October 12, 1988 Marin Independent Journal

 

OPINION

Soviet-U.S Peace Corps update

By Dwayne Hunn

 

In 1985 the IJ published my guest opinion calling for the enlargement of the Peace Corps. In 1986 and 1987 the LI published more guest opinions in which I suggested the establishment of a Soviet American Peace Corps. After being un­successful in getting a model Soviet American Peace Corps funded through the Buck Trust Major Projects’ Program, I returned to pushing my idea through national leaders, including ma­jor politicians. Other than words of en­couragement, the politicians and leaders did little, until late May of 1988 when Congresswoman Barbara Boxer agreed to begin working on legislation that might lead to a Soviet-American Peace Corps.

The legislation is nearing completion. It is an idea whose time has come. Gor­bachev and Reagan have made glasnost events so comfortable between them­selves that exchanges between our two nations are swelling to all-time highs. In­creased exchanges and collaborative ef­forts make this a timely, simple and, con­sequently, powerful idea.

   In 1961 President Kennedy challenged Americans with, “Ask not what America can do for you, but together what we can do for the freedom of man.” Those words served as an invisible armband for many of the 120,000 American PCVs who have served since then. Hopefully, within the next year, an American President will challenge Gorbachev with, “Ask not what you can do for just your country, but ask what, together, we can do for the world.” The more quickly 120,000 Soviet-American PCVs serve under that in­visible armband, the more quickly the world may become safer and saner.

   What could a SAPC do for the world? Perhaps a SAPC could more quickly an­swer the needs of the starving and suffering when western aid has trouble getting to them in nations like Soviet-supported Ethiopia. Perhaps SAPC volunteers could assist in reducing the dire effects of the serious droughts that India, the world’s largest democracy and neutral neighbor of the Soviet Union, seems to suffer through each decade. Perhaps a SAPC could give the leaders of the su­perpowers another means of proving their concern for the needs of the impoverished other than by spending violent millions for the destruction of fifteen year old soldiers in poor nations like Nic­aragua.

   Perhaps a SAPC could be a means of hastening the education of South Ameri­can peasants on the need for conserving and restoring their rainforests as this becomes a primary concern of the world greenhouse problems in the ‘90s.

   To have Soviets and Americans train and then work together as roommates and workmates for two years in underde­veloped countries would erase the myths hidden behind many tightly closed eyes.

   Many more Americans than the 120,000 Returned Peace Corps volunteers would get a true education about how most of the world must live. Many Soviets would for the first time live amidst the real world without Soviet chaperones. As So­viets and Americans learn on their own of the world’s real needs, they would weld bonds that neither the future freeze of a cold war nor the red hot heat of smolder­ing radical ideologies could pry apart.

   These are the bonds that make treaties work among the people. Parchment trea­ties exchanged between dignitaries look good on walls. What makes national bud­gets rational and makes the world easier to live in for those other than dignitaries are the bonds built between people who build nations’ foundations.

   A SAPC can allow the foundation builders of each nation to work and live together and help securely build each others’ national foundation on trust. Please let Boxer know of your support for a SAPC.

 

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