Symposium on Peace Corps
and South Africa this week
Because of its reputation for interest in international issues, Emory
will host a symposium on Peace Corps involvement in South Africa on Thursday,
Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. in Winship Ballroom.
The African American Studies Program is co-sponsoring the symposium that
is open to the campus community. Participants include Peace Corps Director
Mark Gearan, South African Ambassador Franklin Sonn, Africare President
C. Payne Lucas, CNN Global Environmental Correspondent Gary Strieker and
Carter Center Associate Director of Conflict Resolution Joyce Neu.
The symposium will examine the role of the Peace Corps in South Africa
and include a discussion of Peace Corps service. "We wanted to have
an academic symposium about the Peace Corps and South Africa at Emory because
we knew of Emory's emphasis on international issues," said Cynthia
Glocker, public affairs officer in the Peace Corps' Atlanta office.
"We found it particuarly attractive to co-host the symposium in
the framework of African American Studies because of our interest in establishing
an academic exchange in the new South Africa," said Rudolph Byrd, director
of African American Studies.
Peace Corps volunteers went to South Africa for the first time in January
1996, according to Glocker. This was a result of an October 1994 meeting
between South African President Nelson Mandela and President Bill Clinton
in which Mandela asked Clinton for help in addressing social and economic
problems in South Africa. A second "class" of 41 Peace Corps volunteers
will depart from Atlanta on Jan. 16 for service in South Africa.
Emory and the Peace Corps have a long-standing relationship as evidenced
by Emory's ranking as one of the top 10 in Peace Corps volunteers for universities
with undergraduate enrollments of less than 5,000. Additionally, hundreds
of former Peace Corps volunteers have enrolled in the Rollins School of
Public Health as a result of their service, according to Glocker.
Deb Hammacher
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