Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances will be at a level sufficient only to maintain health and meet basic needs. Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed—doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language.

But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps—who works in a foreign land—will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace. – President John. F Kennedy, after signing Executive Order 10924, establishing the Peace Corps

Today, we commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the Peace Corps; an organization that has spent 50 years dedicated to developing world peace and friendship. Ever since Senator John F. Kennedy to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in developing countries, The Peace Corps has been a monumental program in which more than 200,000 volunteers have served.

Much has changed in 50 years, but the need for volunteers is still significant. As the needs of the world change, the volunteer response shifts as well. While volunteers continue to do important work like bringing clean water to communities and teaching children, today’s volunteers also work to improve HIV/AIDS awareness, information technology, and business development.

Peace Corps Volunteers continue to combat current global issues and help countless individuals who want to build a better life for themselves, their children, and their communities.

The legacy of the Peace Corps is not only the thousands of volunteers that have visited and served in 139 countries, but it was the inspiration for national service programs like AmeriCorps.

Happy Anniversary, Peace Corps. Here’s to another fifty years of bringing the world a way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace.