Past and present Peace Corps directors celebrated the 50th anniversary of a speech given by Former President John F. Kennedy ’40 announcing his intention to form the Peace Corps in a forum yesterday evening.
The discussion, sponsored by the JFK Jr. Forum at the Harvard Kennedy School, focused on the Peace Corps’ past accomplishments and future goals.
The directors discussed the Peace Corps’ achievement in connecting Americans with the rest of the world, while making an impact on the everyday lives of the countries it has served.
“In this globalized economic world, it’s important we understand people outside our borders and they should understand us,” said Former Peace Corps Director Elaine L. Chao.
Current Director Aaron S. Williams spoke of his visit last week to Ghana, the first country to host Peace Corps volunteers, noting that the impact of the Peace Corps is still visible.
“The Peace Corps allows Americans to engage in different cultures, learn another language, and to promote world peace and friendship,” he said.
The event, titled “Answering Kennedy’s Call to Service”, included a recording of Kennedy’s original speech and news footage of NBC’s coverage of the anniversary. The directors praised Kennedy’s ability to motivate Americans to serve, but also recognized that today’s Peace Corps needs to adapt to a changing world.
“I think it may be time for those of us who care about the Peace Corps to cast an unflinching eye at the Peace Corps today, to contemporize it for the next fifty years,” said Former Peace Corps Director Mark D. Gearan ’78.
His suggestions focused on incorporating advancing technology in volunteer work, and increasing funding and scale, allowing for more volunteers.
Former Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez added that the organization should encourage participation from a broader group of ethnic backgro]unds. “One of the aims of the Peace Corps is that it look more like the panel sitting here tonight,” he said, referring to the diversity of the speakers.
Over the past 50 years, approximately 1,200 Harvard alumni have volunteered in the Peace Corps, with 19 currently serving, according to Williams.
Read more in News
OCS to Offer J-Term ActivitiesRecommended Articles
-
Harvard Volunteers Tutor in BrightonMore than 40 Harvard volunteers tutored Mead School students at the Fidelis Way housing project yesterday afternoon--the first major turnout
-
Newly-Established Peace Corps Draws StudentsKennedy’s establishment of the Peace Corps attracted Harvard students, drawing attention away from service programs like the Harvard African Teaching Prospect.
-
Peace Corps Recruits at Harvard -
Nobel, Noble No MoreThe Nobel Peace Prize increasingly seems like less of a clearly defined concept and more of a random lottery, and that’s truly a shame.
-
Peace in Palestine No Longer PossibleIn the coming decades, observers will ask themselves how the region slid from the promise of the Oslo Accords to these lows. They may discover that this last month’s events were the watershed moment when both sides committed their next generation of youth to the never-ending conflict.
-
ShalomSince “The Hillel Problem” was published, I have had conversations about these issues with members of the Modern Orthodox community at Harvard. The people to whom I have spoken think deeply about these matters.
