Peace Corps : Ambassadors of Goodwill and Service

It all started with a challenge. A challenge Senator John F. Kennedy set for students at University to Michigan ‘to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries’. In his inaugural address he said, “Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.” It was in 1960 and for almost 5 decades this challenge has inspired almost 200,000 volunteers from all over the United States to serve in 139 different developing countries, working on issues such as HIV/AIDS & Malaria education to information technology and environmental preservation and sustainability in the spirit of promoting world peace and friendship.

The Peace Corps' which was officially established on March 1, 1961 has three central goals mentioned in their mission statement:

1. Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

With these goals, Peace Corps volunteers have responded to the current global needs in under developed countries as well as catastrophic situations within the boarders such as Hurricane Katrina. HIV/AIDS and Malaria awareness and prevention has been one of the main focus areas of The Peace Corps and it has played a major role in the global effort to fight HIV/AIDS by providing training to all volunteers. It is an undoubted fact that their service help save thousands of lives every year.

They also serve as mentors for children, farmers, small business owners and parents in third world country where education is not accessible for the majority. Volunteers take on the role of teaching basic computer literacy skills, (e.g., word-processing, spreadsheets, basic accounting software, Internet use, and webpage development) to students as well as general public that will help them advance their learning rapidly.

“I wanted to do something for the betterment of the world.” Travis Axton said in his very entertaining and informative session about his Peace Corps experience in Zambia. Visiting Professor Robert Burton’s Multicultural Literature class at California State University, Chico he was kind enough to give all the students a very vivid account of his unique experience in Zambia and talked about various customs in the tribe he stayed with and contrasted the simple lifestyle to what we as Americans are used to. “When I signed up, I had no idea what I was getting into or what it meant to live in poverty. but over the next two years, I received a backstage pass into a world of uncertainty and destitution in Zambia and South Africa.” Axton said. A recent SMU graduate, Axton currently serves as a recruiter and a health educator for the Peace Corps. He was able to mesmerize his audience with short, humorous accounts of his experience and also impressed me of what an invaluable service the Peace Corps are doing in these countries and I should admit that it indeed inspired me to join Peace Corps someday. and

I was motivated to visit their website and find out more about the organization. I visited www.peacecorps.gov and I was really impressed with the very creative design, the layout and the content. It is full resources for anybody who’s interested in Peace Corps with vast amount of information ranging from how to volunteer, how to make donations, and also how to get involved in any fund raising activities in your local area. I certainly encourage you to visit their website and find out more.

In this ever-changing world, Peace Corps Volunteers have done a great service to the much needed communities “with innovation, creativity, determination, and compassion.” Travis Axton will agree with me if I say that satisfaction you will get from being a Peace Corps volunteer will be priceless and you will cherish it for the rest of your life.