Peace Corps Overview:
Peace Corps was founded in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy. Peace Corps mission is to fulfill three goals:
- To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women
- To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served
- To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans
You can find out even more about:
- General Peace Corps information: http://www.peacecorps.gov
- Resources for friends and family: http://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/faf/
- History (including Kennedy’s speeches): http://www.peacecorps.gov/about/history/
Peace Corps Colombia:
I know. Colombia has a bad rap in the U.S. Colombia, like all places, has quite a history and unfortunately the negative has stuck. There is, of course, much more to Colombia. It was one of original countries Peace Corps started in. There was a 29-year hiatus and the program restarted in 2010 with the U.S. recognizing Colombia’s commitment to improving the security of its people. Colombia has a ton of biodiversity and there is a strong love of football (soccer) and music.
All Peace Corps positions are in the north, along the Caribbean Sea. The three main cities are Barranquilla, Cartagena, and Santa Marta (for some reason this didn’t pop up on my map. Sorry Santa Marta, it’s north of Barranquilla.) I’ll be training for three months in Barranquilla, and then be posted for two years in one of the three cities or the surrounding pueblos.
Estoy Capaz! 