Proclamation 6254—In Commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of the United States Peace Corps

The generous spirit of the American people has produced in this country a great and long-standing tradition of voluntary service. During the past three decades, that tradition has been carried on with dramatic an far reaching affect by the members of the United States Peace Corps.

Established in 1961 to reach out to foreign countries and to help meet their urgent needs for skilled manpower, the Peace Corps has brought a wealth of practical assistance to individuals and communities throughout the world. Since 1961, more than 125,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers in more than 100 countries. Peace Corps volunteers have not only helped to fill immediate and dire human needs but also helped to promote sustainable, long-term development in areas such as agriculture, business, education, urban development, health care, and the environment. They have done so by combining valuable material aid with efforts to help others gain the knowledge and skills needed to help themselves.

As Peace Corps volunteers well know, the needs of people in the world's emerging democracies and less developed nations are not simply material. In addition to the physical hunger found in some impoverished nations, there exists among many peoples an intense hunger for peace, hope, and opportunity -- for genuine social and economic development that is rooted in respect for human rights and human potential. Recognizing the dignity and worth of all peoples and determined to help needy individuals help themselves, Peace Corps volunteers have served as influential emissaries of hope and good will. Accordingly, their generous humanitarian efforts have helped to foster mutual understand and respect between the people of the United States and citizens of other countries.

Today the Peace Corps continues to expand its programs and activities throughout the world, including new programs in such countries as Mongolia, Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Namibia, and others.

Respected for its work around the world, the Peace Corps also conducts a number of valuable programs here at home. For example, through programs such as World Wise Schools and Peace Corps Fellows/USA, Peace Corps volunteers are helping children in every State of our Nation to learn more about the world in which we live.

I am pleased to note that more and more Americans from all walks of life are joining in the work of the Peace Corps, whether as part of its diverse group of volunteers or through its growing partnerships with the public and private sectors. This trend is a tribute to the many past achievements of the Peace Corps, and it is a promising sign of more to come.

The Congress, by Senate Joint Resolution 76, has authorized and respected the President to issue a proclamation commemorating the 30th anniversary of the United States Peace Corps and commending its members for their generous service to humanity.

Now, Therefore, I, George Bush, president of the United States of America, do hereby urge all Americans to observe March 1, 1991 -- the 30th anniversary of the United States Peace Corps -- with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities designed to honor Peace Corps volunteers, past and present, for their many contributions to our country and to the universal cause of peace and human progress.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this first day of March, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifteenth.

GEORGE BUSH