What is the Peace Corps?

The Peace Corps is an organization formed by the United States government to promote its foreign policy in developing countries. Composed of volunteers with professional skills. Established in 1961 on the recommendation of President Kennedy and the Peace Corps Act passed by Congress. The basic goal is to "promote world peace and friendship", "to help the host country meet the needs of professionals, to promote a better understanding of the American people by the local people, and of the American people." There are quite a few college students among the volunteers. They have to receive 10 to 14 weeks of training, especially foreign language training, and then serve in a developing country or region for two years. ^[1]

Peace corps

This entry lacks an overview map . Supplementing related content makes the entry more complete and can be upgraded quickly. Come on!

The Peace Corps is an organization formed by the United States government to promote its foreign policy in developing countries. Composed of volunteers with professional skills. Established in 1961 on the recommendation of President Kennedy and the Peace Corps Act passed by Congress. The basic goal is to "promote world peace and friendship", "to help the host country meet the needs of professionals, to promote a better understanding of the American people by the local people, and of the American people." There are quite a few college students among the volunteers. They have to receive 10 to 14 weeks of training, especially foreign language training, and then serve in a developing country or region for two years. ^[1]

The English name of the Peace Corps is: The Peace Corps.

In addition to the publicly stated goals of the U.S. government, the Peace Corps serves as the "soft power" of U.S. foreign relations, serves the national interests of the United States, and exports American culture and

The original intention of the Peace Corps

Founded in 1961, the Peace Corps was proposed by Kennedy in the presidential campaign and is considered a bright spot in the 1960 presidential election. According to Kennedy s vision, the main mission of the Peace Corps is to provide medium human resources such as teachers, doctors, nurses, and various technicians to third world countries on a voluntary basis. Show the essence of American culture to the majority of Third World countries, change the United States bad image in the Third World countries, enhance the United States attractiveness to the emerging Third World countries, and use this to spread American culture and values to these countries.

In the 1950s, the image of the United States among Third World countries deteriorated. The main reasons are racial problems in the United States, especially racial discrimination against blacks and other people of color; U.S. foreign policy toward third world countries, especially interference and subversion activities against third world countries; and U.S. foreign policy The poor quality and misconduct of officials. The racial problems in the United States have obviously affected the image of the United States. Commenting on this issue, American diplomatic historian Spanier stated: "In a world where the vast majority of the population is non-white, the United States stubbornly pursues apartheid and exploits black people in the south and north, which is blatantly It violates the democratic principles of liberty and human dignity so often advertised. People in underdeveloped regions not only demand equal status as nations, but also equal rights to be human beings; when they hear of apartheid in the United States, they associate In the past, just because of the color of their skin, white people regarded them as a history of inferior people. "Slony Cofin, who helped to formulate the Peace Corps' first training program, recalled his trip to Africa in 1960: "Little Rock seems to be the most famous city in the United States." In the fall of the same year, he invited a Ghanaian student to speak at a rally in Yale, where he said that Asian and African diplomats are often offended in the United States: landlords refuse to rent out houses For them, their family members are barred from the beach, the school does not accept their children, and the store does not allow him We try on clothes. The Ghanaian student also specifically mentioned that the African ambassador at the United Nations had announced that they had provided housing for the African diplomats who could not find suitable accommodation. What makes the United States even more embarrassing is that the Ghana Treasury Secretary who visited the United States was refused to provide services in the restaurant, which almost caused a diplomatic dispute. With the continuous development of the African independence movement, more and more African countries will establish embassies or consulates in Washington and New York, but the impact of ethnic issues abroad has made many African diplomats discourage the United States. A Togo s Diplomats have even asked the president to send him to Germany instead of the United States to avoid losing his life. One of the major missions of the Peace Corps is to show those newly independent Asian and African countries that the United States is not a "monster". Americans, especially white Americans, can work with black people and other people of color in an atmosphere of harmony and justice. life.

