September 22, 1961 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy signed a congressional act that established the Peace Corps. In his inauguration speech, JFK told Americans Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country. Whether or not that was just political rhetoric, young people from across the country responded. Wanting to be part of something greater than themselves, something meaningful, to do for their country in some way, they said Give us a way to serve. The President and advisers went into a huddle and this is something they came up with. The Peace Corps began as a volunteer organization to provide technical assistance to Third World countris to raise their standard of living, help people in those countries better understand American culture, and to better learn their cultures. Many young Americans volunteered to leave the comfort and safety of their homes to live abroad in places that were neither comfortable or safe. Since 1961, more than 215,000 Americans have served in over 139 countries in the name of friendship and peace. We can use as much of that as we can get. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peace_Corps
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 02:02:25 +0000
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