Former Ambassador Pamela Hyde Smith Speeches

Ambassador Pamela Hyde Smith's Remarks at the Peace Corps 10th Anniversary Celebration

April 30, 2003

Esteemed First Deputy Prime Minister Iovv, Deputy Prime Minister Cristea, Ministers, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

In his January 1961 inaugural address, President John F. Kennedy called upon Americans to join "...a grand and global alliance...to fight tyranny, poverty, disease, and war." Six weeks later this grand and global alliance had a name - it was the Peace Corps. Since that time, over 169,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have worked in 136 countries in different fields, including education, health, environment, business, and agriculture.

I would like to thank Ambassador Steven Pifer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, for being with us today. Ambassador Pifer has traveled from Washington especially to attend today's event. His presence here underscores how important we as the U.S. government - and as Americans - feel the Peace Corps program is.

Today we celebrate ten years of cooperation between the government and people of Moldova and the U.S. Peace Corps. Over the past ten years, 395 Americans have served as volunteers throughout the Republic of Moldova. As President Ronald Reagan said, "Each one of us is responsible for building the society we want. Peace Corps volunteers do that with people-to-people exchanges, using their energy, their spirit, and their creativity to solve problems." Often Peace Corps Volunteers serve as catalysts, inspiring people in the communities in which they live to serve as well. For example:

Ryan Klitsch, together with his Moldovan partner, started a small resource center for youth in Biesti. Since Ryan's departure, the center has expanded, and today, everyday up to 25 kids from disadvantaged families are served lunch at the center.

Angie Carr started a nation-wide "Breast Cancer Awareness" campaign, conducting seminars with her Moldovan Health Care partners. Although Angie has returned to the U.S., health care workers throughout Moldova continue to conduct these seminars in their respective regions.

Clara Morris, in cooperation with women she knew in Gura Bicului, opened a soup kitchen to offer hot meals to local senior citizens. Although Clara will be leaving this summer, the mayor, the school, and especially the women from the community are committed to continuing the project. Local farmers contribute food and sixty people are fed each week.

Both Peace Corps Volunteers and local Moldovans are demonstrating every day that they understand that each of us is responsible for building the society we want - and they are working hard to make a difference in the lives of their communities.

President Kennedy is well remembered for the challenge he made further on in his inaugural address. "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."

If you will allow me, I would like to make a suggestion of something that each citizen of Moldova can do for your country in the next few weeks - as free citizens in a democratic country, you can vote in the local elections on May 25.

And continuing on after the election, I implore each of you to take up President Kennedy's challenge. Ask yourself, what more can I do to make my community, my country a better place - and then do it.

As we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Peace Corps in Moldova, I congratulate all who have contributed to the great success of the cooperation between the Peace Corps and the Republic of Moldova. May our achievements strengthen our commitment to serve our communities and our countries.