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Contact:
John Emmanuel
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Mr. Gaddi
Vasquez – Peace Corps Worldwide Director |
Tuesday, June 28, 2005 - The functions and operations of the over
four-decade year old St. Lucia leg of the Peace Corps movement is currently
being assessed. The assessment is being carried out by Peace Corps Worldwide
Director Mr. Gaddi Vasquez in the form of a Caribbean tour. Mr. Vasquez, who
left the island Tuesday June 28th, for Grenada, held talks with Governor General
Her Excellency Dame Pearlette Louisy and Health and Human Services Minister
Honourable Damian Greaves among others.
Mr. Vasquez says the impact of the work of Peace Corps volunteers on the social
landscape of the Caribbean has been quite noticeable. “Generally in the Eastern
Caribbean I would say that the programme is very strong,” says Vasquez. In an
interview with the Government Information Service (GIS) Vasquez says, “Americans
continue to have an interest in serving placing us at a 29-year high right now
in relation to the number of volunteers serving in the Peace Corps overall.”
He says as countries in the region evolve so has the programmes of the movement.
“Here in St. Lucia which is one of the earliest programmes in the history of
Peace Corps we continue to enjoy a considerable amount of success,” exclaims
Vasquez.
The Peace Corps top man says he is pleased with the focus of the Saint Lucia
programme, which places much emphasis on community and social services, special
education, information technology (IT) and HIV/AIDS awareness. “I believe that
we are going to make great advances here in Saint Lucia and that we as Peace
Corps are committed to assisting and collaborating on the important and key
messages on the subject of HIV/AIDS education and prevention.”
He went on, “This is a pandemic and as Worldwide Director of the Peace Corps I
have travelled over forty countries and have seen the face of AIDS and it is
sad, heart breaking and gut wrenching to see the suffering, poverty, orphans and
the general impacts of the disease. Therefore it’s incumbent on all the nations
of the world to work collectively to eradicate AIDS from the face of the earth
and we at the Peace Corps are working to that end.
Mr. Vasquez is of the view that one of the most important things for the Eastern
Caribbean is to develop programmes that attract young people, engaging them in
productive and meaningful activities that will have a long term effect on their
lives
The Peace Corps movement was established in 1961 by United States President John
F. Kennedy, as a mechanism to promote global peace, friendship and
cross-cultural understanding.
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