United States Peace Corps Volunteers Promote Economic Development and Environmental Conservation

Statement by Ms. Leslie Bassett, Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim

Mexico City, December 19, 2007 — “Peace Corps volunteers demonstrate an extraordinary level of commitment to public service and represent the best of America’s volunteer spirit. Working side by side with their Mexican counterparts to promote Mexico’s economic development and environmental conservation, Peace Corps volunteers in Mexico foster greater mutual understanding and cooperation.

“I was honored to preside over a ceremony today in Queretaro where twenty new Peace Corps volunteers were inducted into service. Representatives from Mexico’s National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) and the Secretariat of the Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), also attended the ceremony. The program is now entering its fourth year and the induction of these new volunteers brings the total number in Mexico to 55.

“The new volunteers, with an average of 15-20 years of professional experience, will work primarily with SEMARNAT in environmental education, natural resource management and conservation, and with CONACYT in small business development. They will serve in the Mexican states of Jalisco, Nayarit, Guanajuato, San Luis Potosi, Queretaro, Hidalgo, Puebla, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz.

“Peace Corps is an independent volunteer agency established by President John F. Kennedy in 1961 to promote world peace and friendship. It invites American citizens to dedicate two years of their lives working in foreign countries, both to advance economic development, as well as to integrate into the work and culture of their new communities. The American people are proud to support these volunteers who create lasting relationships with their host countries.”