When President John F. Kennedy called for the Peace Corps during the
presidential election in 1960 and then founded it in 1961, there were many who
thought it would be a disaster, a public diplomacy nightmare. But 45 years
later, over 182,000 Americans have served in 138 countries around the world and
have built one of the most powerful American legacies that this nation has ever
witnessed. Today we continue to be the largest organization of its kind in the
world because Americans still embrace that vision to promote peace, friendship
and understanding.
One of the main reasons for the Peace Corps’ sustainability is that it has been
an independent agency within the executive branch of the U.S. government. Our
volunteers, Americans who receive a small monthly allowance and some basic
benefits such as health insurance, can go into a community at the grass-roots
level, attached to nothing but the Peace Corps and its mission within that
country.
There is a profound commitment and belief in the U.S. Congress and in the White
House that the independence of the Peace Corps is one of the cornerstones to
preserving its strength, its viability and its capacity to carry out its
mission, which is to engage in sustainable development work and, in the process,
to promote cross-cultural understanding and build the kinds of bridges that only
people can build.
A case in point is Peru, where, as a small boy, Alejandro Toledo got his first
early education from Peace Corps volunteers in his village.With the help of his
volunteer teachers, who had stayed in touch with him, he attended school in
California and ultimately earned a doctorate in economics from Stanford
University. He returned to Peru and eventually was elected president. Meanwhile,
a previous Peruvian government had asked the Peace Corps to leave the country.
But one of President Toledo’s first acts was to extend an invitation to the
Peace Corps to return to Peru after a 27-year hiatus.
The Peace Corps remains viable by virtue of the fact that it serves at the
invitation of the host country. Our emphasis on development work is important,
but only our independence can ensure against any perception that we are
affiliated or associated in a structural sense with any other agency of the U.S.
government.
The Peace Corps has been successful because of its independence, which is
not only perceived but real
I am often asked how 20 percent of the volunteers from the United States today
can serve in Moslem countries. The answer is simple. There is a clear and
definite understanding that we are in that host country to train men and women.
That has been the understanding from the Peace Corps’ inception, and it remains
so today – as re-enunciated by President George W. Bush and as Congress has
insisted.
This organization has succeeded so well because it has never lost sight of the
critical importance of building crosscultural understanding. This is especially
true in a post 9/11 world. During my visits to host countries, people have
looked at me and remarked, “You don’t look like an American.” Those reactions
remind me that we have much work to do in closing the gap of cross-cultural
understanding. We at the Peace Corps believe that it is one of our
responsibilities to put a human face on America.We have the crucial ability to
illuminate the fact that America is made up of people of all faiths, all
origins, and all backgrounds. And our capacity to do so with a clear and
effective voice means that we must do it without any of the background noise
that could be generated by distractions and deviations from our mission and the
purpose of our work.
We believe in collaboration and partnerships. But we have been successful over
these 45 years because of our independence, which is not only perceived but
real. It allows us to work in countries where the government may have policy
disagreements with the United States but where our volunteers can continue their
work unabated and uninterrupted – and never engaging in the public debates that
can create divisions and diminish their capacity to do their job, which is
development work.
The Peace Corps is well positioned for the 21st century. We have more countries
today inviting us to open programs than we can manage right now, given our
funding levels. In addition, this year we achieved the highest number of
volunteers that we have seen in 30 years. This says to me that against the
backdrop of war, conflict, terrorism, AIDS and all the challenges that we are
facing, Americans are still willing to do this incredibly difficult work.
We also have to deal with current global realities, and we are today expending
more resources on developing safety and security planning.We are very forthright
with the volunteers when they apply for service and inform them of the risks
involved. Every country has a director, a staff, and a safety and security
coordinator. There is an infrastructure and an emergency action plan for every
possible scenario. During my four years as director, I have evacuated Peace
Corps staff from nine countries under emergency circumstances.Not one volunteer
has been injured in the process…Volunteers in Morocco, where we have had a very
successful program for over 40 years, will tell you that they feel absolutely
complete in their ability to do their job. Even with events that have occurred
in the last several years, our volunteers in Jordan continue to do their work
because the communities in which they serve become part of their protective
bubble. The people in the village refer to “our” volunteers. They become a
circle of family and friends, surrounding a volunteer, because they want to
benefit from the work and the leadership that the volunteer is providing.
We have had to restructure some things and, most of all, we have improved our
education. New strategies have been very successful. For example, in the eastern
Caribbean, volunteers are teaching students with learning disabilities and other
special needs. As a result, some education ministries are recruiting “special
education” staff of their own.
In short, to remain effective the Peace Corps must remain relevant.
Gaddi H. Vasquez is the Director of the Peace Corps. In
May 2006 he was nominated by President Bush to become
U.S. representative to the UN Food and Agriculture
Organization in Rome.
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