Peace Corps

The Peace Corps was formed by the Executive order of u.S. president John f. Kennedy in 1961. Later that same year the Peace Corps act was passed, establishing the Peace Corps by law. The Peace Corps has, as its main purpose to promote world peace by making available to countries who want them, American volunteers who are qualified to serve and help those countries meet their needs for trained manpower. The Peace Corps initially focused on agriculture and education, but has since expanded its role to include help in the business sector.

So far, over 187,00 people have served in the Peace Corps and they have served in the Peace Corps and they have served in over 130 countries. The Peace Corps operates in some 70 countries with approximately 7,000 volunteers. The number of Peace Corps volunteers has been much hight than that in the past, but budget cuts in the 1980's brought the Peace Corps down below 5,000 volunteers. After the September 11th terrorist attacks on the U.S., it was decided that, as part of the nations anti-terrorist program that the Peace Corps would be expanded and the budget was increased and recruiting for Peace Corps volunteers has increased.

The Peace Corps works with three main goals to guide them. One of the Peace Corps's goals is to help countries meet their needs for trained workers. Another of the Peace Corps goals is to promote a better understanding of Americans and American life in foreign countries that may have misconceptions about Americans. And the third Peace Corps goal is to promote a better understanding among americans of foreign countries, their cultures and their people.

Youth service corps composed of young American volunteers began to be a popular idea in the 1950's. It was supposed to help quell the tide of anti-American feelings that many people in the U.S. began to be concerned about throughout the world. These volunteer groups were privately funded, sometimes by religious groups.

John F. Kennedy began proposing what he called the Peace Corps while he was campaigning for president. Most people in government and business didn't think the idea would work, but the idea of a Peace Corps caught on with America's college students so when Kennedy was elected, he started the Peace Corps. And the Peace Corps has been going ever since. It has been an independent agency and has been put under the control of other agencies, but is one again and independent agency. And the Peace Corps is still attempting to promote world peace through service.

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