“Of course I will support it. In 1990-92 I served as Chairman of the first President Bush’s Commission on National Service.”
Pete
Pete McCloskey
Candidate for Republican nomination for Congress
11th Congressional District
2-10-06
Pete’s advice on how to make the AWSC happen:
“Get a horse. Get some horses in Congress to carry this through. Get Boxer…”
At his presentation to the Democratic World Federalists on April 15, 2007.
RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE OF THE CITIZEN-INITIATED WORLD SERVICE CORPS (WSC) PROPOSED CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION IN THE U.S. CONGRESS
WHEREAS the WSC teaches through its practical, real world work that that the well-being and safety of anyone concerns all of us and,
WHEREAS the WSC confronts global problems, such as misunderstanding, ignorance, poverty, disease, and consequent war, civil conflict, crimes against humanity, environmental degradation and,
WHEREAS the peaceful, productive work of the WSC builds the physical, economic, and human understanding and knowledge infrastructure that allows people to establish and enforce their own just and workable laws and,
WHEREAS the WSC cost-effectively involves a million more skilled, can-do Americans aged 18-60+ into working on world and domestic problems, and thereby gives them a deeper understanding, concern for, and ability to practically address domestic and international policy needs, while raising America’s political IQ and,
WHEREAS the WSC invests in America’s education, health, and economy through tuition, Medical Savings or IRA Account investments, (which at $15,000 is one-sixth of the recruitment bonus presently offered to military recruits) to those who complete WSC service; and thereby helps strengthen our knowledge of world and domestic needs, educational and economic competitiveness, and our citizenry’s understanding of and voting on public policy needs at home and in the world and,
WHEREAS a one-million strong WSC offers a cost-effective, robust, peaceful army to augment our courageous 1.4 million military personnel; and thereby productively answers the increasingly alarming and costly spread of the critically dangerous Ugly American image, terrorist recruitment, poverty, environmental degradation, and misunderstandings that inspire hatred, by involving many more of America’s best assets, its concerned, patriotic citizens, in addressing needs.
WHEREAS THE WSC encompasses the goal espoused by President Kennedy’s words: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
WHEREAS such international cooperation and service increases understanding between the world’s people and the respect for law.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Democratic World Federation proclaims our support for the introduction and passage of the citizen-initiated World Service Corps Proposals into legislation, which by the seventh year after its enactment will add one million additional American volunteers into serving country and world through such organizations as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, OxFam, Mercy Corps, and State Conservation Corps.
RESOLUTION TO SUPORT INTRODUCTION AND PASSAGE OF THE CITIZEN-INITIATED WORLD SERVICE CORPS (WSC) PROPOSED CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION IN THE109TH (2005-06) CONGRESSIONAL SESSION
WHEREAS the WSC cost-effectively involves a million more skilled, can-do Americans aged 18-60+ into working on world and domestic problems, and thereby gives them a deeper understanding, concern for, and ability to practically address domestic and international policy needs, while raising America’s political IQ and,
WHEREAS the WSC invests in America’s education, health, and economy through tuition, Medical Savings or IRA Account investments, (which at $15,000 is one-sixth of the recruitment bonus presently offered to military recruits) to those who complete WSC service; and thereby helps strengthen our knowledge of world and domestic needs, educational and economic competitiveness, and our citizenry’s understanding of and voting on public policy needs at home and in the world and,
WHEREAS a one million strong WSC offers a cost-effective, robust, peaceful army to augment out courageous 1.4 million military personnel; and thereby productively answers the increasingly alarming and costly spread of the critically dangerous Ugly American image, terrorist recruitment, poverty, environmental degradation, and misunderstandings that inspire hatred, by involving many more of America’s best assets, its concerned, patriotic citizens, in addressing needs.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the 6th Assembly District proclaim our support for the introduction and passage into legislation, which encompasses the goal espoused by President Kennedy’s words: “And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
The 6th AD supports the citizen-initiated World Service Corps proposals which by the seventh year after its enactment will add one million additional American volunteers into serving country and world through such organizations as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Doctors Without Borders,Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, OxFam, Mercy Corps, and State Conservation Corps.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be provided to: members of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation; the Democratic Caucus of the California Legislature; all members of the California Democratic Party Central Committee; leaders of member organizations in the California Democratic Council; Chairs of the Assembly District committees; local elected Democratic officials and County Registrars to be introduced and approved at the California Democratic Party Executive Board and the 2006 California Democratic Party Convention.
SUBMITTED BY: The California 6th Assembly District Committee to the Resolutions Committee of the California Democratic Party
Author: Dwayne Hunn, Executive Director, People’s Lobby, 415-383-7880
dwayne@dwaynehunn.biz; www.worldservicecorps.us; www.peopleslobby.us
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Subject: World Service Corps
Date: Tue, November 15, 2005 2:39 pm
Dwayne:
“Volunteering in the service of our nation is one of our country’s great traditions, but sadly one that is in decline. Dwayne Hunn’s World Service Corps, which would establish a national service corps among America’s youth, is a creative proposal for re-establishing service as a national ideal. At a time when our county is increasingly unsure of its purpose in the world, and our youth uncertain of what it means to be an American, the World Service Corps provides a thoughtful and proactive path for the future.”
Thanks for your patience!
-John
Some time ago I told you I would write a short positive statement about the World Service Corps. Sorry for the delay – the special election really slowed things down – but here it is. Let me know what you think, and feel free to use it with my name on your site or the like.
RESOLUTION BY THE CALIFORNIA COLLEGE DEMOCRATS SUPPORTING THE CITIZEN-INITIATED WORLD SERVICE CORPS PROPOSED CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION
WHEREAS the World Service Corps (WSC) would put one million Americans serving in pockets of need at home and abroad and,
WHEREAS the WSC prepares us to better respond to the devastations of hurricanes, earthquakes, and terrorist attacks and,
WHEREAS the WSC will reduce the growing Ugly American image, terrorist recruitment, poverty, substandard housing and living conditions and,
WHEREAS the WSC cost effectively produces more skilled, can-do Americans with a deeper understanding of domestic and international policy needs and,
WHEREAS the WSC produces education payments (or Medical Savings or IRA Account investments) upon service completion and thereby helps raise our knowledge and competitiveness in the world and,
WHEREAS a one million strong WSC serving over a 20 year sunset consideration clause offers a cost-effective and robust answer to the increasingly alarming and costly spread of terrorism as well as poverty and misunderstanding, and
WHEREAS such WSC service in the classrooms of the world will dramatically increase our understanding of the world and thereby decrease the likelihood of our nation making costly world and domestic policy mistakes, and
WHEREAS the WSC proposals, as reflected in the missions of the recognizable core organizations, offers peaceful, productive, skill building voluntary service to Americans aged 18 through 60+ in a time when Americans have shown their desire to do such service,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the California College Democrats supports the introduction and prompt passage of the World Service Corps citizen initiated legislation in Congress.
Eric Anthony, Secretary
California College Democrats passed this on November 12, 2005
I have known and admired Dwayne Hunn for many years as an activist, and was an early supporter of his World Service Corps proposal. It seems clear to me a national service proposal such as this, with military service as one of the options,would provide invaluable experience to our own citizens in making them better citizens of the world, and also to help so many other countries in so many other ways. In fact, it may not only be the best way, but perhaps the only way, to help undo the damage done to our national reputation in recent years.
Greg Brockbank, President of the: College of Marin Board of Trustees, Social Justice Center of Marin, Marin Democrat Club, Marin Coalition, and candidate for Chair of Democratic Central Committee of Marin. (* Titles are for identification purposes; does not imply organizational endorsement.) 10-05
Another Katrina will happen. Another earthquake will. With Mother Nature stuff happens, and you can’t always avoid it. However, you can competently and humanely temper its aftermath.
Another Iraq and Vietnam may happen. Another extremist act may. With politics and policies, stuff happens. However, you can avoid a lot of stupid policies from becoming bloody economic disasters.
Ø How? By making Americans and the world smarter.
Ø How do we do that? Give Americans a visionary program in which a significant number serve, share, understand, learn, and teach their young. From that, America grows a super majority of smarter citizens. That super majority then votes America away from stupid, costly mistakes that cost us dearly in blood and economy.
Ø What is that vision? It’s the citizen-initiated World Service Corps proposed in Congress.
