For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
February 28, 2001
Fortieth Anniversary of the Peace Corps
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
The generous spirit of the American people has
given this country a great and long-standing tradition of volun-tary
service. During the past four decades, the members of the
Peace Corps have carried on that tradition with dramatic and
far-reaching effect.
Established in 1961, the Peace Corps has
brought a wealth of practical assistance to individuals and communities
throughout the world. Since its inception, more than
161,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers in 134
countries. Peace Corps volunteers have not only helped to
fill immediate and dire human needs, but also have helped promote
sustainable, long-term development in agriculture, business, education,
urban development, health care, and the environment.
In many countries of the world, there exists
an intense hunger for peace, hope, and opportunity -- for genuine
social and economic development that is rooted in respect for human
rights and a belief in human potential. Recognizing the dignity and
worth of all peoples and determined to help individuals help
themselves, Peace Corps volunteers have served as our Nation's
emissaries of hope and goodwill. Accordingly, their generous
efforts have helped to foster mutual understanding and respect between
the people of the United States and citizens of other countries.
Respected for its work around the world, the
Peace Corps also conducts a number of valuable programs here at
home. For example, through programs such as the Paul
Coverdell World Wise Schools and Peace Corps Fellows/USA, Peace Corps
volunteers are helping children in every State of our Nation to learn
more about the world in which we live.
I am pleased to note that the current
volunteer corps is the most ethnically diverse in Peace Corps history
and that more and more Americans are joining in the work of the Peace
Corps through its growing partnerships with the public and private
sectors. These trends are a tribute to the many past
achievements of the Peace Corps, and they are a promising sign of more
to come.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President
of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and laws of the United States,
do hereby urge all Americans to observe March 1, 2001 -- the 40th
anniversary of the Peace Corps -- with appropriate programs,
ceremonies, and activities designed to honor Peace Corps volunteers,
past and present, for their many contributions to our country and to
the universal cause of peace and human progress.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my
hand this twenty-eighth day of February, in the year of our Lord two
thousand one, and of the Independence of the United States of America
the two hundred and twenty-fifth.
GEORGE W. BUSH
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