“Probably the most important development in the future of the Peace Corps will be the impact of returning Volunteers on American society. [...] They [come back] back to teach in our schools, man posts in our government, work in our industries, participate in the affairs of nation and state, town and precinct. And from what I have seen of these men and women, none of the institutions to which they come will be secure behind a wall of complacency, indifference, or self-satisfaction.”
Our Quote of the Week gives insight as to how Peace Corps service impacts both the Volunteers who serve, AND the country as a whole.
This week, we are marking the anniversary of President Kennedy’s signing of the Peace Corps Act into law on September 22, 1961. For the occasion, we have selected a quotation from Sargent Shriver’s 1963 speech, “The Peace Corps Effect on American Society.”
Since its founding, the Peace Corps has had three goals:
1. To help the countries interested in meeting their need for trained people.
2. To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3. To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
The quote speaks to an effect of the Peace Corps that is linked to the third goal, but is broader in scope: it suggests that Peace Corps service can expand the consciousness and strengthen the resolve and compassion of Returned Volunteers, making them better equipped to tackle any challenge related to work and to service at home.
During the period in which Sargent Shriver led the Peace Corps (1961 to 1966), it was his intention that the institution should be an instrument for service, collaboration, and problem-solving so powerful, that it could bring about stability and peace on a global scale. Our Quote of the Week reminds us that such a vision can and does include stability and peace right here at home.
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