Editorial: Peace Corps still relevant to millennials

Reforms can make a difference. The Peace Corps has realized this. 

This year, the nation’s signature volunteering service has received more than 17,000 applications —  a 70 percent increase from 2013. The soar can best be attributed to a significant removal of red tape. According to the Washington Post, last year more than 30,000 applicants dropped out before finishing the application. Now, the agency has made improvements to ensure applicants a less burdensome experience. The application packet completion time has been trimmed from eight hours to one, and the overall application process has been reduced from one year to about six months. According to USA Today, some changes include the elimination of one essay and other redundant questions. Additionally, applicants can now choose their country of service and apply to specific programs, rather than the agency placing them.  

The revisions and the subsequent rise in applicants are advantageous to international peace and cooperation. Created through executive order by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961, the Peace Corps’s primary purpose is to encourage mutual understanding between Americans and people of other nations and cultures. It showcases American commitment to serving less fortunate global citizens. 

While speaking to University of Michigan students exactly 54 years ago today, Kennedy asked, “How many of you, who are going to be doctors, are willing to spend your days in Ghana? Technicians or engineers, how many of you are willing to work in the Foreign Service and spend your lives traveling around the world?” 

Students must continue to answer these questions. 

Although we live in a globalized, technological world, no device or connection can replace in-person interaction between peoples and cultures. Attracting young, qualified individuals to do so must remain a national priority.

The removal of red tape has proven beneficial to keeping individuals interested in volunteering. But could there be more to this growing interest in the Corps?

Possibly. The last time applicant interest was as high as today was 1992. Additionally, Peace Corps interest peaked in 1979. The late 1970s and early 1990s both saw recessions, and similarly, today’s job market is certainly not the brightest in U.S. history. So perhaps altruism is not the only incentive for Peace Corps applicants.

Even still, organizations like the Peace Corps are excellent win-win situations. Young people are given work and purpose, while impoverished countries are provided aid and support. Moreover, American charity can be used to positively influence others abroad, reflecting well on the motives and priorities of the United States. 

Today, the world is in a volatile state. Whether in response to terrorism or disease, the international community must work to combat conflict and crisis. Americans must continue to serve the global community, leading through peace and volunteerism embodied by the Peace Corps.