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Since March 1, 1961, when President John F. Kennedy signed the executive order to establish the Peace Corps, more than 240,000 Americans have served in 141 countries. Now sixty years later, the Peace Corps is at a critical crossroads. Facing the coronavirus pandemic, the agency evacuated all volunteers in March 2020 and is just now restarting operations in some countries. This pivotal moment allows us to look back on sixty years of promoting world peace and friendship, while also looking forward to the next chapter of Peace Corps history.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival began in 1967, not long after the Peace Corps, with many similar goals—especially to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of world cultures. In 2011, the Folklife Festival commemorated the agency’s fiftieth anniversary with a program that featured Peace Corps volunteers and their partners from sixteen countries.
In 2021, the Festival once more explores the agency’s significance and impact through a panel discussion featuring Peace Corps Acting Director Carol Spahn, Rayna Green, Rahama Wright, and Alana DeJoseph, all Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Join us at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 4, to hear the panel discuss what lies ahead for the Peace Corps as it works to resume its global presence in 2021.
To learn more about the history of the Peace Corps, the Festival is also making available the documentary film A Towering Task: The Story of the Peace Corps (2019), directed by Alana DeJoseph. Register on Eventbrite to watch the film at your convenience between 5 p.m. ET, Monday, March 1, and 11:59 p.m. ET, Thursday, March 4. Or you can join our watch party on Facebook, from 5 to 6:45 p.m. on March 4, immediately prior to the panel discussion. PartnersThis event is co-sponsored by the National Peace Corps Association and the Museum of the Peace Corps Experience. On March 3, the museum opens Peace Corps at 60: Inside the Volunteer Experience, an exhibition at American University Museum celebrating the sixtieth anniversary. Accessibility The film screening will feature closed captioning. ASL interpretation and live real-time captioning will be provided for the post-film discussion. |
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