On November 12, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, Richard Mills, swore-in 39 new Peace Corps Volunteers who will depart to communities across Armenia to serve for two years as English Teachers and Community and Youth Developers. An audience of over 200 people, including representatives from government ministries, international and local organizations, and Regional Governors, attended the event at Yerevan’s Komitas Chamber Music Hall. The ceremony also celebrated the completion of a12-week training that included intensive Armenian language and culture study.
The group is a true representation of all of the people of the United States, including volunteers from various ethnic and racial backgrounds, religions, and socio-economic backgrounds. The ages of the members of this group of volunteers range from 21 to 76 years of age.
During the event, the new Volunteers demonstrated their knowledge of Armenian language by performing an Armenian song and sharing their observations through a speech conducted in Armenian. With the addition of this new group, there will be approximately 80 Peace Corps Volunteers working in schools, universities and NGOs throughout Armenia.
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The Peace Corps was founded by President John Kennedy in 1961. More than 220,000 Volunteers have served in about 140 countries worldwide, and more than 950 Volunteers have served in Armenia since the Program started in 1992. Peace Corps will celebrate 25 years of service to Armenia in 2017.
Peace Corps’ goals are threefold: helping the people of interested countries meet their need for trained men and women; promoting a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served; and creating a better understanding of other people on the part of Americans.