Creation of Peace Corps
“On the night of October 13, 1960, in New York, Senator John F. Kennedy engaged Richard Nixon, his rival for the Presidency of the United States, in the third of their nationally televised debates. Boarding their plane as quickly as possible after the debate, Kennedy and his campaign party flew to Michigan, where he was scheduled to speak briefly at the university at Ann Arbor. It was about 2:00 AM, the night was clear and mild and somewhat to the campaign party’s surprise, a very large turnout of students, estimated at ten thousand, had waited up for the senator. Making his way to the Student Union Building with some difficulty and taking a position on the steps there, John Kennedy spoke his first words in public about the possibility of a Peace Corps (Shapiro1-2).” That night in the raging craze of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, the American Peace Corps was born. From the Peace Corps has grown an agency of the federal government, which has changed views, ways of life, and people throughout American history, due to their devotion to world peace and friendship. And as Kennedy said, “…those participating will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to
man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace (Kennedy).” “Although this is an American Peace Corps, the problem of world development is not just an American problem. Let us hope that other nations will mobilize the spirit and energies and skill of their people in some form of Peace Corps - making our own effort only one step in a major international effort to increase the welfare of all men and improve understanding among nations” (Kennedy). The initial challenge from Kennedy was in October to the large group of University of Michigan students, to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries. President John F. Kennedy officially announced to more than fifteen hundred democrats, on November 2, 1960, his idea, thoughts, and dreams, about a Peace Corps that would be different from any other in the world. The Peace Corps was officially established on March 1, 1961, when John F. Kennedy signed an Executive Order providing for the establishment of the Peace Corps on a temporary pilot basis. On this day, John F. Kennedy also sent a proposal to Congress, requesting permission for a permanent Peace Corps. John F. Kennedy said in his speech to a group of people in March that “Our Peace Corps is not designed as an instrument of diplomacy or propaganda or ideological conflict. It is designed to permit our people to exercise more fully their responsibilities in the great common cause of world development (Kennedy).” Now, even though the Cold War has ended, the Peace Corps is still in existence. This is because fighting the Cold War was not the only reason for the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps has three expressed goals that they openly advertise; "to help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women; to help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served; to help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans."(Montanye) Peace Corps Volunteers work in a wide variety of areas — and no
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Approximate Word count = 1406
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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