To Peace Corps or Not to Peace Corps?

“The Peace Corps is respected abroad because volunteers have often done the different jobs no one else was able or willing to do; because Volunteers have filled needs for trained manpower at critical times. Moreover, the Peace Corps comes without strings or ulterior motive, separate from American foreign policy, with no other purpose than to help where needed”. – Joseph Blatchford, former Peace Corps Director WWU\u27s graduates have a long tradition of serving as Peace Corps Volunteers in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. This Forum discussion by Peace Corps veterans and Western Faculty will reflect on the Peace Corps’ and our Graduates’ roles in the wider world. What do Western Grads do in the Peace Corps and where does their service fit in American foreign policy, international development, and myriad relationships between the United States and the developing world? What does it mean to go into another country and culture to help? Is it possible for the thousands of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) to go to another place without ulterior motive? Are Volunteers guests or helpers and what is the difference? How is the Peace Corps through the eyes of the citizens of the host countries? About the Lecturers: Julie Helling is Professor of Law, Diversity and Justice at Fairhaven College. She is a lawyer and former domestic violence prosecutor and served for two years in the Peace Corps in Niger. Jill MacIntyre Witt is WWU Peace Corps campus representative and NTT faculty teaching courses in Health and Human Development and Environmental Studies. She holds a MA in Environmental Studies from Huxley College and served in the Peace Corps in Morocco. Hilary Schwandt is Associate Professor of Public Health at Fairhaven College. She has an MHS and PhD from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and served for two years in the Peace Corps in Jamaica. Pedro Cameselle is assistant Professor of History at WWU. He is originally from Uruguay and his research is on US-Latin American relations