In the 1950s, the United States' foreign policy towards third world countries, especially during the Eisenhower administration, insisted on a rigid Cold War mentality, did not recognize nationalism and neutrality in developing countries, and often interfered with the internal affairs of developing countries, such as the Central Intelligence Agency. Planning coups in Guatemala and Iran, sending troops to Lebanon, helping to train counter-revolutionaries in South Vietnam, and so on, have caused anti-American waves in developing countries, which are prominently reflected in the situation of Vice President Nixon of the Eisenhower government during his visit to Latin America. Every time Nixon went to a country, he would encounter a wave of protests. In addition to the flowers and wine prepared by the government, more Nixon stones, spittles, rotten eggs, and rotten tomatoes from the anti-American protesters. The situation of Nixon's trip to Latin America was a microcosm of the international image of the United States at that time. In response, Sargent Schleifer, the first Chief of the Peace Corps, expressed anxiously that we have separated from the main body of the international community, especially those young, inexperienced, in poverty and oppression. In the country, "Communists ... have earned a reputation for sympathy and understanding, and when communism holds its head in some distant countries, it no longer looks like an external matter."

The quality of the staff of the US embassies abroad has deepened people's antipathy towards the United States. In the 1950s, 50% of U.S. diplomats did not speak any foreign language; in 1960, 70% of new U.S. diplomats on the job did not have foreign language training. In New Delhi, no American diplomat speaks the Indian language; in Paris, the American ambassador does not even speak French. Moreover, American diplomats lacked expertise and knew nothing about the culture of the country in which they lived. They indulged in banquets and dances in the upper classes all day. In response, the author of the book "Ugly Americans", which swept the United States in the late 1950s, appealed: "We need an ingenious force, and those who participate in this rank must be well-educated, carefully selected, hard-working, and love Career professional diplomats. They must willingly abandon comfortable lives andin some areasvaluable health. They must be prepared to promote a proactive diplomacy by a sober government Policy, they must be proficient in the language of the country in which they reside, and they must be more aware of the country s problems than the locals. "When talking about the reasons for the above, the famous British historian Arnold Toynbee believed that the post-war good Living conditions make Americans unable to adapt to life abroad, especially in third world countries. Americans cannot eat local food or live a local life. Their special lifestyle in the third world countries has caused local people's dissatisfied. This is exactly the strength of the Communists, who have a stark contrast with Americans. Toynbee believes that "if the Americans representing the United States today were the generation of Americans who conquered the western United States, this gap would be closed." Kennedy also fiercely slammed those truly "ugly Americans" in the US presidential campaign, condemning them for "lacking compassion ... but being sent overseas to represent us in countries that mark disease, poverty, illiteracy and ignorance , But they do not agree with us on these issues, nor do they fight them. " Kennedy hopes to change the personnel structure of the United States foreign relations team, enrich those who can reflect the excellent characteristics of the United States to the United States diplomatic team, and re-establish a good image of the United States in the third world countries. As he said, "In my opinion, the Peace Corps has given us an opportunity to emphasize another very different aspect of our American identity ... this is a very important and sincere part of the American identity, which has inspired us Many international policies. " Therefore, Kennedy has high hopes for the Peace Corps. "When there are hundreds of millions of people scattered all over the world, you will only be in contact with a small part of them. But in those countries, what is it for us?" Such a country, the strong impression of what kind of people we are, depends on their judgment, and your performance. You will be a member of the Special Organization for Young Americans. Interests, being proud of your country and its best traditions and everything it represents can impress them, and its impact will be profound. "

In addition, to US policymakers, the Peace Corps also has the function of showing and exporting American values to the people of the third world. The first chief of the peace team, Sargent Schleifer, believes that in the era of nuclear weapons, the potential damage caused by war has limited the use of military power. He therefore pointed out: "We must rediscover and use the power that has always made us the strongest-the power of American thought and ideals-the vitality of our democratic life: a vast network of private voluntary organizations, from parent-teacher associations to The work of social organizations such as the Red Cross, our unions, our service clubs, our commercial businesses, our town, city, county, and state governments, and our federal programs such as the Tennessee Valley Authority and Society Safeguards; our personal freedom, free speech, and free elections. These are the forces that have established the United States, the forces of these democratic actions that have yet to be fully recognized by the people of the rest of the world or fully introduced by us. "

The Peace Corps is to show the world these "soft" strengths of the United States: The United States not only has the world's most powerful political, economic, and military forces, but also the world's best value system. "Peace Corps volunteers ... represent our society in the spirit of what they do and in what they do." Because of this, Secretary of State Rusk describes the Peace Corps very closely: "The Peace Corps is not a foreign policy Treating it that way would wipe out its contribution to foreign policy. "Schlesinger Jr., a famous American historian and former senior staffer of President Kennedy, also said of the role of the Peace Corps:" See Those volunteers passed the example of humility, friendliness, diligence and optimism to the backcountry, and people would ask, wouldn't they bring some vague concepts of democratic society to places that have not been close to democratic thought so far? For Will the future Nyerere and Segour Dour, and perhaps the future Nkrumah and Castro, not be inspired by their vitality and dedication? "

As a liberal politician within the Democratic Party, Schleifer attaches great importance to the status and role of public diplomacy in the US Cold War strategy.

