Eleventh Global Studies Conference

Abstract

The Peace Corps advocates for peace and prosperity within the communities it serves, but does it actually deliver “peace” to the area, or is peace being defined and imposed on a foreign country in a manner that is not necessarily compatible with that region’s values and mores? Is this “peace” culture-bound, and thus ultimately disturbing to the region? The Peace Corps was formally created in March of 1961 through an executive order given by President John F. Kennedy. He asked Congress to grant this new agency, which is housed in the State Department, with permanent funding. His vision was of an agency that could support men and women who would be trained and then sent to foreign lands to render assistance in nation-building. Immediately following President Kennedy’s inaugural address, thousands of young Americans flooded the Office of the Peace Corps seeking to volunteer for the agency. The Peace Corps is much more than just a nation-building agency seeking to impose American values. Peace Corps volunteers do everything from teaching English and giving lessons on computers, to working in social work or business-related careers. In my research, I found the the Peace Corps is not just about making America look powerful, in that it can send volunteers to countries and influence their thinking on political issues, but that the Peace Corps tremendously values the social and communicative importance of building strong relationships - even if these relationships happen in the smallest villages in the most isolated regions.