Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and Chairman of its Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps and Global Narcotics Affairs, chaired a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing today on the nomination of Aaron Williams to be the Director of the Peace Corps. Dodd, a returned Peace Corps Volunteer, who served in the Dominican Republic, recently introduced the Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act of 2009, which would combine a reform with growth strategy in order to achieve the goal of doubling the size of a reformed, streamlined and more effective Peace Corps.
“[Mr. Williams’] nomination comes at a critical moment in the history of the organization we both love. For nearly half a century, the Peace Corps has stood as a uniquely American institution. What other great nation would send its youth abroad, not to extend its power, not to intimidate its adversaries, not to kill and be killed, but to build, to dig, to teach, to empower – and to ask nothing in return? The Peace Corps has shaped not just the lives of these young Americans, but the identity of all Americans: who we are as a people, and what we hope to achieve in the world.”
For pictures from the hearing, please click here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/senchrisdodd/sets/72157621760839363/detail/
Full Text of Dodd’s Opening Statement, As Prepared for Delivery:
Good afternoon. This subcommittee has convened today to consider the nomination of Aaron S. Williams to be Director of the Peace Corps.
I’d like to start by congratulating Mr. Williams on his nomination. He and I have something in common. We both served in the Peace Corps at the same time, and in the same place – the Dominican Republic.
Some of you may have heard me speak at some length about how valuable that experience was to me. My service there inspired my career in public service. And it’s easy to see that the same is true for Mr. Williams, who has amassed an impressive record and a wealth of experience.
His nomination comes at a critical moment in the history of the organization we both love. For nearly half a century, the Peace Corps has stood as a uniquely American institution. What other great nation would send its youth abroad, not to extend its power, not to intimidate its adversaries, not to kill and be killed, but to build, to dig, to teach, to empower – and to ask nothing in return?
The Peace Corps has shaped not just the lives of these young Americans, but the identity of all Americans: who we are as a people, and what we hope to achieve in the world.
Today, it stands at a crossroads of sorts. The things that have made the Peace Corps such a success story are still true. But there are difficult questions to be asked.
How can volunteers be better managed? How can they be better trained? Are we focusing on the right kind of development work? Can we improve recruiting? Are we sending our volunteers to the right countries? Are the goals of the Peace Corps still in line with the goals of our 21st century foreign policy?
The answers to these questions matter. That is why I introduced S.1382, the Peace Corps Improvement and Expansion Act of 2009. The Peace Corps, in my view, must grow. Today, the organization is faced with the prospect of having to reduce the number of volunteers when, instead, we should be planning to increase volunteers and expand operations to new countries like Vietnam, Indonesia, Egypt, and Brazil. At the same time, the bigger any organism grows, the slower it gets, and with growth must come reform.
That’s an uncomfortable subject for those of us who love the Peace Corps. The last thing we want to do is destroy the uniqueness of this institution and the values that make it so special. So the task of enacting these reforms should fall to someone who truly understands the Peace Corps and what it has meant throughout its history.
That’s why I’m so glad that Mr. Williams has agreed to serve this organization once again. He brings with him wide-ranging experience in the field of international development, including time spent at USAID. And he also brings with him a deep appreciation for the institution.
Mr. Williams, we have important work to do, but I am confident that you’re up to the job. I look forward to our discussion today, and to partnering with you as we undertake the important task of building a stronger, more effective Peace Corps for the next generation of Americans.
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