Join us in celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Peace Corps in 2001. We are coming together this year to recognize the leading roles over 160,000 RPCVs play in teaching America’s children, shaping its foreign policy, expanding and enriching its business sector, and volunteering in its local communities. We are also highlighting the importance of Peace Corps service to our global and local communities. The National Peace Corps Association (NPCA) is coordinating a number of activities throughout the year 2001 and into 2002 and we encourage you to get involved and help us in celebrating "The Peace Corps Family:  Bringing the World Together". 

The climax is the NPCA biennial Conference June 20-23, 2002.  The weekend highlights include Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill, keynote speakers, including President of Peru Alejandro Toledo, workshops, world music concert, world Bazaar, Volunteer Day, Fundraising Reception and Dinner, Remembrance Ceremony,  and to finish off the weekend, a picnic.  NPCA Conference information is at http://www.rpcv.org/pages/celebrate.cfm

Friends of Morocco (with 4000 former volunteers and staff and 40 years of service in Morocco) will also be staging it's biennial Itjimaa (gathering, assembly) simultaneously.   NPCA Conference registration is recommended but is not required for participation in most FOM events (Annual meeting, World Music Concerts, Reception at Ambassador's residence, Procession across Memorial Bridge with COS flags and Arlington Cemetery Recommitment/Memorial Service).  

Morocco is the featured Country for lunch.  Volunteers will include: Michelle Ghiselli, Bobbie Prees, Karen Kanewski, Jocelyn Knittle, Marisa Larsen, John McIliven and Tim Resch

“The Global Challenge” brings together 60 Towson University Kids of Peace elementary-aged campers with Returned Peace Corps Volunteers to participate in hands-on activities based on Peace Corps Assignments. After students are sworn in as honorary Peace Corps volunteers and issued passports by Counselor to the President Karen Hughes, they will enter a series of three 45-minute rotations that will demonstrate the unique work done by volunteers in education, health, environment, economic development and agriculture around the world.

The country- and assignment-specific activities will spur the students into more critical thinking about their own impact on the world and their responsibilities to it. Highlighted countries will include: Afghanistan, Estonia, Liberia, Morocco, and Uzbekistan, all current or former Peace Corps countries of service.

Activities include:
* EDUCATION: Experience the educational system of Afghanistan , see what students study, what supplies are used, and how roles differ between boys and girls. Learn key phrases in Farsi, one of Afghanistan’s major languages.
* HEALTH: Go to a mock health fair to see the impact of global health issues in Uzbekistan.
* ENVIRONMENT/AGRICULTURE: Create and use laboratory equipment made from basic local materials to observe how science is taught in Liberia.
* ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: Make and market products utilizing actual amber from Estonia.
* CULTURE: Participate in the traditional folk art of henna painting in Morocco.

Students will conclude with a volunteer service project. They will pack hand-written letters and their own photographs to present to students in a local school in Afghanistan. In addition, the students will present a cash donation to Humanity in Crisis, a Washington, DC area non-profit organization that provides aid to Afghanistan. The funds will be used to purchase school supplies for three schools in the Nooristan region of the country.

The day ends with a 41st birthday cake for Peace Corps!