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The first whispers of an American Peace Corps -

John F. Kennedy is widely regarded as the mastermind behind the advent of the Peace Corps, but his idea wasn't wholly original. As early as the 1950s, various politicians attempted to broach the subject of creating a humanitarian aid government agency.

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Senator Hubert Humphrey -

Senator Hubert Humphrey, who would later serve as vice president under Lyndon B. Johnson, is credited with first suggesting the name "Peace Corps" for such a humanitarian agency in a 1960 bill set before Congress. Humphrey's bill didn't pass, but it certainly got the Peace Corps ball rolling.

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Kennedy on the campaign trail -

Soon-to-be President Kennedy adopted the idea of creating a humanitarian Peace Corps and it became one of his many campaign goals. On October 14, just weeks before the 1960 presidential election, Kennedy gave an unscripted speech in front of thousands of students, asking who among them would willingly volunteer overseas. For many, this speech is seen as the birth of the Peace Corps.

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Talented young men and women -

Almost immediately after being elected president, Kennedy went to work towards the establishment of the Peace Corps. Officially described by Kennedy as a "peace corps for talented young men and women," the idea quickly began to gain traction among young Americans.

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Peace Corps fever -

After its official announcement, tens of thousands of young people and students expressed their eagerness to join the Peace Corps. Letters were sent to the White House, and petitions were passed around college campuses to guarantee the new government knew how much the idea of the Peace Corps was supported.

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Sargent Shriver -

Kennedy placed his brother-in-law, Sargent Shriver, who had previously served as the president of the Chicago Board of Education, in charge of establishing the Peace Corps. Shriver would go on to serve as the first director of the Peace Corps, and later establish many more humanitarian government agencies like AmeriCorps and Job Corps.

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Enemies in high places -

Despite the overwhelming support from the youth of the United States, it was far from universally praised. Richard Nixon, who had just lost the presidential election to Kennedy, called the prospective Peace Corps a "cult of escapism," suggesting that the agency would attract nothing but lazy draft dodgers.

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Enemies in high places -

Dwight D. Eisenhower, a military general and Kennedy's predecessor, echoed Nixon's concerns, and even went so far as to suggest that Peace Corps recruits be "sent to the Moon."

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Political views on the Peace Corps -

These criticisms concerning draft evasion stemmed from the desire to draft as many able-bodied Americans as possible to fight in the Vietnam War, a Cold War conflict of ideologies that was vehemently opposed by many young Americans. Supporters of the Peace Corps, however, saw the agency as a different kind of Cold War weapon; they believed that state-sponsored humanitarian missions would help paint the United States in a warmer, more sympathetic light in other countries around the world, giving them a perceived moral upper hand over the Communists.

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March 1, 1961 -

On March 1, 1951, President Kennedy officially established the Peace Corps via executive order.

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The Peace Corps' first mission -

The first class of Peace Corps volunteers consisted of 51 individuals. In August 1960, these 51 volunteers boarded a plane destined for Accra, the capital city of Ghana.

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Teaching in Accra -

In Accra, the first Peace Corps mission officially began. Volunteers from the United States served as teachers for Ghanaian schoolchildren. The Peace Corps presence in Ghana persists to this day.

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A smashing success -

The popularity of the Peace Corps only skyrocketed after it was established. By 1966, engagement in the Peace Corps had grown from a humble 51 volunteers in Ghana to 15,000 individuals serving in no less than 46 countries.

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The Peace Corps and the Cold War -

Despite the invaluable aid that was apparently being provided by the Peace Corps, many groups and persons both in the States and abroad remained skeptical. The agency was, after all, established in the middle of the Cold War, a war defined by covert espionage and distrust that frequently verged on paranoia.

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An intelligence front? -

Many countries were hesitant to welcome the Peace Corps, worried that this brand new state-funded humanitarian aid agency was nothing more than a front for the CIA and its volunteers nothing more than spies.

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No agents allowed -

To quell these suspicions, the government barred any and all former CIA employees from volunteering in the Peace Corps. Restrictions were placed on other federal intelligence agencies as well, most of which have to observe a 10-year waiting period before ex-employees are allowed to volunteer.

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Deaths in the Peace Corps -

While the Peace Corps is by no means a military agency and never engages in combat, it is, by nature, a dangerous job. The agency does its best to protect its volunteers, but around 300 volunteers have perished from disease, violence, and accidents since its formation.

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Lifelong opportunities to help -

The volunteer requirements established by the Peace Corps are purposefully inclusive, with the hopes of attracting volunteers from all walks of life. For example, there is no upper age limit for volunteers. While most are in their twenties, there have been volunteers as old as 87.

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Life in the Peace Corps -

Life in the Peace Corps is no walk in the park, but is said to be profoundly fulfilling. Volunteers generally live in a manner similar to those around them, as they are fully immersed in their environment. The agency's volunteers are volunteers after all, and are given a per diem comparable to the means of the residents of their locality.

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The average Peace Corps contract -

Most first-time Peace Corps volunteers serve for two years, with opportunities to visit their homes and families. Many volunteers end up returning, and as volunteers become more specialized, they may be given shorter or longer contracts depending on the nature of their missions.

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From agriculture to education -

The Peace Corps' primary mission is to help with development in whatever form it might take, be that the establishment of sustainable agriculture practices, providing medical care and aiding in disease prevention, primary education, vocational education, or helping a locality rebuild its economy.

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Life after the Peace Corps -

Serving in the Peace Corps is a life-changing experience for many of its volunteers, and can help individuals find their true purpose in life. Many volunteers go on to pursue careers in the humanitarian sector, or sometimes even dedicate their lives to the Peace Corps itself.

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Peace Corps disbursement by the numbers -

As of 2019, upwards of 240,000 volunteers had served in the Peace Corps over the decades. In that same year, 42% of active volunteers worked in the education sector, followed by 20% in the health sector. About 45% of 2019's volunteers were serving in Africa, 19% in the Americas, and 13% in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

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Famous veterans of the Peace Corps -

Volunteers come from every corner of society, and that includes high society. Over the years, there have been a number of famous names spotted in the ranks of the Peace Corps.

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Reed Hastings -

Billionaire Reed Hastings is best known as the co-founder of Netflix. What you might not know is that the current executive chairperson of the streaming giant volunteered as a math teacher in Swaziland, modern-day Eswatini, from 1983 to 1985.

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Paul Theroux -

Paul Theroux, acclaimed writer of popular travelogues and novels such as 1981's 'The Mosquito Coast,' joined the Peace Corps as a teacher in Malawi in 1963, just two years after its establishment. In 1965, Theroux was discharged from the agency for helping a political opponent of Malawi's tyrannical future president Hastings Banda escape to neighboring Uganda.

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Taylor Hackford -

Oscar-winning filmmaker Taylor Hackford (husband of Helen Mirren) volunteered with the Peace Corps in Bolivia during the late 1960s. It was during his time in Bolivia that Hackford first started experimenting with filmmaking.

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Chyna -

Joan Marie Laurer, better known professionally as Chyna, was one of wrestling's greatest stars at the end of the 20th century. But before she stepped in the ring, Laurer volunteered in the Peace Corps in Guatemala for two years.

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The Peace Corps today -

Today, the Peace Corps remains active in dozens of countries around the world. Some 7,000 volunteers were recalled to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, but as of 2023 the agency is once again accepting volunteer applications and dispatching volunteers.

See also: 60 ways to serve your community

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