Peace Corps celebrates 50th birthday in BU event

The Peace Corps commemorated its 50th anniversary on Friday at the Boston University Trustee Center by remembering its past, demonstrating its effectiveness and speaking to the next generation of volunteers.

Nearly 100 people attended the Peace Corps’ commemoration, sponsored by BU’s Center for Global Health and Development, Boston’s branch of the Peace Corps and the Boston Area Returned Peace Corps Volunteers.  The celebration featured music by local musicians, original art contributed by the College of Fine Arts and a panel with Peace Corps volunteers.

The discussion, titled “Future Dreams and Fond Memories by Returned Peace Corps Volunteers” featured former members of the Peace Corps.

About 1,300 BU alumni have served in the Peace Corps and BU is among the top 20 universities producing volunteers, said William Rhodes, the Peace Corps’ chief of staff.

“At 13,000 feet on the Andes, I came to understand the world and it’s severe poverty,” Rhodes said, recalling his service in Bolivia.

Rhodes said 50 years later, the words of President John F. Kennedy, founder of the peace corps, remain relevant in discussion of the mission of the service organization.

“How many of you who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the foreign service and spend your lives traveling around the world?” said Rhodes, quoting Kennedy.

“The Peace Corps changed the way Americans see the world and how the world sees America,” Rhodes said.

The mission of the Peace Corps has only grown since the organizations inception 50 years ago, Rhodes said, as fighting poverty and inequality have only grown in the past half-century.

“It is as essential today, as it was 50 years ago and will be as long as poverty and social exclusion still exist in the developing world. These struggles exist for far too many people in far too many places, and these are issues that the Peace Corps continues to address in a day to day manner.”

Some attendees said the discussions encouraged them to join the Peace Corps.

“I’m interested in joining the Peace Corps before grad school,” said Melinda Hudson, a sophomore in the College of Communication. “In high school, a returned Peace Corps volunteer spoke to me about her experiences and that got me interested. I’ll be interested in going to maybe Thailand or Kazakhstan.”

“I loved it. Hearing about all the different cultures, especially about Latin America and seeing their lifestyles was very insightful,” said Ashley Donkbe, a graduate student in the School of Public Health.

For those who have already volunteered in the Peace Corps, the commemoration served to remind them of their service and the experiences that came from that service.

“As a returned Peace Corps volunteer, this event will brings back great memories and it’s great to hear more recent RPCV perspectives,” said Leslie Merzig, an administrative assistant in the student in the School of Public Health, who served in the Republic of Cameroon as part of the Peace Corps.