Speaking of US Cold War opponents, he said: "For Communist-ruled countries, we can use our philosophical, political, and cultural power to promote peaceful evolution within the Communist empire ... We should use every opportunity to ease international tensions. To establish a new type of public-to-public connection with the communist world and reach agreement through constructive negotiations between governments. "On another occasion, Schleifer said," guns can't change the world. This is one of the great conclusions reached in this bloody century. The dollar cannot change the world, nor can pure good wishes. What can change the world today is the same thing that has changed the world in the past: an idea, And the service of dedicated individuals who are obligated to this kind of thinking ... The Peace Corps is a group dedicated to this spirit. "

Schleifer also believes in the role of the United States as an example and has a strong sense of mission. He believes that those Peace Corps volunteers heading overseas are not just volunteers and skilled workers. Representative and living examples: free and committed men and women can cross or even transcend cultural and linguistic boundaries, vastly different traditions and huge imbalances of wealth, ancient hostility and emerging nationalism. " In a series of speeches issued in 1963, Schleifer repeatedly emphasized: "The spirit that guides our Peace Corps volunteers is just as important as the skills they possess ... they are not only required to help the people of these young nations achieve economic independence They are also invited to reaffirm our basic obligation to all people, a just and free society; they are also invited to demonstrate the revolutionary nature of our democratic society. This is better than defeating communism or winning new wealth resources The impact on the people of the world is even more important. "

However, in selling Peace Corps to developing countries, in order to reduce developing countries' concerns about the United States and persuade developing countries to accept the Peace Corps, both Kennedy and Shriver hope that people will not use the Peace Corps as a tool of American foreign policy. And institutions. Kennedy specifically emphasized when signing the executive order establishing the Peace Corps, "The Peace Corps is not designed as a tool for foreign policy, external advocacy or ideological conflict. Its purpose is to empower our people in the grand cause of world development. More fully assume their obligations. " Schleifer also hopes that people will not associate the Peace Corps with US foreign policy, especially the Cold War. He emphasizes more on the altruism of the Peace Corps. He said: "In the current affairs, they are not expected to represent the official views of the United States, they have not been instructed; naturally, they are cautious. They are quite free men and women, the products of a free society, and are sent abroad Service, with such dedication and skills to do the work assigned to them, through this demonstration, the original face of the society that cultivated them will be shown to the hosts. "However, Schleifer privately acknowledged," We can't Reality has turned a blind eye to the fact that the Peace Corps is part of US foreign policy efforts, even if it has a special role and an independent identity. "

It can be seen that the original intention of US policy makers to establish the Peace Corps was to work for Peace Corps volunteers in Third World countries, to provide some help to the people of Third World countries, to demonstrate the fine cultural traditions of American society, and to win the United States for third place. The goodwill of the peoples of the nations of the world has finally reached the purpose of spreading American culture and values.

Ways to achieve the "soft power" goal of the Peace Corps

The work of the Peace Corps in third world countries has the following two distinguishing characteristics. These two characteristics help to realize the original intention of US policy makers to create a peace team: First, members of the Peace Corps are volunteers in third world countries. For work, they only receive basic living expenses from the US government, which is slightly higher than the living standards of the host society. In addition, the Peace Corps provides volunteers with full medical expenses and transportation to and from the United States and host countries. In addition, after two years of Peace Corps work, volunteers were able to receive $ 6,000 to return to the basic needs of American society. However, Peace Corps volunteers do not receive any wages and allowances from third world countries. Third world countries need only provide the necessary working conditions. This kind of staff, which is basically provided free of charge, is not only easily accepted by the third world countries, but also easier for the United States to win the favor of the third world countries.

