Aims at wider recruiting
Peace Corps revamps program
ihe Peace Corps New Direc
tions:”
“We are going to recruit as vol
unteers not just young people,
who now compose 95 per cent of
uur volunteers, but Americans of
ill ages — craftsmen from the
ranks of labor, mid-career pro
fessionals from the ranks of busi
ness, experienced teachers and
farmers.”
Joseph Blatchford, Director of
:he Peace Corps, thus explained
lis new approach to the Corps
n recent speeches at Boston uni
versities. Blatchford called the
program “New Directions: Part
nership in Development.”
Besides an increased emphasis
m older volunteers, Blatchford
said a partnership must be form
ed. “We will form committees of
local people (from the foreign
countries) who will make the im
portant decisions about how our
volunteers are recruited, select
ed, trained, placed in the field
and supported.”
“Our approach must be one
that encourages self-reliance and
confidence,” he said. “That means
our aid can’t be one-sided. It
can’t be conceived, initiated and
operated by the United States.”
Blatchford said he wanted it
made clear that the new adminis
tration will not change the role of
the Peace Corps. He said the
new changes “aren’t going to
shut the recent college graduate
Head finds bias
in Corps systems
“The Peace Corps is lily-white and we’ve got to change that,”
3eace Corps Director Joseph Blatchford said Monday, in an interview
)n a Boston radio station.
Blatchford was not referring to the Peace Corps’ reputation. He
iaid he has discovered the Peace Corps’ selection process has been
inintentionally discouraging applications from members of minority
'roups.
Blatchford cited two examples: “To begin with, a 16 page applica
;ion would frighten anyone, but particularly those who haven’t made
i career of filling out forms as have most middle-class Americans.
“Then there is the reference system. The Peace Corps requires a
arge number of written references and members of minority groups
ire often from backgrounds in which their friends and associates
ire unfamiliar with or reticent about filling out government forms.
“Consequently, many applications from members of minority groups
lever get processed. They lack the proper number of references,”
le continued.
Because of this, Blatchford said, Black Americans are three times
ess likely to be accepted. He also said changes are being made to
:orrect the situation.
“We are not looking toward a quota system of any kind. We are
ieeking minorities because we want the Peace Corps overseas to be
;ruly representative of this country, and because these people have
i special contribution to make,” said Blatchford.
In other business about the Peace Corps, Blatchford said that in
he future he hoped Americans would not have to just serve their
:ountry in military uniform.
“Too often when we speak of ‘service to country’ the reference is
o military service, but the Peace Corps volunteer is serving his
rountry just as surely,” he said.
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ruesday, October 21, 1969
out of the Peace Corps; they are
going to place people from all
walks of life — from all back
grounds and of all ages — side
by side with young Americans in
the service of mankind.”
“New Directions” will train
volunteers as much as possible
and aim at designing “programs
of training and service for groups
with special kinds of experience
— such as teachers or former
VISTA volunteers,” according to
Blatchford.
Eventually, he said, “We hope
to see the day when half of our
overseas staff is made up of local
citizens, not Americans.”
He summed up the total mean
ing of the “New Directions,” say
ing, “They do not mean an end
to Peace Corps service by the
young college graduate.
“They mean, instead, that the
young college graduate in the
Peace Corps will be working side
by side in the field with other
Americans of different back
grounds, and with more people
from the host country.”
Tom English, ASUO Senator
and district head of the Peace
Corps in Oregon, said he doesn’t
think the new program will les
sen the number of college gradu
ates accepted into the Corps.
English said Blatchford told
him they expected to increase the
number of skilled workers and
professionals from a current five
per cent to 30 per cent. English
said he thought a more realistic
figure would be 20 per cent.
Because of the new plans,
Blatchford said the Corps will
“improve its selection process
and become more selective.” Eng
lish said the “more selective”
applies to the job to which an
individual will be assigned and
not to getting into the Peace
Corps.
English reported that there has
been a change in Oregon since
the new plans were initiated. He
said, “there have been a great
number of older people inquir
ing, especially retired ones.”
He also said the Peace Corps
is being regionalized for more
personal contact with applicants.
In Oregon, English is the district
director, based at the University,
with an assistant at Portland
State University.
English said not all of the prob
lems of the “New Directions”
have been worked out. For ex
ample, the Peace Corps will be
accepting 200 families with chil
dren in a pilot project, according
to Blatchford.
Plans are to keep the children
with their parents and place the
family in one of the country’s
major cities. This could be a
problem if the country’s need is
away from the city, English said.
To get more skilled persons
working in the program, Blatch
ford said, “If necessary we will
ask their corporations, universi
ties or unions to support them
while they do so.” English said
arranging this is still a problem.
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