Peace Corps in Micronesia: Problems in Magellan's Paradise

"Peace Corps in Micronesia: Problems in Magellan's Paradise". 1967.

• Has attachment: File:B6MCSKMM.pdf

Abstract: "Peace Corps in Micronesia: Problems in Magellan's Paradise" discusses the involvement and challenges faced by the Peace Corps in Micronesia, an area characterized by beautiful islands but marked by poverty and social challenges. It highlights how the Peace Corps established intensive training programs for volunteers starting in the mid-1960s to address these challenges. The volunteers were deployed in two phases: the initial phase in November 1966 focused on education, community development, public health, and public works , while subsequent phases expanded to include education, cooperative, credit union development, and public administration.

Additionally, the text outlines the role of volunteers working in schools to teach English as a second language and their involvement in agricultural projects, legal advising, business consulting, youth and recreation leadership, and secretarial work to foster Micronesian development. Health volunteers were tasked with identifying and controlling diseases like leprosy and tuberculosis and promoting environmental sanitation.

Moreover, the document provides geographical context and historical notes about Micronesia, including its management under U.S. authority as a Trust Territory. Other development initiatives mentioned include expanding volunteer efforts in public works to outer islands to provide technical assistance.