National Peace Corps Week

Floor Speech

NATIONAL PEACE CORPS WEEK -- (Senate - February 25, 2009)

Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I rise today in celebration of National Peace Corps Week and in honor of the thousands of Americans who serve throughout the world as Peace Corps volunteers.

Since the Peace Corps' founding in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, over 195,000 U.S. citizens have chosen to serve their country as Peace Corps volunteers. Today, nearly 8,000 Peace Corps volunteers serve abroad in 76 different countries.

In my own home State of New Hampshire, 54 volunteers have heard the call and are currently devoting their time, energy, and lives to fulfilling the vision of President Kennedy and serving their country abroad in the cause of peace. They are placed throughout the developing world--from Morocco, where one New Hampshire volunteer is educating community leaders on improving access to safe drinking water, to Macedonia, where another is teaching English to grade school children in a small rural village.

I would like to take a second and recognize each of these citizen ambassadors and the nearly 1,500 Peace Corps volunteers from New Hampshire that have served since 1961. In honor of their efforts, I will ask consent that the attached list of current New Hampshire volunteers be printed in the Congressional Record. New Hampshire is proud of your service, and we will continue to stand solidly behind you.

The Peace Corps was founded on the ideal that each of us has the responsibility to serve our country and leave our world in a better place than we found it. This dual commitment to U.S. interests and the global good is a testament to the fact that in today's interconnected world, American security and prosperity are inextricably linked to the security and prosperity of people residing in the far corners of our globe. Peace Corps volunteers understand better than anyone that we are truly all in this together.

Peace Corps volunteers work on the front lines in our battle for hearts and minds throughout the world. They serve as teachers, business professionals, health educators, management specialists, information technology advisors, mentors and friends to citizens across the globe. These unofficial ambassadors help develop trust and establish relationships that are critical to American influence and global stability. Upon the completion of their service abroad, these volunteers then return home to promote a better understanding here in America of the culture, language and viewpoint of those they have served.

These volunteers have all done their part to make the world a better place and, in turn, have contributed a great deal to U.S. national interests and global security. In our 21st century world, where the threats and challenges that confront America and the global community cannot be overcome by the might of our military alone, Peace Corps volunteers are laying the foundation for a more secure and prosperous world.

In honor of National Peace Corps Week and in celebration of the Peace Corps' 48th Anniversary on March 1, 2009, I would like to recognize those volunteers from New Hampshire, as well as all past and current Peace Corps volunteers, for their commitment to securing a better world for us and our children.

As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and the chair of the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on European Affairs, I will work with our allies and friends throughout the world in the development of an American foreign policy that matches the passion and commitment to service of our Peace Corps volunteers abroad.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have the list of current New Hampshire volunteers to which I referred printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

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