Peace Corps Volunteer Swearing-In Ceremony (October 29, 2008)
2008 Speeches
Peace Corps Volunteer Swearing-In Ceremony (October 29, 2008)
Governor General’s “Belize House”
Belmopan
Good Morning to The Peace Corps Training Class of 2008!
I understand that we have present today members of the host families who have taken our Peace Corps Trainees into their homes during their training. Thank you for introducing these soon-to-be-Volunteers to your country, helping them learn your language and customs, and for taking care of them over the past eight weeks. I also want to thank you for introducing them to the joys of rice and beans and Belizean home cooking, while being mindful of their delicate stomachs. We are grateful for your help and friendship.
It is good to be with you to celebrate on the day that we will send a new class of Peace Corps Volunteers into the field to work with their Belizean communities.
But our being together today celebrates not simply the swearing-in of a new class of Peace Corps Volunteers, but also celebrates the strong relationship and shared values the peoples of the United States and Belize continue to enjoy.
Established in 1961, the Peace Corps has brought a wealth of practical assistance to individuals and communities throughout the world. Since its inception, more than 161,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers in 134 countries.
Today, we celebrate the swearing-in of 37 new Volunteers. They will carry on the good work of the many PC volunteers who have served here since 1962. These enthusiastic Americans of all ages have left the familiar comforts of home to live and work for the next two years to serve as America’s emissaries of hope and goodwill as they work to further the development of Belize. You and your Belizean counterparts are going to advance the interests of your communities and organizations, and at the same time help build a deeper understanding of our respective cultures, systems of government, values and traditions.
The volunteers will be working in four program areas: Business and Organizational Management; Education; Healthy Communities; and Youth Development.
In each case and across all four program areas, the Volunteers and their Belizean hosts will be working together as they improve the lives of those in their communities by encouraging small business development and enhanced organizational management practices; improving educational techniques and outcomes in Belizean schools; implementing strategies for healthier individuals and communities; and providing Belizean youth with new opportunities to take control of their own lives.
Today’s ceremony is also testament to the shared values and strong relationship that our two great nations enjoy.
This relationship is centered on the belief that democratic institutions, founded on individual liberties and human rights, provide the best foundation for a society where its citizens can pursue their full potential and realize their best hopes for themselves, their families, and their communities.
The volunteers here today have committed a portion of their lives to the service of these values. It is a noble endeavor, and I commend you for your commitment. Soon you and the Belizeans who will host you will have the opportunity to advance these values and further strengthen the fruitful relationship our two nations enjoy.
President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush each observed recently: The Peace Corps is about “showing the rest of the world the compassionate heart of the American citizen.” “The generous spirit of the American people has given this country a great and long-standing tradition of voluntary service. During the past four decades, the members of the Peace Corps have carried on that tradition with dramatic and far-reaching effect.” “You serve as our nations emissaries of hope and good will - sharing the best of our country with those who may never come into contact with another American.”
As President John F. Kennedy said nearly 50 years ago, you will be “sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace.”
As a former PCV parent, I close with these words: work hard and have fun, stay safe, and write home often. I know you are going to have a wonderful experience, make many new friends, and return home wiser and ready to meet any challenge.
Thank you.