THE 50th anniversary of the United States Peace Corps was commemorated in Tonga today, March 1, with the unveiling of a plaque on the central Nuku'alofa waterfront.

Kathy Rulon the Senior Advisor to the Chief of Staff at Peace Corps from Washington, came to Tonga for the occasion.

Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister Hon Samiu Vaipulu and Peace Corps Country Director Kelley Cullen unveiled the plaque located in the Yellow Pier area, during a ceremony attended by current Peace Corps Volunteers, former volunteers and friends.

Peace Corps Tonga Country Director Kelley Cullen said the event celebrated 50-years of the US Peace Corps (1961-2011) promoting peace and friendship around the world and they were proud that over 200,000 volunteers had served in 139 countries.

In Tonga, the location for the plaque was selected because many of waterfront trees were planted there in 1992 to mark the Peace Corps Tonga 25th anniversary.

43 years in Tonga

US Peace Corps have served 43-years in Tonga since its first group of 39 volunteers arrived on October 9, 1967. Since then over 1,450 volunteers have worked in more than 30 areas of development in Tonga.

Kelley said that when the first group of 39 volunteers came to Tonga they were mainly engaged in teaching in primary and secondary schools.

In the 1980's volunteers focussed more on technical assistance to government ministries and sponsoring organisations and taught science, vocational education and worked in health cooperatives and in energy related areas, she said.

Volunteers then returned in the 1990's and served as secondary school teachers in biology and chemistry while others continued to teach English as part of new national literacy curriculum at the primary school level.

She said most recently, volunteers had developed a Tonga Expanded Community Education Project concentrating on both formal and non- formal education at the village and town level. They also teach English, industrial arts, teacher training, ICT, and business education to primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in Tonga.

"We are proud that we currently have 46 dynamic and dedicated volunteers serving Tonga with 23 ] in Tongatapu, five each in 'Eua and Ha'apai and 13 in Vava'u."

1967

Tonga's Deputy Prime Minster Samiu Vaipulu said the original Peace Corps volunteers came to Tonga in 1967 and although they came to primary and secondary schools they offered their technical knowledge to build capacity in agriculture, fisheries, public health, employment, construction, business and cooperatives and youth development.

He said during the 1960's Tonga enjoyed a balance of payments and the pa'anga was stronger than the New Zealand dollar, Australian, US and Pacific currencies due to the abundance of exports of produces such as copra and tomatoes.

He said the newly elected Tonga government was looking at a community level and private sector led economic development and Tongans should make good use of what US Peace Corps offered.

"They are transferring technologies that we are short of and to remind us what we can do with the number of unemployed youth.

"I am sure that the Peace Corps volunteers can find a way to get employment to these youth and I do not mean being employed in the office because we could not provide offices for all school leavers but I am confident as said President Obama said and I quote,
"Yes, we can do it."

On behalf of the king, the Prime Minster, Government and people of Tonga thanked the US President and people of the United States for supporting Tonga through its Peace Corps volunteers.

During the ceremony former Peace Corps volunteers who reflected on their time of served in Tonga, including Renswick Nelson, Christine 'Uta'atu and Don Cobbs.