I am proud to represent these men and women who empower people in

“I am proud to represent these men and women who empower people in developing nations and promote the Peace Corps mission of peace and friendship. These volunteers are making major strides to improve the lives of people and communities around the world.” — in these noble words, Kenny Marchant, a statesman of the United States, speaks not merely as a representative of his nation, but as a herald of one of humanity’s highest callings: the call to serve. His reflection honors the Peace Corps, an institution founded on compassion, courage, and the belief that peace is not achieved through conquest or power, but through friendship — through the humble acts of men and women who bring hope, knowledge, and understanding where it is most needed. Beneath his statement lies a timeless truth: that service to others is the highest form of patriotism, and that true greatness is measured not by what we gain, but by what we give.

The origin of these words reaches back to the founding vision of the Peace Corps itself, established in 1961 under the leadership of President John F. Kennedy. In an age shadowed by the Cold War, Kennedy sought not merely to extend America’s influence, but to extend its spirit of compassion. He spoke of a generation “willing to serve the cause of peace,” sending volunteers into villages, schools, and hospitals across the globe. These men and women, armed not with weapons but with goodwill, became ambassadors of the human heart. Kenny Marchant’s words, though spoken decades later, carry that same flame — a flame of idealism that has endured through wars, disasters, and divisions. It is the belief that one person, moved by love for humanity, can change the world.

When Marchant speaks of “empowering people in developing nations,” he evokes the eternal principle that peace cannot be given; it must be grown from within. The volunteers he praises do not seek to impose their way of life but to uplift others, to kindle the strength and potential already present in the communities they serve. This is not charity — it is partnership. It is the kind of peace born of respect, of listening, of friendship between equals. Such service reflects the ancient wisdom found in every culture: that to serve others is to honor the divine spark within them. As the sages of old said, he who lifts another, lifts himself.

History is filled with examples of such quiet heroism. Consider Albert Schweitzer, who left the comforts of Europe to establish a hospital in Africa. He was not driven by politics or glory, but by a profound sense of reverence for life. Like the Peace Corps volunteers Marchant celebrates, Schweitzer saw humanity not in terms of nations or borders, but as a single family. Or think of Mother Teresa, who once said, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” These lives — of doctors, teachers, builders, and dreamers — embody the same spirit of friendship that Marchant honors, proving that peace is not an ideal for the few, but a duty for all.

The “mission of peace and friendship” is more than a slogan; it is a spiritual path. Friendship, in this context, means seeing beyond difference — seeing oneself in the face of another. It is the ability to approach another culture, another faith, another language, not with judgment, but with reverence and curiosity. The Peace Corps volunteer who plants a seed with a farmer in Kenya, who teaches a child to read in Nepal, who helps build a clean water system in Guatemala — these are acts of quiet, enduring peace. They do not make headlines, but they heal the wounds of history. As Marchant’s words remind us, each act of service, however small, is a stone laid on the path toward a more united world.

And yet, these volunteers are not saints above struggle. Their mission demands courage, patience, and humility. They live far from comfort, often facing loneliness, language barriers, and hardship. But it is precisely in these challenges that friendship takes root. When one chooses to serve in difficulty rather than ease, to give without expectation, one learns the deepest truth: that peace begins not in governments or treaties, but in the human heart. These men and women, whom Marchant calls “heroes,” are the living answer to the chaos of the age — proof that hope is not lost, that compassion is stronger than conflict.

Let this, then, be the lesson for all who hear: you need not cross oceans to live the mission of peace and friendship. Wherever you stand, you can serve. Help your neighbor, speak kindly, listen deeply, and seek understanding before judgment. For peace begins in the smallest gestures — in a hand extended, a word of encouragement, a heart willing to care. As Kenny Marchant’s words remind us, greatness lies not in command but in compassion, not in victory but in unity.

So remember, dear listener: the world is healed not by the powerful, but by the peaceful. Be among them. Live as a friend to humanity, and your life, like that of the volunteers he praises, will become a light — one that outshines fear, transcends borders, and kindles the eternal flame of peace and friendship across the earth.