If passed in Congress this year, the proposed laws would annually ramp up America’s best resource until by the sixth year one million Americans, or .6 of 1% of those aged 20 – 60-plus, would voluntarily serve in their choice of the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, OxFam, State Conservation Corps, etc.
Why would Americans volunteer to do the WSC? Because Americans enjoy serving, like playing on great teams, and prefer building over wrecking. In addition, the proposed legislation would offer simple, cost effective federal financial incentives to volunteers.
Upon completing service, WSC members would receive two years of community plus two years of state college tuition, equivalent educational loan pay off, or equivalent investment in Medical or IRA Accounts, which would be transferable to family relatives. This updated mini GI Educational Bill of Rights gives the do-good governmental and non-governmental organizations the mix of enthusiastic, experienced, can-do Americans, aged 18 – 60+, who make the world safer and better.
In less dangerous and testing times, John Kennedy wanted the Peace Corps to put a million PCVs into the world. Then, he felt, it would become a significant force bettering the world and America. Today, one ofAmerica’s best and most cost effective programs has only about 177,000 returning Peace Corps volunteers. The World Service Corps proposals legislate a million of our most cost effective resources into dealing with and learning from world and domestic problems. It does so at a total (stipend plus incentives) annual cost less than 1/10th what it costs to maintain each of our military personnel, which is soaring past $500,000 each when supplemental and off-budget costs are added. What a huge, long run cost and blood savings bargain.
Sure, a million WSC members physically improve the world. They do so by working shoulder-to-shoulder with the world that wants to idolize them. Perhaps more importantly, they enlighten the world’s superpower, whose steps can improve or destroy chunks of the world, by directly exposing Americans to global village needs.
Only about 15% of Americans take out passports. Many of them have corporate or Club Med world experiences. The WSC exposes more Americans to the classroom of world needs, so that their voting decisions are based on real life experiences, rather than on forgettable TV designed for couch potatoes.
The WSC raises America’s political and policymaking IQ. That, then, keeps American voters from stumbling into shortsighted, costly, or bloody policies that we could avoid by pursuing visionary, practical, cost-effective policies.
Imagine, if the WSC had been running for years. Its incentives would have inspired more states to start Conservation Corps. The day Katrina struck thousands of those new and expanded state Conservation Corps, plus thousands of Red Cross, Americorps, Habitat, Doctors Sans Borders, International Rescue Committee, etc., volunteers would have been moving into Mississippi and Louisiana, with or without a Federal Emergency Management Agency passport.
We need peaceful, productive Special Forces to handle today’s special needs, as well as to reduce terrorist recruitment.
The World Service Corps www.worldservicecorps.us needs your local and national support. Before the next hurricane or earthquake, before the next terrorist act, citizens need to enlighten local, state, and federal politicians, so they will enact the WSC legislation to send a million can-do Americans into our and the world’s classroom of needs.
Dwayne Hunn of Mill Valley is executive director of People’s Lobby and sponsor of the World Service Corps proposals. He served in the Peace Corps.
Why a ‘productive, civilian national service’ is needed
(Published around 2005 at IndyBay.)
Dwayne Hunn, Ph.D.
Generations ago America’s landscape was in turmoil. To quell the unrest, America tapped its best asset — its peoples’ ingenuity and work ethic.
Only 37 days passed from FDR’s inaugural until the first 1933 Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) member started planting over 32 billion trees, building 97,000 miles of fire road, stopping environmental degradation and erosion, and helping Americans recover from hurricanes and floods, etc. By 1935, 500,000 CCC workers were building America out of depression.
Millions of hurting Americans sought peaceful CCC service. World War II and its ensuing budgetary and political pressures dismantled the character building CCC.
Our military draft then continued serving the country, and saved the world from Fascism. Under a disciplined military roof, where getting the job done meant more than your color or last name, costly racial and ethnic animosities started evaporating. Our melting-pot military draft ended, after our government lied us into a wasteful Vietnam War.
Both methods of service – the CCC and military – helped save and improve America’s economy, society, and knowledge.
Today, some of America’s economic and political needs are global, and that landscape is again in turmoil because of people and nations who increasingly hate our policies, yet know little about our best asset and weapon — hard working Americans.
For several years, worldwide polls have shown increasing disdain for America’s policies. It is a small step from disdain to harming Americans, as 9-11 showed.