Secondly, most of the Peace Corps volunteers work in the grass-roots society of the host country, especially in remote and backward areas. In some areas, even university graduates in the host country are reluctant to go. For example, the Peace Corps teachers, which account for the largest proportion of volunteers, except for a few who teach universities in cities, mostly teach primary and secondary schools or vocational schools in rural areas; doctors or nurses are active in rural areas where medical conditions are relatively backward, at least in urban areas Grass-roots hospitals; and those technicians go deeper into farms, livestock farms, construction sites and factories. Peace Corps volunteers are basically in contact with the public in Third World countries in their daily work, and it is these publics who benefit from volunteer work. This model to some extent changed the model of US foreign aid before the establishment of the Peace Corps, that is, in the foreign aid, factors that directly targeted the people of the third world countries were added, and the focus was partly turned to the public in the third world. For ordinary people, American citizens provide assistance and support directly to citizens of third world countries, so as to avoid repeating the same mistakes that they used to have won the government but lost the people. This "public diplomacy" is an important part of "soft power".

The above two aspects are just the basic conditions for the peace team to win the hearts and minds of third world countries. Whether the Peace Corps can obtain the recognition of a third world country, whether it can change the image of the United States in a third world country, and whether it can increase its attractiveness to the third world country depends more on the effectiveness of its work, that is, whether it gives Third World countries have brought about positive changes, or met the basic needs of local people, or had a more obvious impact on improving the living standards of local people. The effectiveness of the work of the Peace Corps is not only related to whether this organization can establish and develop in the third world countries, but also whether the largest foreign-related volunteer organization in the world has value. Judging from the nature of the work of the Peace Corps, its effectiveness is indeed difficult to quantify. Moreover, in the 44 years from 1961 to 2005, the Peace Corps worked in 136 countries and regions. The fields of work also involved education, agriculture, health care, community development, family economy, and small business operations and management. aspect. In different eras, in different countries and regions, and in different areas of the work of the Peace Corps, the effectiveness of their work has also varied greatly. For example, when returning volunteers in the 1960s were asked how much their work played in the development of the host country, their answers were often vague, and some volunteers simply refused to answer; some volunteers also refused to answer. I believe that the effectiveness of the Peace Corps' work will not be immediately apparent, and it may take many years to play its role. Therefore, we cannot judge the value of the Peace Corps based on the current situation; many volunteers are positive about the effectiveness of their work, but It is also acknowledged that they have only had a certain impact on their own community, but not on the host country; some volunteers believe that the effectiveness of the Peace Corps work is insignificant, and unless volunteers in a certain area The work can continue, otherwise these trivial work results will soon disappear. However, also in the 1960s, 96% of Peace Corps volunteers in Ethiopia believed that their work "contributed to the economic, cultural or social development of Ethiopia". The different feelings of different countries and regions and different types of volunteers illustrate the special nature of the work of the Peace Corps.

The US government and Congress are also very concerned about the effectiveness of the Peace Corps' work in Third World countries. They occasionally commission American universities or private evaluation agencies to evaluate the work of the Peace Corps in Third World countries. Judging from the evaluation reports issued by American universities or private evaluation agencies, although there are some problems in the work of the Peace Corps, in general, the work of the Peace Corps in third world countries has achieved certain results. The host country has brought certain changes, and this change is mainly reflected in the technical projects implemented by the Peace Corps.

In 1966, the Social Investigation Association of the University of Hawaii conducted a survey and evaluation of the work of the Peace Corps in the Philippines. As a result, it found "significant signs of volunteer influence, and 92% of the regions interviewed by our investigators did introduce teaching equipment and new Education technology, created scholarships in 53.1% of the Peace Corps communities, and helped local residents improve their living conditions in various forms of material assistance. A smaller percentage of the Peace Corps communities recognize other Peace Corps innovations: community development projects (51.3%), volunteer organizations in various ways (42.3%), and entertainment facilities (38.9%). " The team concluded that "volunteers have indeed affected the communities in which they are located." A survey by Cornell University during the same period reached similar conclusions. Cornell University's evaluation team conducted a follow-up survey of the Peace Corps in the Andes Mountains of Peru, and concluded that communities with volunteers are developing three times faster than communities without volunteers, It has indeed made measurable impact. "

After the 1970s, with the implementation of the "New Guidelines" by Blanchford, the Peace Corps put more emphasis on the work experience and skills of volunteers and the urgent needs of third world countries. It is also more tangible, bringing considerable changes to some areas of the host country. A survey showed that in 1978 alone, 18,780 people were trained in specialized areas including health, education, and business management, thanks to the efforts of Peace Corps volunteers, which made it possible for them to find employment in these areas and meet the needs of developing countries. Demand for training human resources; 182,600 people received theoretical and vocational skills training for volunteers, mainly involving English, mathematics, power machinery, plumbing manufacturing, woodworking, typing, etc .; for the implementation of food and drinking water for local people Supply and employment resettlement. Volunteers completed 180 surveys including nutrition, economic plan, environment, etc., and provided technical support for 490 water resources development projects. 270 demonstration or experimental fields were established to show improvement to local farmers. Techniques for crop production; construction and improvement of 390 fish ponds; technical support for 250 public infrastructure projects; and vaccination of 82,200 livestock.

