40TH ANNIVERSARY OF PEACE CORPS IN PARAGUAY

UNCLAS ASUNCION 000766

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

PASS TO WHA/BSC
PEACE CORPS FOR DIRECTOR RONALD TSCHETTER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ODIP PA
SUBJECT: 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF PEACE CORPS IN PARAGUAY


1. SUMMARY: The Peace Corps celebrates 40 years of continuous
service in Paraguay. The Peace Corps and the Embassy organized a
gathering on August 20, 2007 to culminate the series of events
carried out throughout the year to mark this important anniversary.
END SUMMARY

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OVERVIEW OF PEACE CORPS IN PARAGUAY
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2. (U) Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) first arrived in Paraguay in

1967. Since then, Peace Corps Paraguay (PCP) programs have been
instituted in six different areas: environment, agriculture, rural
economic development, urban youth development, health, education,
and municipal services. In the last four decades, more than 3,000
PCVs have worked in Paraguay. Michael Eschleman, current PC
Director, served as a PCV twenty years ago in Paraguay.


3. (U) This year PC has more than 150 volunteers working throughout
the country. Presently, PC is the program with the third largest
number of active volunteers in the world. PC is also the oldest
program of continuous service in the world.

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PEACE CORPS PARAGUAY CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY
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4. (U) Over the course of the year, the Peace Corps organized
several events to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of PC presence.
The Embassy played a key role in many of these events. In March
2007, Ambassador Cason and Foreign Minister Ruben Ramirez Lezcano
visited the city of San Luis. They witnessed the local improvements
on municipal services, and the potable water project completed
earlier that month. They also inaugurated a new public library,
which the American Embassy presented with a book donation.


5. (U) In April 2007, Ambassador Cason and Assistant Secretary
Thomas Shannon swore in 29 new volunteers. This new group joined
the 150-strong contingent of volunteers already working in Paraguay.



6. (U) PC produced an audio compact disc (CD) in Spanish as well as
in Guarani, the Paraguayan indigenous language. The CD containing
information on specific PCP projects and programs was distributed to
Paraguayan radio stations throughout the country for public
dissemination.


7. (U) Anniversary festivities culminated in a high-spirited
ceremony held on August 20, 2007 at the Paraguayan-American Cultural
Center in Asuncion. Ambassador Cason, Foreign Minister Ramirez
Lezcano, Peace Corps Director Ronald Tschetter, and Peace Corps
Director in Paraguay Michael Eschleman attended the event. During
the ceremony, PC volunteers performed skits depicting their own
experiences. A PC volunteer and a Paraguayan counterpart closed the
ceremony performing traditional Paraguayan folk songs.


8. (U) The summit event was the unveiling of a commemorative
Paraguayan postage stamp honoring the 40th Anniversary of the PC
designed by PC volunteer Walid M. Shoaib. The stamp includes the
Peace Corps original unmodified logo incorporated into a traditional
Paraguayan embroidered lace. The stamp design also contains images
of volunteers and counterparts in some of the various programs
offered at PC. All these elements intertwined symbolize a
relationship that has developed and strengthened during these 40
years of mutual collaboration.


9. (U) At the August ceremony, Paraguayans and Americans expressed
their support and appreciation for the program. One PC volunteer
expressed in his speech the satisfaction of bringing the spirit of
generosity and technical skills that help Paraguayans use their
natural resources in a more efficient manner. Meanwhile, Maria
Teresa Portillo, a Paraguayan citizen from San Luis, presented a
speech of appreciation for what volunteers have done in her area.
Paraguayan citizens cherish 20-year old letters that former
volunteers wrote to their parents. This exchange of culture and
knowledge has a profound impact on the individual volunteers and the
communities they serve. Through these programs, PCVs convey skills
to Paraguayan nationals expected to lead to self-sufficiency and
self-empowerment. Several former PCVs maintain contact with the
organization and their Paraguayan hosts many years after their
departure. Many former PCVs return to work to Paraguay in different
capacities.

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COMMENT
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10. (U) The human relationships built between Peace Corps Volunteers
and the Paraguayan public show that Americans care about people in
other countries. The everyday work of PCVs in Paraguay reinforces
the U.S. message of solidarity with foreign nations. Consequently,
it is a particularly effective counter anti-U.S. influences from the
grassroots level.

FITZPATRICK