Statement by Ambassador Ibrahim S Conteh at the Peace Corps Headquarters send off in Washington DC, 2 June, 2010
Mr. Chairman, Chief of staff and members of staff of the Peace Corps Headquarters, Peace Corps volunteers, Mrs. Bockari Stevens, Minister Counsellor and staff of the Embassy, distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. Let me start by conveying greetings and best wishes from Ambassador Stevens and his regret for not being able to be with us because of an urgent trip he had to make to Freetown.
On my own personal behalf, I want to thank you for the opportunity to say a few words on this auspicious occasion.Â
I start by paying homage to President Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States whose vision to promote world peace and friendship led to the establishment in March, 1961 of the Peace Corps Programme, this unique experiment in human history and which for nearly half a century has stood the test of time.
We remember his thousand days in power as a period of boundless energy, optimism, renewal and hope; a period which gave hope to the newly independent states of Africa that their hard won freedom would not be reversed. Indeed, we remember, this period as a period when everything seemed possible.
The first group of Peace Corps volunteers arrived in Sierra Leone in 1962; and as Sierra Leoneans of that generation continue to this day to recall at every given opportunity the names of the Peace Corps volunteers who have made a difference in their lives, I am proud to state that I am a product of that era of the first set of volunteers who also made a difference in my own life.
Ambassador Hull giving a statement at the program
To you the volunteers, I say this; that you are going to a grateful nation with cherished memories of the good work of your predecessors, who made a worthy contribution to the cause of nation building of the newly independent Sierra Leone. Further, you will also be arriving in a post conflict country ravaged by an eleven year brutal war. However, the war has ended about a decade ago, and with the resilience of our people, together with the assistance of our development partners and the international community in general, we have been able to rise up to the challenge and bring the country back from the brink.
Many challenges still remain; we have no illusions about that; but at the same time, we can derive some comfort from the fact that, Sierra Leone, as a country, has firmly taken its rightful place in the comity of nations, making its contribution to the maintenance of international peace and security, with our men and women in uniform currently serving in Darfur, Haiti and Somalia.
 Indeed I have no doubt that, with the spirit and qualities of endurance, dedication, patience, understanding, and hard work, among many others, which characterize Peace Corps volunteers, we remain confident, as always, that you would be able to successfully partner with Sierra Leoneans and together try to put the country back on the path of sustainable development, thereby bringing into fruition President Koroma’s vision of development as encapsulated in his Agenda for Change.
Before I end my remarks, I want to take this opportunity to thank the staff of this office, Congressmen, private individuals and the American people in general for the realization of this day. But above all, my grateful thanks also go to our special envoys and permanent advocates in this country, “The Friends of Sierra Leoneâ€, comprising mostly of former Peace Corps volunteers, including Ambassador Hull who have worked tirelessly, day in and day out and spared no effort in this endeavour, for the return of the Peace Corps.
Finally, I can assure you dear volunteers, that the country is peaceful and that a fitting welcome by the people of Sierra Leone awaits you, and who will do everything possible to make your stay as fruitful and memorable as your predecessors.
I thank you for your attention.
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