The above figures are only the work that the Peace Corps can quantify. Among the various projects that the Peace Corps is engaged in, the number of volunteers active on the podiums of schools at all levels is the largest. However, their work is precisely the most difficult to quantify. . Because you can't be sure how well these American teachers are teaching, how well their students are learning, how basic or vocational education the Peace Corps has brought to the local economy, how much the political culture has changed, and so on. But some simple numbers can roughly explain some problems. For Ghana, where the Peace Corps has never stopped working, from 1961 to 1991, about 67.50 million Ghanaians were educated by American Peace Corps volunteers. This figure is about 5% of Ghana's population. In addition, among the white-collar workers in Ghana, it is difficult to find a teacher who has not encountered the Peace Corps in his academic career.

The most valuable contribution Peace Corps teachers have made to Third World countries has been to expand the scope of education, especially to provide access to school for hundreds of thousands of poor children. Especially in the 1960s and 1970s, those countries that had just gained national independence not only lacked teachers engaged in primary and secondary education, but also the government could not invest more financial resources and energy for basic education in the country. In this context, Peace Corps teachers have become an important force in filling the education vacuum in these emerging countries. For example, in 1962, after 300 Peace Corps volunteers were enriched in the field of secondary education in Ethiopia, the number of teachers engaged in secondary education in Ethiopia doubled; in 6 other African countries, Peace Corps volunteers also accounted for secondary school teachers with degrees Half the number. The Minister of Education of Sierra Leone even believes that a large part of their schools will be closed without the arrival of Peace Corps teachers. It is precisely because Peace Corps volunteers play an extremely important role in the education field of these emerging countries that the Peace Corps has the most stable position in these countries.

In addition to imparting scientific knowledge in English, physics, and mathematics, the Peace Corps volunteers also took American teaching methods, especially encouraging students to break the doctrines and frames of textbooks and adopt flexible and diverse learning methods, especially emphasizing students' practical hands-on ability. Objectively speaking, the integration of different teaching methods has a positive effect on the cultivation of students' ability and knowledge. In addition, volunteers come from one of the most advanced educational technology countries in the world. They play a role in disseminating modern educational technologies and educational methods such as radio and television teaching, multimedia teaching, and online courses to third world countries.

As mentioned before, although the Peace Corps' contribution to the education of third world countries cannot be directly linked to its social development, the improvement in the level of mass education is self-evident to the economic and social development of a country. , As stated in the World Bank's World Development Report of 1980, "In the early days, fast-growing countries without oil had well-educated people ... Better education can help the poorest people be freed from poverty. come out". From a certain perspective, the education work of the Peace Corps plays such a role.

It should be pointed out that after all, the Peace Corps is different from the World Bank and the United States Government's International Development Agency. It does not provide developing countries with a large amount of funds, technology or equipment support, so it is impossible to directly cause GNP in third world countries. increase. It focuses on rural and small towns that are neglected by general development assistance agencies. It focuses on enhancing people's self-reliance, helping relatively disadvantaged groups to increase crop production, improving living conditions, and so on. Therefore, the impact of the Peace Corps is mainly reflected at the level of an individual or a certain area, and the Peace Corps brings mainly small quantitative changes. However, it is precisely this small quantitative change that can bring about what the US government wants to see-the understanding and favor of the people of the third world on the United States.

