Peace Corps Morocco held its 61st-anniversary ceremony on Friday at its offices in Rabat. The event celebrated the “impactful service and dedication to fostering cross-cultural understanding, volunteerism, community service, and sustainable development in the Kingdom of Morocco», according to the US Embassy.” The celebration saw the participation of US Ambassador Puneet Talwar, Peace Corps Associate Director of Global Operations Scott Beale, Minister of Youth, Culture, and Communication Mehdi Bensaid, Peace Corps volunteers, staffers, Moroccan partners, and members of the local community, commemorating this significant milestone.

‘For over six decades, the Peace Corps has stood as a powerful symbol of hope, cooperation, and understanding,” Ambassador Puneet Talwar said.

Peace Corps Morocco is about “more than the projects; it’s about relationships built; it’s about the lives that are transformed – Moroccan and American,” the senior diplomat said, lauding Peace Corps Volunteers who “serve as cultural diplomats, representing Americans in the communities where they live.”

Morocco, one of the first countries to invite volunteers in 1963, just two years after President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps in 1961, has hosted over 5,000 volunteers since then. This makes the country one of the most requested service destinations for volunteers. From 1963 to today, over 5,000 Volunteers have served in Morocco.