The future of the Peace Corps
Kate Tighe
Issue date: 3/21/07 Section: KSG News
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John F. Kennedy first floated the idea of the Peace Corps in 1960. It was 2am, the end of a long day of campaigning, when the then Presidential candidate stood on the steps of the University of Michigan Union and challenged students to devote two years of their lives to working in the developing world. Forty-seven years later, over 35 returned Peace Corps volunteers (RCPVs) now bring their knowledge and experience to the Kennedy School.
Aaron Jette (MPP2) served in Paraguay. He worked with teachers and community groups on environmental education, describing the experience as transformative. But he has been somewhat disappointed in the reaction to his service from his KSG peers.
"Too many people at KSG already seem dismissive of the Peace Corps," Jette says. "They seem to lump it together with semesters abroad or the equivalent of any other development job - World Bank, UNDP - or they put it in a more insidious category as the politically correct arm of US foreign policy.
"Spending two years living among extremely poor people in a developing country is not something 99% of KSG students who didn't serve have had a chance to experience. It gives us a unique and authoritative perspective on issues of development and poverty."
The number of Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) is currently at a 30-year high with 7,749 Americans working in 73 countries. Of the volunteers, 35% work in education, 21% in health and HIV/AIDS, 16% in business development and 19% in the environment or agriculture. Meanwhile, at Harvard College, interest is dwindling. In 2006, Harvard ranked last in the top 25 of medium-sized universities for the number of graduating students who enter the Peace Corps. This year, Harvard failed to make the list.
While KSG's RCPVs consider the experience to be a life-changing one, they see room for improvement to the service. Kristen Himelein (MPA/ID2), completed her service in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, where the education sector is a priority for the Peace Corps. She worries about the overall strategy of the organization.
Aaron Jette (MPP2) served in Paraguay. He worked with teachers and community groups on environmental education, describing the experience as transformative. But he has been somewhat disappointed in the reaction to his service from his KSG peers.
"Too many people at KSG already seem dismissive of the Peace Corps," Jette says. "They seem to lump it together with semesters abroad or the equivalent of any other development job - World Bank, UNDP - or they put it in a more insidious category as the politically correct arm of US foreign policy.
"Spending two years living among extremely poor people in a developing country is not something 99% of KSG students who didn't serve have had a chance to experience. It gives us a unique and authoritative perspective on issues of development and poverty."
The number of Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) is currently at a 30-year high with 7,749 Americans working in 73 countries. Of the volunteers, 35% work in education, 21% in health and HIV/AIDS, 16% in business development and 19% in the environment or agriculture. Meanwhile, at Harvard College, interest is dwindling. In 2006, Harvard ranked last in the top 25 of medium-sized universities for the number of graduating students who enter the Peace Corps. This year, Harvard failed to make the list.
While KSG's RCPVs consider the experience to be a life-changing one, they see room for improvement to the service. Kristen Himelein (MPA/ID2), completed her service in the West African nation of Burkina Faso, where the education sector is a priority for the Peace Corps. She worries about the overall strategy of the organization.
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