The solemn oath ceremony of the 21-st group of volunteers of US Peace Corps in Armenia was held on 7 August Yerevan. US Ambassador to Armenia John Heffern took an oath of 30 new volunteers,
He said that the volunteers make their noticeable contribution in development and deepening of the Armenian=American relations being a unique envoys of the USA. He also added that the volunteers will work in all the regions of Armenia. Volunteers are the best ambassadors of the USA as they promote further development of the inter-culture dialogue between the two countries, John Heffern said.
To note, volunteers will be directed to different regions of Armenia and work for the next two years within the frames of the programme on teaching English and helping to develop the community. Before taking an oath the volunteers were trained in Armenia for 11 weeks and studied Armenian language.
Peace Corps, U.S. government agency of volunteers, established by executive order by Pres. John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961, and authorized by the U.S. Congress through the Peace Corps Act of Sept. 22, 1961. (From 1971 to 1982 it was a subagency of an independent agency called ACTION.) The first director of the Peace Corps was Kennedy's brother-in-law R. Sargent Shriver.
The purpose of the Peace Corps is to assist other countries in their development efforts by providing skilled workers in the fields of education, agriculture, health (there has been a particular emphasis on combating HIV/AIDS), trade, technology, and community development. Peace Corps volunteers are assigned to specific projects on the basis of their skills, education, and experience. Once abroad, the volunteer is expected to function for two years as a good neighbour in the host country, to speak its language, and to live on a level comparable to that of the volunteer's counterparts there.