Speeches
Remarks by Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter, Swearing-in of Peace Corps Cambodia Volunteers
National Institute of Education, Phnom Penh
April 04, 2007
Thank you, Mr. Senior Minister Kol Pheng. I have enjoyed my time in Cambodia and have experienced the warmth and the kindness of your people.
I am truly honored to be here in Cambodia today on such an important occasion for Peace Corps. I also want to thank His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni and Prime Minister Hun Sen, without whom our partnership would not have happened.
This ceremony has a special meaning for me. My wife and I both were former Peace Corps Volunteers, and the Peace Corps has played an important role in our lives, just as it has for so many of the 187,000 Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since President Kennedy founded it in 1961.
I believe that Peace Corps’ program in Cambodia will open new opportunities for future generations of Cambodians. The Peace Corps Volunteers will be working in education and focusing on supporting high school English teachers in Cambodian provinces and districts to improve their English language and English teaching skills.
In addition to educational programs, Volunteers will collaborate with community groups and individuals to enhance the quality of life for Cambodians through the development of community-initiated projects, the promotion of life skills, and the achievement of sustainable community activities.
Volunteers will also have a unique opportunity to work with youth in their communities to improve their knowledge about nutrition, disease prevention, HIV/AIDS, and other health issues.
For its part, the Peace Corps is a people-to-people organization, one that focuses on cooperation at many levels, sharing skills that will improve the lives of many people.
Peace Corps Volunteers come with that commitment. What is special about this group of new Volunteers today is that they are all here to teach English. In turn, the Volunteers will all learn Cambodian. Having language in common is an important part of our growing cross-cultural understanding and hopefully our work here in Cambodia will result in the improvement of the lives of the people of this beautiful country.
I can say, from my own experience as a Volunteer, that Peace Corps Volunteers come with a strong desire to learn from this experience, to learn from Cambodia, to learn from Cambodians. There is indeed a passion to their work. Peace Corps is a two-way street designed to give mutual benefits.
I am therefore delighted to be able to swear in this outstanding group of individuals, who from now on will be known as “Cambodia One” Volunteers.
As Cambodia’s FIRST group of Peace Corps Volunteers, these outstanding men and women are bringing with them the Peace Corps’ great tradition of service and friendship to an extraordinary country and a remarkable people.
And, I am confident that the Volunteers we honor here today will exceed our high expectations and carry out the finest traditions of the Peace Corps. They are not only trained professionals, but they are dedicated Americans who share in common a spirit of service and a commitment to make a difference in the lives of the citizens of Cambodia, especially the children and the teachers in their communities.
Thank you, again, for your warm hospitality in this beautiful country.
And congratulations Cambodia One!
