50 Years of Peace

“In establishing our Peace Corps we intend to make full use of the resources and talents of private institutions and groups. Universities, voluntary agencies, labor unions and industry will be asked to share in this effort--contributing diverse sources of energy and imagination--making it clear that the responsibility for peace is the responsibility of our entire society.”- John F. Kennedy, March 1, 1961.

Fifty years tomorrow, March 1st, President Kennedy made the dream of American volunteerism a reality. On March 1st we begin the celebration of "Peace Corps Month".

Peace Corps' mission is to promote World Peace and Friendship around the world. I've always found the purpose of Peace Corps to be beautiful. While the reality of PC may be more bureaucratic then the original idea, it's still a fantastic dream. And I'm honored to be apart of it.

The Volunteers in Ukraine are busy at work organizing and creating a short documentary film about life as a PCV in Ukraine. We're organizing large projects in hope of educating Ukrainian's about Peace Corps and Americans, and educating Americans about Ukraine and what it means to serve as a PCV in a post-Soviet Union country. As for me, I'm busy marketing this product to broadcast journalists in Ukraine and in America. I'll let you know more closer to June.

Fifty year of volunteerism, friendship, and peace. All lovely reasons to celebrate. Please honor the 7,671 active Peace Corps Volunteers and the more than 200,000 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers by promoting Peace Corps and the vision of Sargent Shiver, John F. Kennedy and the many, many people it takes to fulfill a dream.

If you have Facebook, please change your profile picture on March 1st, 2011 to the artwork below. A very talented PCV in Ukraine created the artwork and we want our family and friends to participate, along with all of the RPCV's. Please spread the word and help us live our mission.

Peace be with you all