Speeches and Statements

OpEd by Ambassador John R. Hamilton on "Orden del Quetzal" Condecoration Awarded to the Peace Corps in Guatemala

Guatemala, March 17, 2004

Peace Corps Director, Gaddi Vásquez (middle), in a press conference with Guatemala media before receiving the 'Orden del Quetzal' Condecoration on behalf of all 4,500 volunteers who have served here since Peace Corp was established in Guatemala in 1962.

Today is a red-letter day in the history of U.S. - Guatemalan relations. No treaty is being signed, no money is being donated, and no new building is being unveiled. Instead, in a simple but elegant ceremony, President Berger will confer the Order of the Quetzal – the nation’s highest honor – on the Peace Corps.

Peace Corps Director Gaddi Vasquez is flying in from Washington to receive this great honor on behalf of all 4,500 volunteers who have served here since Peace Corp was established in Guatemala in 1962. In a sense, he will also represent all 170,000 volunteers who have served worldwide in the Peace Corps – in 136 countries -- since it began.

Peace Corps traces its origins to a speech by then-Senator John F. Kennedy to students at the University of Michigan. He challenged them to serve their country in the cause of peace by living and working in the developing world. No matter where they serve, volunteers share strikingly similar motivations. They bring to their assignments optimism, faith in themselves and others, and a surprising variety of skills. They also bring a fine example of the power of people-to-people diplomacy.

Our Peace Corps volunteers in Guatemala, some 200 strong, are a multi-talented group who form partnerships with Guatemalans in a number of areas. They created and organized the Healthy Schools project; developed non-traditional export markets; and assisted in municipal planning. They work alongside Guatemalans to protect marine turtles; build fisheries and grain storage facilities; and combat deforestation. They have undertaken ambitious projects in environmental education; disaster prevention, and ecotourism.

The volunteers who work so quietly but industriously in Guatemala have given the most precious of gift of all – the gift of themselves. In return, they gain priceless experience. They are accepted into Guatemalan communities, they experience the warmth and friendship that develops, and they return to their own country with a deeper understanding of their role and responsibilities as world citizens. They forever cherish special feelings for the Guatemalan people.

I can’t think of an event that has more meaning for me, both personally and professionally. As Ambassador I am privileged to witness many moving and historical events. None could be more satisfying than the one I will witness today.

I would be less than open if I didn’t share with you one final reason this award pleases me so much. Our daughter Kathryn recently completed a tour as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Although her posting was to Africa, the enriching experience she had resonates beyond any national boundary. Thus I happily admit my connection to this event is personal as well as official.

Saying thank you is important. For the past forty years, volunteers have taken home with them the thanks of the people with whom they work. From today on, they will also take home with them the thanks of the government of Guatemala. We too must say thank you. We appreciate the hospitality of the Guatemalan people, the enthusiasm with which they receive our volunteers and their serious engagement in problems that we all share.

Awards such as the Order of the Quetzal are deeply meaningful. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for giving this deserving group such a moving tribute.---

OpEd published in PRENSA LIBRE on March 17, 2004