Peace Corps Director Aaron Williams spoke at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy yesterday, commemorating the agency's 50th anniversary next year and addressing the challenges facing the Peace Corps to develop a strong future.
Williams gave a short presentation on the legacy of the Peace Corps, established in 1961 under the Kennedy administration, which he said has supplied over 200,000 volunteers worldwide since its inception. Following the presentation, Fletcher students, faculty and staff in attendance participated in a question−and−answer session.
Williams called Tufts "a citadel for international development" during his presentation, praising the number of Tufts students who go on to join the Peace Corps.
Tufts currently has 16 alumni serving in 14 different countries through Peace Corps, and has sent 484 alumni since the Peace Corps' founding in 1961, according to Peace Corps Public Affairs Specialist Elizabeth Chamberlain.
"Tufts is one of the great Peace Corps schools," Williams told the Daily.
"Tufts has sent a lot of Peace Corps volunteers who then return to The Fletcher School, so from the standpoint of both, Tufts is a great school for us," he said.
Williams noted that many aspects of the Tufts experience are valuable to the Peace Corps.
"The range of subjects taught here is a topic of interest to us, from the health sciences to the social sciences, all with a focus on worldwide issues," he said. "The type of students Tufts recruits and the large international population ensure that students here are more invested in the global community. That's important."
Williams' talk also highlighted the value of international service in today's world.
"Now more than ever, it is important to have an international experience, to be able to live in a different culture and learn a different mindset, so that we can effectively engage in a global future," he said.
"We want to grow with quality and be supported by the right investments," Williams said. A budget increase over last year has left the Peace Corps looking to significantly expand within the next few years.
Williams mentioned a new Peace Corps initiative to create partnerships with federal organizations such as NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for Aid Relief, as well as leading non−governmental organizations such as Mercy Corps. He added that new partnerships are a good opportunity to train volunteers and increase collaboration.
"These are global agreements that will allow leaders in countries where Peace Corps and these groups are working to collaborate," Williams said.
A task force dedicated entirely to expanding the Peace Corps conducted surveys of alumni around the country, Williams noted.
An audience member inquired about whether the enlarged budget would result in a greater number of volunteers in addition to an increase of ground resources available to Peace Corps members.
"We want it all," Williams replied. "There are lots of people who want to serve, and we want to provide a quality experience for them. By focusing on balanced growth, we can grow in a way that will be effective. We can't expand just our volunteer base without the necessary infrastructure."
Williams also noted the challenges the Peace Corps faces after 50 years of service, specifically mentioning the need for the agency to develop its recruiting strategy and compete more effectively with other institutions that recruit young adults.
In response to a question about the Corps' demographics, Williams said that the Peace Corps strives to reflect American diversity. He said the agency has created projects that will improve recruiting from underrepresented communities, notably African−American and Hispanic communities.
In the question−and−answer session, Williams said that the Peace Corps is committed to improving volunteer communications and training.
"Best practices need to be shared between volunteers and we are very acutely aware of that," he said.
Williams added that the Corps, like colleges and universities, seeks to develop stronger communications with its alumni to better solicit feedback and ideas.
