Since 1961, when President Kennedy signed an executive order creating the Peace Corps, nearly 190,000 volunteers have served in 139 countries. Volunteers serve for 27 months and are paid a stipend of about $2,500 yearly. They do everything from teaching English language skills and reading, introducing farming and business methods, initiating economic development, introducing modern technology, and helping to slow the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases.
It is an American and international icon that deserves special attention during these hard economic times. Like other government agencies, the Peace Corps is facing its toughest financial crisis ever. It has a budget of more than $330-million but faces a shortfall of $18-million, primarily because of higher fuel and food costs as well as the declining value of the dollar. The organization is cutting 400 volunteer positions, most of them involving vital work in some of the world's poorest nations. Deployments have been delayed, sometimes indefinitely.
President Bush captured the agency's value during a speech in Washington: "Peace Corps volunteers carry the American idea with them. They don't (just) carry our culture; they carry universal values and principles that are incredibly important for all of mankind."
Congress is said to love the Peace Corps because of its grass roots and ambassadorial work. It has been relatively generous in funding the agency over the years. Today, when the United States is engaged in hostilities on several foreign fronts, the work of Peace Corps volunteers is more important than ever. With action on its 2009 budget likely delayed until January, it will be up to the next president and the new Congress to scrape up enough money to keep the Peace Corps viable and preserve its mission.
News
