Peace Corps Celebrates its 40 Years in this Country to Rhythms of Merengue

16 February 2002

Peace Corps Celebrates its 40 Years in this Country to Rhythms of Merengue

“I am extremely proud to celebrate 40 years of service in the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic with so many present and former Volunteers, as well as with their Dominican counterparts. I am very pleased to be surrounded by more than 100 Good Will Ambassadors,” stated the United States Ambassador, Hans H. Hertell, in his speech during the reception offered on Saturday, February 16^th, in the Sans Souci Naval Club, to commemorate the 40^th Anniversary of the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic.

The reception was attended by the President of the Republic, Engineer Hipólito Mejía, the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Milagros Ortiz Bosch, more than 100 former Peace Corps Volunteers who worked in the Dominican Republic, the Volunteers who are now serving in this country, and high level officials of both the Dominican Government and the United States Embassy. A popular musical group from the Secretariat of State of Tourism added the musical touch to the activity.

In his speech, welcoming those present, Ambassador Hertell pointed out the unique role played by the Peace Corps around the world, and the way these Volunteers share their lives with the Dominican people in the communities where they work, and in this way make deep and lasting ties of friendship.

Among the former Volunteers who attended the conference were Jerry Dupuy, very well known in the Dominican Republic as he has been residing here for many years; and Kevin Smith, present Agricultural Attaché of the Embassy, who was also a Volunteer in the Dominican Republic. The United States Senator Christopher Dodd, who was a volunteer in the Dominican Republic from 1966 to 1968, excused himself for not being able to attend the ceremony, and in his speech Ambassador Hertell read part of the note he sent. “My experience as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic was a turning point in my life, which left me with a deep affection and interest not only in the Dominican Republic, but also for the entire region. It is for this reason that I have made of the promotion of the relations between the United States and Latin America a focal point in my 26 year career in the Congress of the United States,” wrote Senator Dodd.

On March 1^st, 1061, John F. Kennedy, President of the United States of America, issued a presidential order establishing the Peace Corps as a technical support to developing countries. The Peace Corps also works to build a better understanding between the United States and other nations. To date some 160,000 United States citizens have served as members of the Peace Corps in 135 countries around the world.

The first Peace Corps volunteers arrived in the Dominican Republic in July of 1962. Since then the Peace Corps has made valuable contributions in services and technical support to Dominican society. At present some 125 volunteers lend their services in this country in the areas of teacher training, information systems, special education, enviromental education, AIDS prevention, maternal-child health, development of micro-businesses, and sustainable agriculture, among others.

Some examples of these contributions are: Association for the Development of Micro-Businesses (ADEMI), whose accounting and computer systems were established by the Peace Corps; the marketing of the stone Larimar made by a volunteer. The Peace Corps also played a very important role in the creation of chicken farms and the making of the already famous Limet ceramic dolls. At present several volunteers are training teachers in the use of computers for classroom teaching, among other activities.