Peace Corps essays

Peace Corps essays Change, whether it is for better or worse, is inevitable in our society. We as individuals have the ability to bring about change in society and the world. Throughout history, cultures and societies have benefited through the sharing of skills. A modern day example of this is the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps positively affects the United States politically, the citizens of the communities in which volunteers serve economically and socially, and the volunteers themselves personally. Even before the creation of the Peace Corps, many influential Senators and Representatives had the idea of an Army of Peace. American Philosopher, William James first suggested the idea of an army to work for peace in 1904. That idea was not put into consideration by the United States government, but it eventually led up to the creation of international work camps. When World War II ended in 1945, numerous private groups set up work camps around the world to improve conditions in those areas. Other private groups sent young, skilled Americans to share their skills in other countries. This example led Senator Richard L. Neuberger of Oregon and Congressman Henry S. Reuss of Wisconsin to propose the idea of a youth corps program in January of 1960. Their program would send young Americans trained in a skill to a developing county to share their talents. The plan for the program never made it through Congress, but later in 1960, Senator Hubert H. Humphrey of Minnesota asked Con gress to create a peace corps. Instead of sending only young Americans, his plan called for people of any age to share their skills in a foreign country. Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy used the idea of a peace corps in his campaign for presidency in 1960 (Peace Corps, World Book 2). The idea of a peace corps was popular with college students. This is seen in the book Come As You Are: The Peace Corps Story. In his speech to a large crowd a...