An very important part of the National Peace Corps Association's work is building bipartisan relationships on Capitol Hill to support our advocacy on behalf of Peace Corps and other global issues. Earlier in the month our Advocacy Coordinator Jonathan Pearson took part in a gathering of Senate and House staff members who served in the Peace Corps and other friends of Peace Corps. It now looks like an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) Staff Association is in the works.
This past week Jonathan heard remarks made by Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Ore-3) on the House floor in recognition of Peace Corps Week. Cong. Blumenauer is one of 15-20 Senators and Representatives who have made remarks over the last several days, but what's special about him is that his daughter is a serving volunteer....
Mr. BLUMENAUER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.)
Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, President Kennedy, 47 years ago at the establishment of the Peace Corps, said that reactions to the Corps are proof that we have in America ``an immense reservoir of such men and women, anxious to sacrifice their energies and time and toil to the cause of world peace and human progress.''
Peace Corps volunteers are an outstanding group of men and women serving the cause of humanity across the globe.
This year, those words have even more meaning for me as my daughter Anne is serving in the Peace Corps in Mozambique.
Peace Corps Week, I want to commend the service and commitment of the Peace Corps volunteers from my community and express our pride in fellow Oregonians who have chosen to devote 2 years or more of their lives in service to others.
In addition to Anne Blumenauer, I would like to recognize John Bento, serving in Georgia; Amanda Bickle-Eldridge, serving in Nicaragua; Stuart Chidester, serving in Paraguay; Melanie Edwards, serving in Azerbaijan; Ashley Hollenbeck, serving in Morocco; Andrea Lawrence, serving in Bolivia; James Lensen-Callas, serving in Peru; Erik Nelson, serving in Georgia; Sami Oeser, serving in Botswana; Sandra Stevens, serving in Jamaica; Paul Sylvester, serving in Samoa; Normand Tremblay, serving in Cameroon; and Natalie Wilson, serving in Botswana.
They are the foundation for creating a safer and more prosperous world, establishing a better future for people everywhere.
Peace be unto you, yours, and the world.
Prayers for Global Peace.
SjP
Posted by: SjP | June 04, 2008 at 11:46 PM