Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Happy 50th Anniversary Peace Corps

A little bit of peace corps propoganda that I received today. It's only fitting that while we celebrate 50 years of service...I am celebrating what (a year ago) was the unthinkable...1 whole year in Morocco and still going strong. And the best is still to come

From: Message From The Director
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 2:11 PM
To: *PC Global
Subject: Commemorating 50 Years of Service



March 1, 2011

TO: Peace Corps Global
FROM: Aaron S. Williams, Director
SUBJECT: Commemorating 50 Years of Service

Please join me today in recognizing and celebrating the legacy of 50 years of Peace Corps service. And, let me take this opportunity to thank you for your outstanding commitment to helping create a better understanding of Americans among the people whom our Volunteers serve.

We are commemorating our 50th anniversary throughout 2011 and hope that each and every one of you will consider participating in a community service project to honor the work of our Volunteers and the vision of President Kennedy and our founding Director, Sargent Shriver.

Sadly, Mr. Shriver is not with us to celebrate our 50th anniversary. Nevertheless, his legacy of idealism will live on in the work of current and future Peace Corps Volunteers. It is truly amazing to consider how many staff and Volunteers have been inspired by his life and commitment to helping others and promoting world peace and friendship.

Since 1961, over 200,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps Volunteers in 139 host countries. In our 50th year, over 8,600 Americans, ranging in age from 21 to 86 and from all 50 states, are serving as Peace Corps Volunteers in 77 countries. Currently, there are more Americans serving as Peace Corps Volunteers than any point in the last 40 years. Our Volunteers are grassroots ambassadors for the United States, and they represent America's values, generosity, and hope.

Although much has changed since 1961, our mission has not changed. The agency was established to promote world peace and friendship through our three simple, but monumental, goals, and we have been committed to our mission for five decades. Today’s Volunteers face many of the same challenges and opportunities President Kennedy and our first Director Sargent Shriver envisioned. Poverty, disease, famine, food security, and illiteracy are issues that still challenge the countries where we serve, and it remains our responsibility to support our Volunteers as they respond to those challenges.

In this, our 50th anniversary year, we honor our past and continue to advance our mission of world peace and friendship through education and engagement. Thank you for being an integral part in helping the Peace Corps continue the important work it has been privileged to do for the last 50 years. Together with our Volunteers, we continue to carry the torch of President Kennedy's dream.

President Obama recognized the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps and honored the men and women who have served as Volunteers by issuing a presidential proclamation.