45th Anniversary of the Peace Corps
45TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE CORPS
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Mr. BIDEN. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Peace Corps on its 45th Anniversary.
In his Presidential campaign in 1960, a great hero of mine, President John F. Kennedy, challenged a group of students at the University of Michigan to serve their country by volunteering their time and energies to citizens in developing countries. From those humble beginnings soon emerged the Peace Corps which, for the last 45 years, has been one of the most valuable and unique institutions of American foreign policy.
Since its establishment in 1961, over 182,000 Peace Corps volunteers have served in 138 countries throughout the world. Today, the Peace Corps remains as strong and popular as ever with the number of volunteers in service at a 30-year high. Currently some 7,810 volunteers, including 25 from my home State of Delaware, are working in 75 countries across the globe.
These increased numbers of volunteers have done invaluable work in recent years. Hundreds of Peace Corps volunteers, for instance, have been enlisted in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The Peace Corps is active in 9 of the 15 Emergency Plan countries identified in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, PEPFAR. In addition, volunteers have continued lending their expertise to traditional areas such as environmental conservation, education, food production, and health care.
Over the past year, the innovative Crisis Corps--which draws on former Peace Corps volunteers for short-term emergency and humanitarian assistance--has allowed hundreds of volunteers to assist in tsunami relief efforts in Sri Lanka and Thailand. And in recent months, the Crisis Corps was deployed to the gulf region in the wake of Hurricane Katrina--the first time Peace Corps volunteers have ever been called to serve on U.S. soil.
Through the goodwill and service of its volunteers, the Peace Corps also plays a vital role in our public diplomacy efforts. Volunteers give a human face to the term ``American,'' bringing personal knowledge of our ideals and attitudes to communities all over the world. In doing so, they help to erode the deep misconceptions of the United States that exist in many cultures. Peace Corps volunteers are truly a top-notch example of diplomacy through action.
Again, I congratulate the Peace Corps on its 45th anniversary, and convey my deep gratitude to its thousands of current and former volunteers for their service to our country.
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