NATIONAL PEACE CORPS WEEK -- (Senate - February 28, 2008)
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I rise to take a few minutes, during National Peace Corps Week, to salute the dedication and accomplishments of the hundreds of thousands of Peace Corps volunteers who have served our Nation and the world since President John F. Kennedy had the wisdom and foresight to establish the Peace Corps in 1961.
I want to recognize in particular the 309 current Peace Corps volunteers from Illinois who are today serving in every corner of the globe, as well as the more than 7,000 Illinoisans who have served since the Peace Corps' inception. These men and women come from big cities and small towns, urban centers and rural farming communities. Some are recent college graduates who fit our most common image of a Peace Corps volunteer, while others are older and bring to this new role a lifetime of skills and experience.
Diverse though their backgrounds might be, all Peace Corps volunteers share a common desire to improve the lives of people less fortunate than themselves, and to do so in a direct, hands-on fashion.
Americans are the most generous people in the world. We give from our wallets and we give of our time, donating both of these in large quantities on behalf of the poor, the hungry, and the disenfranchised. Volunteerism and altruism are among the most fundamental aspects of our national character, and all Americans should be proud of our contributions to meeting the world's development challenges.
Yet there is something different, something unique, about those of our fellow citizens who have chosen the Peace Corps path. They move to the other side of the planet, with few to no amenities, and immerse themselves in completely unfamiliar cultures and languages. That type of commitment changes the lives of the local communities in which the volunteers live and work, to be sure. But it also affects profoundly the volunteers themselves, who sacrifice material comforts and proximity to family and friends in exchange for the knowledge that they are having a positive impact.
Sometimes, a Peace Corps volunteer's sacrifice goes far beyond the mere material. This past December, 25-year-old Blythe Ann O'Sullivan of Bloomingdale, IL, died while serving in Suriname. Blythe was a graduate of Bradley University in Peoria and was in her second year volunteering as a small business adviser at the time of her death. I join her family, friends, the Peace Corps community and all the people whose lives Blythe touched, not only in mourning her loss but also in celebrating her memory.
I would also like to honor the many Illinois colleges and universities that turn out Peace Corps volunteers in large numbers. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranked 16th in the Nation last year among large colleges and universities in the number of alumni volunteers. Northwestern University ranked 12th among medium-sized schools, and the University of Chicago, I am proud to say, was first in the country among smaller institutions. It is a testament to these universities, their faculties, and most of all their students that so many Illinois alumni choose to join the Peace Corps and serve their country and humanity in this way.
You know, most people hear the words ``Peace Corps'' and picture young American men and women helping the people of some remote village to dig a latrine or a well, or learn English, or access better health care. And of course, this sort of development work is the principal reason the Peace Corps was founded.
But Peace Corps volunteers also serve an equally important role as goodwill ambassadors. They are often the first Americans their overseas friends and neighbors have ever met, and first impressions count for a lot. Over the past several years, much of the world has questioned U.S. intentions and watched us warily until they've been sure of the real meaning behind our words, the real goals behind our actions. The pure altruism of Peace Corps volunteers, living and working every day with citizens the world over, goes a long way toward reassuring the world that Americans are a good and giving people.
The Peace Corps and its volunteers cannot do this alone. It is important that Congress continue to support the Peace Corps to the greatest possible extent. As a member of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on the State Department and Foreign Operations, I am proud that Chairman Leahy was able to increase the Peace Corps' budget by $10 million for fiscal year 2008. And I am certain that together we will be able to continue supporting the Peace Corps to make it even more effective and to honor the dedication and sacrifice of the many thousands of volunteers who have served, are now serving, and will serve in the future.