Title: Peace Corps Week
Source: Peace Corps
Brief: Help celebrate 60 years of service with the Peace Corps.
Happy Peace Corps week 2021! The theme for this year is 60 Years of Service. It is a time for the agency, volunteers, and returned volunteers to take a look at what Peace Corps is and how it’s evolved.
On March 1st, 1961, President John F. Kennedy established the agency and this year we are celebrating 60 years of service. Unfortunately, there will not be too many grand celebrations, but Peace Corps Volunteers are resilient and ever adaptive to a changing environment.
At its core, the Peace Corps mission is to promote world peace and friendship. It promotes mutual understanding and mutual growth. Even though I was going to “help” a developing nation, I too received an inexplicable amount of help, understanding, and growth. A water project is easy to quantify and show on paper, but these soft skills that possibly can change the trajectory of someone’s life is the real bread a butter of what Peace Corps hopes to give to the people we serve and the people doing the serving.
To celebrate, Peace Corps has a few hashtags they are promoting to help bring people together. The first is to post your photos of faces and places from your service and tag #RepYourDecade. The second is to share the knowledge, skills, and abilities you gained during your Peace Corps service that have impacted your career and community here at home with the hashtag #PRCVImpact. For both do not forget to use the #PeaceCorpsWeeks!
Another way to celebrate is to head over to the Peace Corps website and get involved in one of the many virtual events the agency has planned. They range from virtual screenings, panel discussions, and info sessions for people interested in serving in the future.
Unfortunately, Peace Corps has not opened back up yet and still does not have a date set for when volunteers will be able to go abroad. As part of my position with the Friends of Vanuatu Board of Directors, I will be interviewing the new Country Director for Peace Corps Vanuatu. While she is still stuck in America, the post in Vanuatu has been operating. Awaiting the arrival of volunteers. I am excited for this interview and please be on the lookout to watch the interview when it comes out.
Happy Peace Corps Week!