Letter to Norwegian Nobel Committee

Letter

To the Norwegian Nobel Committee:

As returned Peace Corps Volunteer Members of Congress, we write to nominate the Peace Corps for the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize. Since its inception, the Peace Corps has deployed nearly a quarter million volunteers to serve poor, neglected, and marginalized communities in the name of peace. Without question, the Peace Corps embodies Alfred Nobel's expansive vision of fraternity between nations and promotion of peace. As Peace Corps celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year, there is no more appropriate way to honor this remarkable institution than with a Nobel Peace Prize.

Since its inception, Peace Corps has been one of the most enduring expressions of international goodwill and cooperation. Within five years of its inception in 1961, Peace Corps had more than 15,000 Volunteers serving in 44 developing countries, demonstrating to the international community the values of peace and prosperity that had been eclipsed by the Cold War. Over the past 50 years, through war and conflict, Peace Corps Volunteers have shown the world an inspiring, uplifting side of humanity that reflects our better nature - service to others in the great common cause of global peace and development.

Peace Corps is unparalleled in scope and impact. In the last 50 years, Peace Corps has enabled more than 200,000 individuals to serve in 139 developing countries around the world. Volunteers have worked shoulder-to-shoulder with millions of individuals in impoverished areas on essential health, education, agriculture, and technological projects designed to lift up local capacity and facilitate community ownership. Taken together, Peace Corps has contributed over 400,000 years of service in the cause of peace, prosperity, and development. And while Peace Corps has established itself as a world-renowned institution, it continues to innovate and evolve to best meet the development needs of a rapidly changing world.

With such a laudable track record, it is not surprising that Peace Corps receives high praise from world leaders. Niger President Mamadou Tandja stated that, "The Peace Corps is a model of developing assistance," and former World Bank President A.W. Clausen said, "We at the World Bank have come across [Peace Corps Volunteers] in every corner of the developing world and see what find work their dedication and drive achieve." Today, Peace Corps has a waiting list of over 20 countries that want Volunteers and still other countries have requested an increase in the number of Volunteers.

Peace Corps taps into the best of what humanity has to offer to the world. Now more than ever, as the international community is fractured by transnational conflict and escalating nuclear threats, Peace Corps stands alone as an unparalleled beacon of peace and optimism.

We strongly recommend that you award the Peace Corps a Nobel Peace Prize to honor 50 years of remarkable service and inspire coming generations to serve their fellow global citizens in the name of peace, friendship, and unyielding hope.

Sincerely,

Member of Congress Sam Farr
Member of Congress John Garamendi
Member of Congress Tom Petri
Member of Congress Mike Honda