Sixty-four years ago today, Sept. 22, the original Peace Corps Act was signed into law by President John F. Kennedy. Through the years the Peace Corps continues to be one of the most recognizable examples of U.S. good will around the world.
At this point, nearly 250,000 American citizens have served as Peace Corps volunteers in more than 140 nations. This includes almost 1,300 volunteers from Utah, and I’m proud to be one of them. In the 1970s I trained special education teachers at Ewha Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea. Working with people with disabilities was a low status occupation in Korea at the time, and I like to think we American Peace Corps volunteers helped to elevate the profession. Thirty years later, special education training programs in Korea had grown by 300%.
The Peace Corps has traditionally had strong bipartisan support, which continues today, even with the challenges of our present-day political situation. The current administration has requested level funding of $430 million for the Peace Corps in the upcoming budget.
In Congress, lawmakers in the House and the Senate of both parties are working together to introduce legislation to create a Congressional Gold Medal, its highest civilian honor, to recognize the good works of Peace Corps volunteers.
As we yearn for peace and civility around the world, I urge Sens. Curtis and Lee, as well as Reps. Moore, Maloy, Kennedy and Owens to support the recognition of past and present Peace Corps volunteers, and to fund the Peace Corps with the resources it needs to continue this important work.
Catherine Sharpsteen, Salt Lake City