The Peace Corps is an independent United States federal agency. The Peace Corps was started by Executive Order 10924 on March 1, 1961, and allowed by Congress on September 22, 1961, with passage of the Peace Corps Act (Public Law 87-293). The first president of the Peace Corps was Sargent Shriver. The Peace Corps Act says the purpose of the Peace Corps is:
“to promote world peace and friendship through a Peace Corps, which shall make available to interested countries and areas men and women of the United States qualified for service abroad and willing to serve, under conditions of hardship if necessary, to help the peoples of such countries and areas in meeting their needs for trained manpower.”
Since 1960, more than 190,000 people have served as Peace Corps volunteers in 139 countries.[1][2][3]
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