At home, turmoil’s seeds are sprouting. In 1993 America’s poverty rate was over 15% but fell to 11.2% by 2000. In 2002 it climbed to 12.1%, adding 3 million Americans into poverty since 2000 and growing worse since.
What are ALL Americans doing to: 1) Fight Terror and 2) Strengthen America? The rich received tax reductions, their siblings seldom serve, and in gratitude their nominal estate taxes are being erased. Consequently, Joe Sixpack picks up Tommy Belvedere’s tax and military tab.
What can ALL Americans do? We can institute “productive, civilian national service” through my proposed World Service Corps (WSC) proposals that address the root causes of instability. The WSC gives us a cost-effective, long-term strategy to combat fundamental ignorance, calamities, terror, and domestic and international poverty.
How would it work? In the two WSC Bills/Resolutions (www.dwaynehunn.biz), now in the hands of 25+ Congresspersons, all those aged 18-26 will undertake either one year of required or two years of volunteer service in their choice of Red Cross, Peace Corps, Head Start, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, and Doctors Without Borders. This mix of cost effective public-non-government organizations, do what Americans do well — fix problems.
Upon completing two years of voluntary service, community and state college tuition, or vocational or graduate school equivalent, would be paid, reenergizing our educational skill set, as did the 1944-56 GI Educational Bill of Rights.
In addition, all Americans could mix their volunteer experience and insights with the vibrant energy of the young WSC members, thereby increasing the WSC’s effectiveness.
As the world rushes toward 7 billion, about half live on $2.00 a day. At home poverty increases, schools need help, and inadequate housing remains too prevalent. Environmental calamities, famines, and atrocities confront the world daily. Among an alarmingly growing number of world citizens, terrorists and myopic fundamentalists breed hatred for Americans that too much of the world only knows through Hollywood. In a nuclear and biologically dangerous world, the Doomsday Clock edges closer to midnight.
Jesus would not call for blowing each other up. Christ would send shepherds to bring the lost sheep into the comfortable flock. Through the WSC, it is time to send a million American shepherds into peacefully bettering the world.
It the fourteen tumultuous nations spread from Egypt to Pakistan, 420+ million reside. In 2005, are the 39 Peace Corps volunteers (PCVs) helping spread understanding there enough?
Eastern Africa’s 18 nations may have oil reserves. It definitely has poverty and needs, along with illiteracy, ignorance, hatreds, and fanaticisms. It has Ethiopiaand Somalia, where poverty, starvation, and American deaths still haunt us.
How many PCVs serve among those 270 million people?
SIx hundred and fifty-nine, with none in Ethiopia and Somalia.
If peaceful WSC divisions could increase those numbers ten-fold, future costly military intervention and crisis aid would be dramatically reduced.
A Tsunami and earthquakes have devastated parts of Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand, India, and elsewhere.
How many Habitat for Humanity homes have been built there?
Among Sri Lanka’s 20 million, 4,485 families have new Habitat homes since 1994. Among Indonesia 230 million people, 378 families were served since 1997.
Imagine, if in the near future we sent thousands of WSC Habitat builders, how negatively could Americans ever be depicted?
If 10,000 WSC Red Cross, Peace Corps, Habitat, and Doctors without Borders quickly went into the next disaster, would the world see Ugly or Beautiful Americans?
Wars and suffering rage on Spaceship Earth. Aren’t the needs compelling enough to have ALL Americans leave their TVs and computers for at least a year’s productive, civilian service in the world’s real classrooms? Kennedy wanted a million Peace Corps volunteers serving annually by the 1970’s. Only 178,000 have served or trained. Today 7,773 serve, while at home AmeriCorps and Head Start programs are cut. Kennedy’s words are worth pondering:
“And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country.
My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
As are the words of the first Peace Corps Director, Sargent Shriver:
“If the Pentagon’s map is more urgent, the Peace Corp’s is, perhaps, in the long run the most important… What happens in India, Africa, and South America — whether the nations where the Peace Corps works succeed or not — may well determine the balance of peace.”
Congresswoman Woolsey D-CA is taking the Hunn’s WSC proposals to the Progressive Caucus and added in a recent letter “I’m not a PC volunteer, but totally support you.”
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