Thanks to the many of you who have already signed the MorePeaceCorps petition to President-elect Barack Obama. If you have not signed the petition, please sign it today.If you’ve already signed, reach out to 10, 20 or 50 other people you know. Next stop: 15,000 signatures!
Among the first to sign were a bipartisan group of former Peace Corps Directors, including Carol Bellamy (“let me add my congratulations on your election and appreciation for your commitment to continue and strengthen the Peace Corps”) and Nicholas Craw (“Now is the time for a bigger, better and bolder Peace Corps since it is imperative to restore U.S. standing in the world and the Peace Corps - as one of our best-proven forms of “smart power” - is perhaps one of the best means for accomplishing that.”)
Since then, thousands of people have joined in, providing comments that truly speaks to power of the Peace Corps experience. Below are some examples of the petition comments:
“Serving in the Peace Corps gave me a greater appreciation for other cultures, religions, and for our own great nation.”
“Peace Corps has been a guiding light in our lives. Now, our eldest son is PC staff and our youngest daughter is considering volunteering."Diana Capman Dolan, Santa Monica, CA
"To restore America's image abroad and expand horizons of U.S. citizens, an expansion of the Peace Corps is needed."
“As a current Peace Corps volunteer in the Middle East, I have seen first hand the benefits the Peace Corps can have not only on a global scale but on the home front as well. I believe Peace Corps is one of the United States' most effective and hands-on foreign policy tools.”
Bobbie Zerfas, Dorr, MI
“We have a chance at peace if we can all see ourselves as citizens of the world rather than citizens of a particular country. The Peace Corps can help us achieve that goal.”
Bonnie Benbow, Yardley,PA
This is the Greatest experience for our young people. You let people know who we are and bring back a greater appreciation for what we are."
"From a former Volunteer in Colombia, during Kennedy's era - it was an invaluable experience, with my gaining more than I gave. At 64, I would consider it again.”
“I was just sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kazakhstan. I cannot tell you how important the last three months of training have been in my understanding of the world. The Peace Corps as an organization is one of the most beneficial groups I have participated in. I would love to see it grow substantially because we all just genuinely want to help others.”
Continue to share your inspiring comments so that we can share the importance of Peace Corps to President-elect Obama, his transition team and the new Congress.
Posted by: |