Did you know that February is Peace and Conflict Resolution Month with Rotary and that the first week of March is considered "Peace Corps Week"? Connections between the two organizations do not end there. As you may know, Rotary and Peace Corps have an official relationship where Rotarians can sponsors Peace Corps projects and much more.
On March 1, the Peace Corps celebrates 60 years since President John F. Kennedy established the agency in 1961. The anniversary of the Peace Corps commemorates international peace and friendship, volunteerism and service. Discover the benefits of Peace Corps service from a panelist who share their stories of how John F. Kennedy impacted their lives.
Join the 60th anniversary commemoration to learn about the challenging, rewarding and inspirational moments and to ask questions about service and gain tips to guide you through the application process. Discover the benefits of Peace Corps service from our panelist who share their stories of how John F. Kennedy impacted their life.
This year doesn’t just mark an anniversary for the Peace Corps, it marks a new beginning. When the agency evacuated its global posts in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it paused operations and brought more than 6,000 Americans home from service who were serving in more than 60 countries. The agency is now recruiting and planning for their return to service, bringing an extraordinary opportunity for future Volunteers to be the start of a brand new chapter for all of Peace Corps. These new Volunteers will be vital to the agency’s post-pandemic success as members of a new inaugural cohort.
60 Years of Service: Stories of JFK and the Peace Corps Legacy.
When: March 3, 2021 at 6:30 – 7:30 pm CT
panelist include:
Mayor Phil Hardberger graduated from Columbia University, and went to Mexico City to work for an English-speaking business magazine. While there and listening to John F. Kennedy’s campaign speeches, one of JFK’s ideas struck home - the Peace Corps: to volunteer working one-on-one on the same level as the host-country people could only be a good thing for both the foreign country and for the United States. Phil knew then and there this was what he wanted to do. Immediately after JFK’s inauguration, Phil applied for Peace Corps service. Still trying to get themselves set up and open for business, it was a year before Phil was hired. He started in Public Relations, working in daily, routine contact with Sargent Shriver. While based in Washington and standing in for Sarge at many White House and Congressional meetings, Phil was also able to travel throughout the world on Peace Corps business. Beginning in Public Relations and Administration, Phil ended his five-year stint with the Peace Corps as its Executive Secretary. Phil practiced law in San Antonio, TX for 30 years. He served as Chief Justice of the Fourth Court of Appeals for the South Texas region for six years. He served as Mayor of San Antonio for two terms, leaving City Hall with an 86% approval rating. The newest and largest major city park in San Antonio, purchased by the City while he was Mayor, was named after Phil after he left the Mayor’s office. Phil Hardberger Park now boasts the newest and largest Land Bridge in the United States.
Karen Jean Hunt was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address challenge to "Ask not what your country can do for you - Ask what you can do for your country," inspired her and others to see the importance of public service. She served as a Peace Corps English teacher in Kenya (1986-88), a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) Volunteer in Armenia (2017-19) and a TEFL Volunteer in Ethiopia (2019-2020). Prior to the Peace Corps, Hunt enlisted in the United States Air Force. She went on to earn a bachelor's degree in English from California State University Long Beach, a master's degree in Public History from Wright State University, and a master's degree in Information and Library studies from the University of Michigan. Hunt retired from Duke University Libraries, in 2017. Hunt is currently a COVID 19 AmeriCorps member, serving in Alaska.
Dr. Douglas Lee Hall was 14 years old when the Peace Corps was signed into congressional legislation. It was 1961 and he knew then, that he wanted to become a Peace Corps Volunteer at some point in his life. In 1963, John F. Kennedy visited San Antonio on his tour through Texas. A 16 year old Dr. Hall had the privilege of meeting him, shaking his hand, and in an excited voice tell him, that he planned to join the Peace Corps. It took him 50 years, but in 2013 he was able to fulfill his dream…and his promise to President Kennedy. Dr. Hall, most recently served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ukraine Teaching English as a Foreign Language and previously served in Guyana promoting literacy and science from 2013-2016.