Written by DAP NEWS -- Saturday, 26 September 2009
(CAAI News Media)
Fourty-two US Peace Corps volunteers on Friday solemnly swore to live up o their responsibilities as volunteers in 11 Cambodian provinces.
Carol A. Rodley, US ambassador to Phnom Penh, said that the Peace Corps combines a number of basic traits from American society—willingness to volunteer, willingness to learn, willingness to share, belief in change, and enthusiasm to focus on the tasks at hand.
“In nearly 49 years, nearly 200,000 Americans of all ages and walks of life have served in the Peace Corps in 139 countries around the world,” said Ambassador Rodley.
“Cambodia has asked the Peace Corps to provide English teachers at the high school level and in teachers training centers through the country,” she said. “We all know that English is the language of tourism and the internet, and that students who learn English are able to explore a whole new world through their mastery of this tool.”
The ambassador stated that Peace Corps is proud of be able to assist Cambodians in their quest to learn English, but their involvement is not limited to language instruction. “In the past our volunteers have also helped build and supply school libraries, internets centers, school gardens, sports clubs, and environmental study groups, and I believe that these are the reasons why the Prime Minister and others have been so supportive of the Peace Corps recently and we expect this new group to carry on the tradition.”
Minister of Education, Youth and Sports Im Sothy said that the event showed the increasing cooperation between Cambodia and the US.
“The cooperation between Cambodia and US is still developing and we admire all volunteers who participate in the development of Cambodian society,” he added.
Jon Darrah, Peace Corps Cambodia Country Director, said that worldwide, the Peace Corps promotes peace through three goals: to help people of other countries in meeting their needs of trained manpower; to promote a better understanding of the American people on the part of the people served; and to promote a better understanding of other people on the part of the American people.
Peace Corps was established by US President John F. Kennedy in 1961 in order to promote international peace and friendship through the service of American Volunteers overseas. It is a non-political, non-religious, non-profit agency of the US Government that provides qualified technical expertise to countries that request Peace Corps’ assistance.
Peace Corps Volunteers have worked closely with local partners in more than 137 countries worldwide over the past four decades to address development needs, improve basic conditions, and create new opportunities. Today Peace Corps support more than 7,533 Peace Corps Volunteers in over 71 countries all over the world.
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