[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 5158]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEERS

  Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, early one October morning in 1960, Senator 
John F. Kennedy stood on the steps of the University of Michigan Union 
and challenged a group of students to serve their country by living and 
working abroad. Today I rise to commemorate the service of 187,000 
Americans, young and old, who have met that challenge.
  From Armenia to Zambia, Peace Corps volunteers have lived and worked 
in 139 countries around the world for the past 46 years. They act as 
ambassadors of our goodwill and promote a world of peace and 
friendship. Historically, more Peace Corps volunteers have come from 
California than any other State indeed, 25,467 Peace Corps volunteers 
have hailed from my State. Today, I am proud to represent 768 Peace 
Corps volunteers currently working abroad.
  In their work as teachers, business advisors, information technology 
consultants, agriculture and environmental specialists, and health 
educators; Peace Corps volunteers have not only met the needs of the 
individuals and communities who are their hosts, but also promoted a 
better understanding of Americans.
  After almost five decades, the mission and goals of the Peace Corps 
are as vital and relevant as they were the day of its establishment. In 
an age when fear, misunderstanding, and blind prejudice can breed 
aggression and hate, more than 20 percent of Peace Corps volunteers are 
working in predominantly Muslim countries.
  In the past 10 years, the Peace Corps has expanded to meet new 
humanitarian challenges, sending Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to 
serve in the Crisis Corps. These extraordinary men and women have been 
deployed to tsunami-ravaged regions in Sri Lanka and Thailand, to 
Guatemala after Hurricane Stan, and 272 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers 
joined in disaster relief efforts along the gulf coast following 
Hurricane Katrina.
  Finally, I would like to recognize the Returned Peace Corps 
Volunteers who have been participating in National Peace Corps Week. By 
sharing their experiences, these Returned Peace Corps Volunteers are 
fulfilling the third goal of the Peace Corps, to ``strengthen 
Americans' understanding about the world and its peoples.''
  Mr. COLEMAN. Mr. President, it is with great pride that I extend my 
congratulations to the Peace Corps on the occasion of its 46th 
anniversary this week. I know that in doing so I join a countless 
number of past and present Peace Cops volunteers in commemorating the 
fruitful history of the organization.
  Since the establishment of the Peace Corps over four decades ago, its 
volunteers have served as unofficial U.S. Ambassadors, representing the 
best of what America has to offer abroad. Their mission could not be 
more important than it is right now, during a time when our nation is 
so misunderstood in many parts of the world. With its global presence 
and tangible impact, the Peace Corps has worked to combat 
misperceptions about what America stands for and reaffirm American 
values. I have no doubt that these good deeds on behalf of others have 
made a tremendously positive impact on the communities in which our 
Peace Corps volunteers serve.
  I am a strong believer in investing in cross-border relationships 
through programs such as the Peace Corps, which places American 
volunteers in the heart of communities throughout all corners of the 
world. Who knows how the interaction and good works completed by Peace 
Corps volunteers will change the world as a result? Perhaps the example 
set by a Peace Corps volunteer will correct a distorted perception, or 
prevent someone from sliding into hatred and extremism. Perhaps an 
American volunteer will acquire a new understanding of the needs in 
other parts of the world which will lead to a critical humanitarian 
intervention. The Peace Corps, through the impact on the community and 
the volunteer, is a win-win investment in stability.
  The Peace Corps has a daily direct impact by meeting the needs of 
foreign communities with its volunteers serving as teachers, business 
advisors, information technology consultants, agriculture workers, and 
HIV/AIDS educators. Indeed, these services directly contribute to the 
strategic priorities of our national security, because addressing 
poverty and public health issues helps promote global stability. As one 
of many examples, today the Peace Corps volunteers are playing an 
important role in implementing President Bush's Emergency Plan for AIDS 
Relief.
  In recent years the Peace Corps has increased in size, in response to 
a growing need for its services. I am happy to see that it has over 
7,700 volunteers working in 73 countries, and hope it continues to 
expand its reach.
  I am especially proud of the Minnesota volunteers who are currently 
serving around the world, of which there are currently over 200. To 
them, and to the over 5,000 returned Minnesotan volunteers, I want to 
express my heartfelt thanks, for their great efforts to spread 
Minnesotan values of dedication, integrity, and hard work to another 
part of the world. Among these veterans is Mr. Robert Tschetter, the 
current director of the Peace Corps and one of my constituents. I was 
honored to help confirm Mr. Tschetter during my tenure as the chairman 
of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace 
Corps and Narcotics Affairs.
  A medieval Spanish Rabbi named Maimomedes said he believed that the 
world is held in balance between good and evil and a single act of 
goodness and virtue tips the balance. I believe that the actions made 
by Peace Corps volunteers all over the world work to tip the balance 
towards good everyday. It is because of this belief that I have 
consistently been a strong supporter of the Peace Corps. Again, I would 
like to express my deepest admiration and best wishes to the Peace 
Corps leadership and its volunteers. Thank you for making the world a 
better place.

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