Change, whether it is for better or worse, is inevitable in our society. We as individuals have the ability to bring about change in society and the world. Throughout history, cultures and societies have benefited through the sharing of skills. A modern day example of this is the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps positively affects the United States politically, the citizens of the communities in which volunteers serve economically and socially, and the volunteers themselves personally.
Even before the creation of the Peace Corps, many influential Senators and Representatives had the idea of an “Army of Peace”. American Philosopher, William James first suggested the idea of an army to work for peace in 1904. That idea was not put into consideration by the United States government, but it eventually led up to the creation of international work camps. When World War II ended in 1945, numerous private groups set up work camps around the world to improve conditions in those areas. Other private groups sent young, skilled Americans to share their skills in other countries. This example led Senator Richard L. Neuberger of Oregon and Congressman Henry S. Reuss of Wisconsin to propose the idea of a youth corps progra
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Once in the country, the work done by volunteers only satisfies the needs of the country (“Peace Corps”, Encarta 1). While serving overseas, volunteers receive a stipend for living costs. A growing number of returned volunteers work on joint projects with the Peace Corps (“Peace Corps”, Encyclopedia Americana 2). Volunteers normally spend two years working in a country, and receive three months of training in the culture and language of the country they are assigned to (“Peace Corps”, Encyclopedia Americana 1). A past volunteer says, “Out of sewing class grew an economic development project where the women made mosquito nets and sold them to CARE for money” (Jennings 372). Many projects help to improve the countries social and economic stance. Thousands of Americans who served in the Corps now have careers in public service and overseas development. Kennedy used the idea of a peace corps in his campaign for presidency in 1960 (“Peace Corps”, World Book 2). The volunteers interviewed for this paper all stated that they greatly benefited from their experience. Humphrey of Minnesota asked Congress to create a peace corps. Since volunteers are placed into a totally different culture, they learn to adapt quickly to different living conditions (“Peace Corps”, World Book 1). The plan for the program never made it through Congress, but later in 1960, Senator Hubert H. In the early 1980’s there were 150 past volunteers who were serving as congressional staff assistants (“Peace Corps”, Encyclopedia Americana 2). This is shown in the book, The Century.
Approximate Word count =
1900
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8 (250 words per page double spaced)
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