Connecting Realities: Peace Corps Volunteers in South America and the Global War on Poverty during the 1960s

Abstract

This article examines the work of Peace Corps volunteers in South America during the 1960s. It argues that through their training in impoverished communities in the United States and their intervention in similar contexts in South America, these volunteers connected diverse visions of community action aimed at eradicating poverty. This allows an inclusion of a historical comprehension of the Peace Corps within the scenario of a Global War on Poverty. The argument derives from the analysis of letters and testimonies, press items, and official documents found in archives and libraries both in the United States and South America.

Keywords

• South America
• Peace Corps
• Cold War
• United States
• community development
• poverty