FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, February 15, 2002
|
The White House - Office of the Press Secretary
|
Fact Sheet: The President's Commitment to Strengthening the Peace Corps |
|
Today's Presidential Action
Today, President Bush outlined his
initiative to double the size of the Peace Corps over the next five
years and expand the number of countries in which Peace Corps
volunteers are active.
The President also announced that a
special Peace Corps assessment team will travel to Afghanistan to
evaluate needs and opportunities for Peace Corps volunteers to assist
the Afghan people in rebuilding their nation.
Background on the President's Commitment to Strengthen the Peace
Corps
Launched on January 29, 2002 as part of President Bush's State of
the Union
Address, the USA Freedom Corps is an effort to foster
a culture of responsibility, citizenship and service, building on the
generous spirit of
the American people.
That effort begins with President Bush's two-year
call to service—his challenge that
every American devote at least 4,000
hours to service to their community,
our nation or the world.
The USA
Freedom Corps will work to offer expanded service opportunities
for
Americans at home and abroad through the
newly created Citizen Corps,
AmeriCorps and SeniorCorps, and the
Peace Corps—and in cooperation with volunteer organizations large and
small.
The USA Freedom Corps represents a broad
call to action. One way the
federal government can help to support
action by willing volunteers is
strengthening existing federal service opportunities—including
Peace Corps. The Peace Corps is unique among
federal service programs because it allows Americans to serve in
countries around the world.
Through the USA Freedom Corps
effort, President Bush seeks to strengthen
the Peace Corps as an organization
and offer the talent of Peace Corps volunteers to new countries around
the world.
- Doubling the Size of the Peace Corps:
There are currently 7,000 Peace Corps volunteers serving in 70
countries around the world. President Bush pledged to double the size
of the Peace Corps over the next five years—bringing the Peace Corps
close to its peak enrollment levels of the mid-1960s.
- Increasing the Number of Countries Where
Peace Corps Members Serve: President Bush will work to expand
opportunities for American volunteers to serve in countries where the
Peace Corps does not currently have a presence and where the needs for
Peace Corps assistance may be great. This includes expanding
Peace Corps service in Islamic countries.
- Within the next 6 months, a number of
countries—including East Timor and Peru—will welcome Peace Corps
volunteers. And, over the next two months, Peace Corps
volunteers will be returning to the Kyrgyz Republic, Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan in Central Asia.
- Peace Corps assessment teams will be sent
to countries like Azerbaijan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Botswana, Swaziland
and Chad to evaluate opportunities for service.
- Sending Crisis Corps Members to Assist the
Rebuilding of Afghanistan: An assessment team of Peace Corps staff
members and experienced Peace Corps volunteers—part of the Crisis
Corps program—will travel to Afghanistan within weeks to evaluate
opportunities for the Peace Corps to assist the Afghan people in
rebuilding.
- Expediting Applications for Peace Corps
Volunteers: President Bush also called for streamlining the
application process for Peace Corps volunteers, as well as improving
the management, information technology and other skills and training to
expand opportunities for today's Peace Corps members.
Since President Bush announced his USA Freedom Corps
initiative on January 29, more than 2,775 potential Peace Corps volunteers have started
applications and almost 7,000 men and women have contacted
the Peace Corps to ask about volunteering. The Peace Corps
estimates that there has been a 300% increase in volunteer interest.
###
|