Niger '66: A Peace Corps Diary

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President John F. Kennedy's 1960s-era call for volunteerism was a well-timed mini-revolution in the midst of a burgeoning cultural shift in America. Promising both adventure and grassroots geopolitical action, the Peace Corps offered a channel for young men who wanted nothing of Vietnam and young women who wanted more than the few professional fields offered them. Niger '66 delivers a fascinating first-person account of the inaugural Peace Corps group, many of whom have dedicated their lives to service as a result of their experience. But when filmmaker Judy Irola and members of the first team return to Niger after nearly 40 years, we and they see, first-hand, towns transformed: houses erected, people healthier, child mortality down. With these accomplishments in mind, Obama's renewed push for volunteerism rings with possibilities for us as a nation today.