[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 33 (Thursday, February 28, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S1377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       NATIONAL PEACE CORPS WEEK

  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise to take a few minutes, during 
National Peace Corps Week, to salute the dedication and accomplishments 
of the hundreds of thousands of Peace Corps volunteers who have served 
our Nation and the world since President John F. Kennedy had the wisdom 
and foresight to establish the Peace Corps in 1961.
  I want to recognize in particular the 309 current Peace Corps 
volunteers from Illinois who are today serving in every corner of the 
globe, as well as the more than 7,000 Illinoisans who have served since 
the Peace Corps' inception. These men and women come from big cities 
and small towns, urban centers and rural farming communities. Some are 
recent college graduates who fit our most common image of a Peace Corps 
volunteer, while others are older and bring to this new role a lifetime 
of skills and experience.
  Diverse though their backgrounds might be, all Peace Corps volunteers 
share a common desire to improve the lives of people less fortunate 
than themselves, and to do so in a direct, hands-on fashion.
  Americans are the most generous people in the world. We give from our 
wallets and we give of our time, donating both of these in large 
quantities on behalf of the poor, the hungry, and the disenfranchised. 
Volunteerism and altruism are among the most fundamental aspects of our 
national character, and all Americans should be proud of our 
contributions to meeting the world's development challenges.
  Yet there is something different, something unique, about those of 
our fellow citizens who have chosen the Peace Corps path. They move to 
the other side of the planet, with few to no amenities, and immerse 
themselves in completely unfamiliar cultures and languages. That type 
of commitment changes the lives of the local communities in which the 
volunteers live and work, to be sure. But it also affects profoundly 
the volunteers themselves, who sacrifice material comforts and 
proximity to family and friends in exchange for the knowledge that they 
are having a positive impact.
  Sometimes, a Peace Corps volunteer's sacrifice goes far beyond the 
mere material. This past December, 25-year-old Blythe Ann O'Sullivan of 
Bloomingdale, IL, died while serving in Suriname. Blythe was a graduate 
of Bradley University in Peoria and was in her second year volunteering 
as a small business adviser at the time of her death. I join her 
family, friends, the Peace Corps community and all the people whose 
lives Blythe touched, not only in mourning her loss but also in 
celebrating her memory.
  I would also like to honor the many Illinois colleges and 
universities that turn out Peace Corps volunteers in large numbers. The 
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked 16th in the Nation 
last year among large colleges and universities in the number of alumni 
volunteers. Northwestern University ranked 12th among medium-sized 
schools, and the University of Chicago, I am proud to say, was first in 
the country among smaller institutions. It is a testament to these 
universities, their faculties, and most of all their students that so 
many Illinois alumni choose to join the Peace Corps and serve their 
country and humanity in this way.
  You know, most people hear the words ``Peace Corps'' and picture 
young American men and women helping the people of some remote village 
to dig a latrine or a well, or learn English, or access better health 
care. And of course, this sort of development work is the principal 
reason the Peace Corps was founded.
  But Peace Corps volunteers also serve an equally important role as 
goodwill ambassadors. They are often the first Americans their overseas 
friends and neighbors have ever met, and first impressions count for a 
lot. Over the past several years, much of the world has questioned U.S. 
intentions and watched us warily until they've been sure of the real 
meaning behind our words, the real goals behind our actions. The pure 
altruism of Peace Corps volunteers, living and working every day with 
citizens the world over, goes a long way toward reassuring the world 
that Americans are a good and giving people.
  The Peace Corps and its volunteers cannot do this alone. It is 
important that Congress continue to support the Peace Corps to the 
greatest possible extent. As a member of the Senate Appropriations 
subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Operations, I am proud 
that Chairman Leahy was able to increase the Peace Corps' budget by $10 
million for fiscal year 2008. And I am certain that together we will be 
able to continue supporting the Peace Corps to make it even more 
effective and to honor the dedication and sacrifice of the many 
thousands of volunteers who have served, are now serving, and will 
serve in the future.

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