It's time for a Peace Corps for the whole Earth. It's time for an Earth Corps.: Overview

The Earth today is in crisis. Global warming and climate change, the depletion of ground water and fossil fuel, the pandemic spread of avian flu and HIV/AIDS, the proliferation of nuclear weapons and small arms, the expanding gulf between the rich and poor, the conflict between secularism and fundamentalism, the list goes on and on. People of all ages, especially young people, feel an urgency to address these problems and to make a meaningful difference in the world. But who or what can mobilize their idealism, energy, and willingness to serve? National service of some sort, either in the military or social service arena, is well established in most countries, but does not go far enough. It's time to go beyond national service to global service. It's time to mobilize a vast planetary force of college-age students, mid-life adults, and post-career retirees to address both human and environmental needs. It's time for a Peace Corps for the whole Earth. It's time for an Earth Corps.

The purpose of the ECGS is to dramatically increase the number of people who are volunteering and working for existing social and environmental service organizations worldwide, and to deepen the quality of their service. We are forming a coalition of organizations such as the Peace Corps, Doctors Without Borders, Teach for America, and the UN Volunteers, into a kind of Peace Corps for the whole Earth. Our aim is to double the number of participants in these programs in three years, and to quadruple the number by 2012, through a global, public service recruiting campaign, with spokespeople such as Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, the Dalai Lama, Al Gore, Bono, and Wangaari Matthai. For those who feel called to serve, but don’t know what to do, we are developing the Earth Corps Training (ECT). Related initiatives include an annual World Peace Forum, a Peace Telethon, and the Peoples’ Peace Prize. All of these initiatives are described below.

Our aim is to double the number of participants
in these programs in three years,
and to quadruple the number by 2012.

The Earth Corps for Global Service (ECGS) addresses both the search for meaning in the post-modern world and the pressing issues facing the planet, creating a new vision of higher education—one that is engaged in the world, through significant time and work in service settings, and available to people of all ages. ECGS will partner with institutions of higher learning so that participants can earn credit for their participation. Depending on their academic goals, participants may apply program credits towards a bachelor's or master's degree.

The Earth Corps for Global Service (ECGS) began as the service-learning component of Albert Schweitzer College (ASC), a new educational initiative still in formation. In 2006 the founders of ASC recognized that it will take several years to establish the new college and that the needs that ECGS addresses are urgent and pressing, so ECGS was spun off as a separate entity.

For those who don't know what kind of service they want to perform, and those who want to deepen their capacity to serve effectively, the Earth Corps for Global Service will offer a variety of training programs.

Who will be attracted to the Earth Corps for Global Service?
According to the Higher Education Research Institute (HERI) at UCLA, three-quarters of today's college students report that they are "searching for meaning and purpose in life." However, "Despite the high levels of interest, commitment, and engagement among students, it appears that colleges and universities are doing little to help students explore these issues and support their search in the sphere of values and beliefs." In addition, there are countless people in mid-life who seek new experiences to renew and refresh themselves. And the leading edge of the Baby Boom has reached 60 years of age, and is looking for opportunities to give back. Through exposure to other cultures and other humans in need, the Earth Corps for Global Service will help participants live full, rich, meaningful lives imbued with an ethic of service.

We're working with foundations, academic institutions, and media partners to design and launch some highly synergistic initiatives which will further the ECGS mission:

  1. The Earth Corps Training
  2. The People's Peace Prize
  3. The World Peace Forum
  4. A Peace Telethon
  5. A global, public-service Media Campaign

See the History of The ECGS »