselves in 
local cultures and working side by side with the communities they 
serve, Peace Corps volunteers have made a positive impact in a very 
personal way. They work with teachers and parents to improve access to 
education, with community groups to reach out to at-risk youth, with 
farmers to develop better farming methods, and with communities and 
local governments to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious 
diseases.
  The Peace Corps' work has made a critical contribution to America's 
national security. Born during the height of the cold war as a means of 
preventing the false promise of communism from taking hold in the 
developing world, it has adapted its mission for the 21st century to 
embrace all people struggling to survive and take advantage of the new 
opportunities of our times. Peace Corps is critical in our effort to 
promote sustainable development, human rights and rule of law, and 
encourage free markets. Through Peace Corps, people of foreign nations 
learn that America is a force for peace, justice and prosperity in the 
world.
  The Peace Corps is celebrating its 46th anniversary this week to 
raise awareness of its good work. I would like to recognize the 13 
volunteers from my district who have met President Kennedy's call and 
are serving valiantly in countries across the globe. I ask my 
colleagues, Mr. Speaker, to join me in celebrating the Peace Corps' 
success and wishing it well into the future.

                SWORN-IN VOLUNTEERS IN THE 12TH DISTRICT OF CALIFORNIA, REPRESENTATIVE TOM LANTOS
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                   Start of SVC    Projected COS
                Volunteer name                         Country of service              date            date
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Beasley, Rachel E............................  Niger...........................     29-Sep-2006     28-Sep-2008
Beitiks, Mikelis V............................  Ghana...........................     02-Dec-2005     02-Dec-2007
Brownlee, Thomas E............................  South Africa....................     13-0ct-2005     06-0ct-2007
Capp, Anna J..................................  Burkina Faso....................     21-0ct-2005     18-0ct-2007
De Vries, Thomas B............................  Cape Verde......................     09-Sep-2005     03-Sep-2007
Farrell, Rachel L.............................  Peru............................     02-Dec-2005     02-Dec-2007
Finlev, Tessa M...............................  Kenya...........................     05-Aug-2005     03-Aug-2007
Kent, Ashley M................................  Malawi..........................     15-Dec-2005     11-Dec-2007
Levine, Pamela B..............................  Tanzania........................     16-Aug-2006     16-May-2008
Meyer, Andrea R...............................  Zambia..........................     14-Aug-2006     09-Aug-2008
Moutsos, Thomas S.............................  Philippines.....................     01-Jun-2006     06-Jun-2008
Tang, Natalie M...............................  Madagascar......................     06-Dec-2005     11-Dec-2007
Wandro, Joshua D..............................  Azerbaijan......................     05-Aug-2005     04-Aug-2007
Total volunteers: 13..........................  ................................  ..............  ..............
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