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The Peace Corps is an independent U.S. federal agency designed to promote mutual understanding between Americans and the outside world. Founded in 1961, the program was an outgrowth of the Cold War designed to oppose the Chinese and Soviet political-ideological challenge to Western influence in the widely open Third World arena of superpower competition. Today, over 168,000 Americans have been enlisted since the organization's inception. Gaddi H. Vasquez is the current Director.1 Purpose & function
The program officially has three goals:
- To help the people of interested countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained workers;
- 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.
The Peace Corps works by first announcing its availability to foreign governments. These governments then determine areas in which the organization can be involved. The organization then matches the requested assignments to its pool of applicants and sends those volunteers with the appropriate skills to the countries who first made the requests.
2 Background & history
Since the end of the Second World War, various members of the United States Congress had proposed bills to establish volunteer organizations in the Third World. Privately funded non-religious organizations had been sending volunteers overseas since the 1950s.
John F. Kennedy first announced his own idea for such an organization during 1960 presidential campaign at a late-night speech at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on October 14. During a later speech in San Francisco, CaliforniaFor other meanings, see San Francisco (disambiguation). Bay Bridge. In the distance is fog covering the western third of the city. Click for additional information The City and County of San Francisco (population 776,773), the fourth-largest city in the s on November 1November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. Events 1512 The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, is exhibited to the public for the first time. 1521 The Strait of Mage, he dubbed this proposed organization the "Peace Corps". Critics of the program (including Kennedy's opponent, Richard M. Nixon) claimed the program would be nothing but a haven for draft dodgerDraft dodger is a term that became current during the Vietnam War to describe American citizens who were in threat of being drafted and who fled abroad, usually to Canada or Mexico, to avoid it. Their actions were criminal offences and once they had lefts. Others doubted whether college-aged volunteers had the necessary skills. The idea was popular among college students, however, and Kennedy continued to pursue it, asking respected academics such as Max Millikan and Chester BowlesChester Bliss Bowles ( April 5, 1901 May 25, 1986) was a liberal Democratic American diplomat and politician from Connecticut. Born in Springfield, Massachusetts, Bowles attended Choate School in Wallingford, Connecticut, graduating in 1919, and the Sheff to help him outline the organization and its goals. During his inaugural address, Kennedy again promised to create the program.
2.1 Established & authorized
On March 1March 1 is the 60th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (61st in leap years). There are 305 days remaining. Events BC 29 BC Horace writes the ode Occidit Daci Cotisonis agmen''. AD First thousand years 286 Maximian proclaimed junior Roman emperor., 1961, Kennedy signed an Executive OrderAn Executive Order is a legally binding edict issued by a member of the executive branch of a government, usually the head of that branch. In other countries, they may be known as decrees. President of the United States In the United States, The president which officially started the Peace Corps. Concerned with the growing tide of revolutionary sentiment in the Third World, Kennedy saw the Peace Corps as a means of countering the notions of the " Ugly American" and " Yankee imperialism," especially in the emerging nations of postcolonial Africa and Asia. 1 2
On March 4, Kennedy appointed Sargent Shriver to be the program's first director. Shriver was tasked with fleshing out the organization, which he did with the help of Warren W. Wiggins and others. Shriver and his think tank outlined the three major goals of the Peace Corps and decided the number of volunteers they needed to recruit. The program began recruiting volunteers that following July.
Until about 1967, applicants to the Peace Corps had to pass a placement test that tested "general aptitude" (knowledge of various skills needed for various Peace Corps assignments) and language aptitude. After an address from Kennedy on August 28, 1961, the first group of volunteers left for Ghana and Tanzania. The program was formally authorized on September 22, 1961, by Congress, and within two years, over 7,300 Peace Corps volunteers were serving in 44 countries. This number would jump to 15,000 in June of 1966, the largest number in the organization's history.
