Kevin Quigley, Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow, has more than 20 years of non-profit leadership experience in advancing international understanding and civil society. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand, he is President/CEO National Peace Corps Association.
Quigley will address the future of the 50-year-old service initiative if proposed reductions to the Peace Corps go through as a result of the more than $60 billion in spending cuts approved by the Republican controlled House of Representatives.
"Proposed budget cuts to the Peace Corps could be 20 to 30 percent and those cuts could go into effect over the next six to seven months. The cuts would delay roughly 2,000 volunteers from participating in service opportunities abroad and reduce the 76 countries we're in presently to 66, at least, and would halt plans to expand into other areas of need," says Quigley. "President Kennedy had a bold vision of engaging young Americans abroad to help build a peaceful and proseperous world. And I think that if you have a major reduction in the presence of the Peace Corps, there will be a less peaceful and prosperous world."
