Peace Corps 60th anniversary – 2021– is only a few months away, bringing an opportunity to celebrate the organization, its mission, and the diversity of its volunteers.
The Museum of the Peace Corps Experience recently launched the Many Faces of Peace Corps initiative to receive, preserve, and share experiences of Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) from underrepresented groups. Every Peace Corps experience is different but many volunteers from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, or gender identities* have had especially interesting encounters during their Peace Corps service. The goal of Many Faces of Peace Corps Project is to capture those stories and shine light on these unique experiences.
To fulfill these goals, the Museum is partnering with the RPCV Oral History Archive Project which coordinates remotely-conducted video interviews by trained RPCV interviewers which are recorded and deposited in the Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.
Already more than 80 RPCVs have signed up for interviews, and others have expressed interest. The interviewing began in August 2020 and will continue through the year and beyond. A diverse RPCV advisory team is guiding the Many Faces of Peace Corps Project.
If you are interested in being interviewed, please send an email with the subject line “Many Faces” to contactus@peacecorpsmuseum.org. You many also sign up at https://www.peacecorpsoralhistory.org to be interviewed with the RPCV Oral History Archive Project.
The Museum thanks you for your service, and your willingness to share your experience with others.
*Identities may include Black, African descent, Hispanic, Latinx, Asian, Pacific Islander, indigenous groups of the Americas, LGBTQIA+, and others.