The "soft power" feature of the Peace Corps

In the 1950s, in the eyes of the people of the third world countries, American soldiers, entrepreneurs and wealthy travellers constituted the main body of Americans. Their image represents the image of the United States, that is, what the Americans look like. Look at the above These people can come up with the answer. Therefore, in the eyes of the people of the third world countries, Americans are rich, arrogant, and hard to access, while the United States, a superpower, is domineering and unreasonable. Its foreign policy is to protect a few rich countries and a few rich countries in the third world. For the benefit of man. Such an American or American image is obviously not what Kennedy wants to see. One of Kennedy's main intentions for establishing the Peace Corps is to change the dedication shown by the volunteers of the Peace Corps to change the people of the third world to Americans and Americans. Basic views or impressions of the United States. Fundamentally, the Peace Corps volunteers are very different from the Americans that the people of the Third World countries have seen in the past. They are not traditional American soldiers, nor are they arrogant, typical American middle class. What is the biggest difference between Peace Corps volunteers and the aforementioned Americans? As explained by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand in the 1960s, Peace Corps volunteers "do not live in hotels with our people, but also Not in luxury homes, but in farmers' shacks, sharing food and cottages with them. " Robert Kennedy, the brother of President Kennedy, also believes that building such an image is perhaps the most lasting contribution of the Peace Corps, "it shows that we are not representing a society that is selfish, but a society that cares about others. US government policy makers hope that through the Peace Corps volunteers, people in Third World countries will see the other side of the United States and Americans.

When Peace Corps volunteers first arrived in Third World countries, locals did not fully understand the behavior of volunteers. Volunteers are often asked by locals in Third World countries: "What is your mission here?" People from Third World countries have given up to Peace Corps volunteers in the United States to a rich and comfortable life in the US The countries of the world, eating with them, living with them, and working with them do not understand. For example, in some parts of Latin America, locals suspect that these volunteers were either CIA agents or American Protestant missionaries. However, over time, the performance of these volunteers in their daily work has gradually changed the local perception of volunteers. Volunteers for peace in Tanzania are often praised by locals who think Americans are much better than British. Indian educators also believe that Peace Corps volunteers are more valuable than Fulbright scholars because volunteers always try to do more, while Fulbright scholars do as little as possible.

For most people working in the Peace Corps, volunteers are probably the first Americans they came into contact with, so the image of volunteers is basically the image of Americans and even the United States. The Peace Corps showed them the image of Americans "being kind and friendly", leaving a good impression on the locals and making the locals grateful to the United States and Americans. For example, in the 1960s, the Peace Corps helped a tribe build a road in Sierra Leone. This is the first time in thousands of years that a minority tribe in this country has been connected to the outside world. At a ceremony celebrating the completion of the highway, a tribal chief said to Schleifer excitedly, "Mr. Schleifer, your Peace Corps has shown us a world we never knew existed, and we have never seen Once in a car, people outside have never thought about helping us. We have heard of the United States before, but now we know what the United States means. "For this tribe, the United States is willing to help them unselfishly.

The work of the Peace Corps emphasizes the cooperative relationship with the local people, especially after the implementation of the "new guidelines" in Blanchford, host country officials have become more deeply involved in the Peace Corps project, and the management personnel of the Peace Corps in the host country are also mainly locals. . By 1979, 80% of Peace Corps volunteers' activities were conducted under the guidance of host government agencies and officials, and 75% of Peace Corps volunteers often discussed work with local managers. A 1979 survey showed that 40% of Peace Corps volunteers work with colleagues in the host country.

In 1980, the host country allocated matching funds for the Peace Corps project to $ 5 million. This is already a significant expense for poor and backward Third World countries. The successful cooperation between the Peace Corps and the host country benefits from the effectiveness of the work of the Peace Corps, as well as from the host country's understanding of the Peace Corps and its volunteers. Compared with the United States oil companies in the Middle East or the United Fruit Company in Latin America, the Peace Corps is undoubtedly a beautiful landscape, which has deepened the understanding and favor of the people of the United States and the American people in the Third World countries. Commenting on this function of the Peace Corps, the Minister of Development of Dominica said: "When the Peace Corps came to our country, they brought a ray of fresh air. They came here to mingle with our people, they and our people Working side by side, they bridge the divide and break the barriers, and because of what they have done, they have paved the way for our people to understand. "Costa Rican President Cardo Odio also believes that despite the peace team s Some work has been done to help Costa Rica in social development, but "what it really brings is understanding. That is what matters. We are building a foundation for a different relationship than before, and I am convinced that in countries like the Dominican Republic, Here, Peace Corps volunteers can help to replace soldiers who have arrived here (referred to in the US Army who interfered in Dominica's internal affairs in 1965-quote), showing the other side of the American people. "

It can be said that the people of the third world countries are very impressed by the fact that the United States frequently sends troops to interfere in other countries' internal affairs, and the CIA has used assassinations, coups, and other means, and is deeply disgusted by this. The appearance of the Peace Corps can somewhat weaken the impression of the people of the third world countries that the United States is keen to use military means to solve problems, which is also difficult for any US foreign aid agency or official in the past. Therefore, although the Peace Corps has been expelled from a third world country, the reason for the expulsion is basically due to problems in the country's diplomatic relations with the United States, or the Peace Corps has become a victim of international politics as a political football. Deported for the work of the Peace Corps itself. Even in the 1965 incident of US armed interference in Dominica, the Dominican people shouted the slogan "Americans, go back", and added the phrase "Peace Corps, stay". To them, Peace Corps volunteers are different from other Americans.

