In 1961, President JFK established the Peace Corps to promote world peace and friendship through three underlying core goals:
Goal 1 To help the people of interested countries meet their needs for trained men and women.
Goal 2 To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
Goal 3 To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
I found myself fulfilling Goal 2 this week as I, along with fellow Peace Corps Volunteer Elsabeth, taught children and adults how to makes a knotted bracelets in red, white, and blue at the Dominica Public Library in Roseau.
The US Embassy for the Eastern Caribbean (which is located on Barbados) maintains an "American Corner" at the Dominica Public Library, and the Embassy also sent the library a big box of supplies for making 4th of July crafts. When the box arrived earlier this week, the children's librarian called the Peace Corps and I volunteered to help teach 4th of July crafts. Of course, I invited another PCV, Elsabeth, to help also.
After looking at the very informative bulletin board the library staff created to highlight our US Independence Day, I discussed the history of the 4th of July with the children, and significance of the red, white and blue colors we were using. I also shared how my family typically celebrated Indepenence Day as I was growing up.
Then, we all had fun teaching the children and some of the library staff how to create knotted 4th of July bracelets...with a nice small craft kit the Embassy provided.
Everyone was happy with their results....and now every 4th of July I wear my bracelet I will think of Dominica!
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