As people are retiring in better health than ever before, with decades of active life to look forward to, many are looking for rewarding and beneficial ways to spend their time in retirement. Retirees around the world engage in volunteer community work, contribute to charities, and even take on paying jobs if they wish to stay active and put their skills to continuing use. One U.S. organization that has traditionally sought volunteers from among young people — recent college graduates — but that is turning more and more to retirees to fill its ranks is the Peace Corps. Read the rest of this entry »
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War and Peace
Since the close of WWII, the conflict that ended the atrocities of the Third Reich and the tyranny of Hitler, a generation of Americans has grown up in the shadow of war and aggression. These men and women have now reached a stage in life when they often become more reflective and introspective of what life means and of their place in the world.
Components of the mentality of warfare have become ingrained as part of our culture. How many video games are currently marketed that embody the culture of war and destruction? How often have we heard someone say, “bomb them back to the stone age” *, or express a similar sentiment?
My generation grew up playing soldier and watching movies depicting famous battles in which many of our fathers had fought. When I was born, troops were answering the call to serve in the Korean Conflict. Not officially at war, this “Police Action” remains unresolved with a Demilitarized Zone separating North and South.
The newspapers I delivered in the 60s had headlines of H-Bomb tests and the building of a wall in Berlin to divide East from West. This all occurred during what had become known as the “Cold War.” The National Defense Education Act of 1958 was an outgrowth of our fear of Soviet domination. Our leadership feared that Soviets scientists had gained an advantage in the Space Race. All part of the “Cold War.” The title of this legislation is indicative of our thinking in regard to tense coexistence among nations. We’re on the DEFENSE; National defense, Civil Defense, the “Nickel Defense”, defensive driving, defensive line, you name it. Man seems capable of waging war against anything and everything.
During the 60s we had the build up of the Vietnam War. There was war in the Middle East, the Six Day War, and the Yom Kippur War in 1973. During this period we also held a combative posture toward social problems in our country. There was LBJ’s War on Poverty, the War on Drugs and now the War on Terrorism. Read the rest of this entry »
The Peace Corps for Retirees
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Peace Corps Volunteer? What is it Really Like?
Here is some information about what it is like to be a Peace Corps volunteer.
Is the Peace Corps a way to get a low budget vacation? Not exactly. You will indeed get to travel and see a fascinating part of the world you would probably never see otherwise. However it is also hard work, it is called volunteer work for a reason. But if you are not afraid of good honest work that helps people and makes the world a better place, then you might find the Peace Corps a wonderful adventure that you will never forget.
If you are in a situation where you really want to make a difference in the world but are unsure about how to start, you’ll find that the Peace Corps may be perfect for you. The Peace Corps is an organization that is made to promote world peace and friendship, and it’s members are all dedicated to serving that cause, but while this is a commendable goal, it does not necessarily give you a clear idea of what you can do in the Corps itself. Take a look at a few of the positions that are offered in the Peace Corps, and you will begin to see how much ground this organization actually covers! Read the rest of this entry »