The Peace Corps and its volunteers show their love for the people of the developing countries with their actual actions, and to a certain extent, they have deepened the understanding and favor of the recipient countries towards the American people. However, this understanding and favorability have certain limitations. In the realm of private life, love is a powerful force, but its role in public affairs will be greatly reduced. The understanding and goodwill of the people of the developing countries to the Peace Corps volunteers is not exactly the same as the understanding and goodwill of the United States. They often distinguish the Peace Corps from American foreign policy.

In 1979, the Salvadorans made it very clear to local volunteers that although they were dissatisfied with the United States' interference in El Salvador's internal affairs, they believed that the Peace Corps was "with good intentions to help and work with them, not to represent the United States Government and its policies. " Generally speaking, the hegemonic behavior of the US government in its foreign affairs and its domestic racial policies often offset the positive effects brought about by Peace Corps volunteers. In West Asia and North Africa, young Muslims often tell Peace Corps volunteers that they like the United States but dislike the US government. Ghanaians and Nigerians who have benefited more from the Peace Corps project also believe that the Peace Corps is the only benefit to Africans in all U.S. policies on the African continent, so they only agree with the Peace Corps and for other U.S. policies on Africa, They don't agree. In this way, the understanding of the United States by the people of the Peace Corps of the third world countries through hard work is often offset by the US government s foreign policy. This is exactly the loss of "soft power" in the United States that Joseph Nai, a famous American political scientist, later worried about.

As an integral part of US foreign policy, the ultimate goal of the Peace Corps is to serve US foreign policy and serve US national interests. Although the Peace Corps will not publicly defend US foreign policy like the US Department of State; nor will it use the funds and other economic resources to serve US foreign policy like the International Development Agency; it will not be like VOA Like the media, they publicly publicize American political values; they will not, like the U.S. military, make any effort to protect the national interests of the United States. The Peace Corps is a "hidden" force in American foreign policy. This "hidden" force is different from the CIA's covert activities. It is not through covert activities such as assassinations, money purchases, countermeasures or even military coups. Means to achieve its own purpose, but to strengthen the appeal of the United States to third world countries through open, seemingly "altruistic" activities. As "soft power" in US foreign policy, the Peace Corps' contribution to US diplomacy is also reflected in the following two aspects:

On the one hand, as the "soft power" of US diplomacy, the Peace Corps serves US diplomatic strategy. As a carrier of American culture, Peace Corps volunteers have infiltrated American culture and its values into the majority of third world countries and helped these countries resist the spread of communist ideas and values. George Schuster, a former representative of the Executive Board of UNESCO, believes that the United States has three major tasks in the cold war: one is to maintain a common military defense system; the other is to "offset Russia's propaganda effects from two aspects, which shows that the United States The people have a great obligation to peace, and at the same time tell the people in poor countries that the United States has incomparable technical power. As long as it can do it, the United States is ready to use this power to the people in need of assistance. Third, make other countries familiar with the United States. The norms that democracy upholds. " And the Peace Corps brought personalized reports to the third world countries through personnel exchangesexchange of experience and understanding, so that the United States had the opportunity to introduce the superiority of its social and cultural systems to the people of other countries. Let more people in the third world countries become interested in American culture and its values, and hope that their own countries can also have such a culture, social system, and so on.

On the other hand, the work of the Peace Corps helps the United States understand the cultural background of the third world countries, thereby making US foreign policy decisions more targeted and productive. Robert Bloom, assistant to the Truman government s defense secretary and long-time chairman of the Asia Foundation, said: "In order to effectively implement our national policy, knowledge of the relevant cultural and social environment is essential. In addition, In order for our policies to be effective, this environment is also one of the factors that we must influence. "Therefore, the Peace Corps must not be viewed simply as general foreign aid. It is a kind of link between the United States and third world countries. The media is also a way for the United States to better understand third world countries. Moreover, if the United States can be viewed from the perspective of a third world country, we can better understand the pros and cons of US foreign policy.