Peace Corps Commemorative
The Peace Corps program was established by Executive Order 10924, which was issued by President John F. Kennedy on March 1, 1961. The program was legislatively authorized by Congress on September 21, 1961, with passage of the Peace Corps Act (Pub.L. 87–293). Between 1961 and 2013, over 215,000 Americans joined the Peace Corps. The National Peace Corps Association, a nonprofit organization for Peace Corps alumni, established the Peace Corps Commemorative Foundation to advocate for a commemorative to honor the mission of the Peace Corps and the values on which it was founded.
United Nations Peace Messenger Cities
The International Association of Peace Messenger Cities was established in 1988 and now administers the programme according to the statute of the Association and criteria for membership. The International Association of Peace Messenger Cities was established to recognize and encourage the role and responsibility cities have in creating a culture of peace. The IAPMC had its first meeting in Verdun France in 1988. It was formalized at a General Assembly meeting in New Haven, Connecticut, USA in 1990. Our first Statute was adopted in Marrakech, Morocco in 1991. The organization was born out of United Nations General Assembly designation as Peace Messengers based on idea that municipal authorities have profound responsibility to assume an active, creative role in establishing a Culture of Peace within their borders. Member cities of the Association meet twice a year with the aim of exchanging programmes, ideas and experience in cities around the globe. Their website, http://www.iapmc.org, is active after the General Assembly which was held in Slovenj Gradec, Slovenia. The IAPMC has been extensively involved in numerous peace campaigns, banning of anti-personnel landmines campaign, nuclear non-proliferation, human rights, and has attracted substantial public awareness in peacemaking efforts of the United Nations Organization, Economic and Social Council, Department of Public Information and other bodies. The participation at the international conferences throughout the years of IAPMC activities has been notable at prominent events such as World Social Forum, First World Conference on City Diplomacy (The Hague, 2008) etc. It has been one of the sponsors and co-organizers of Haifa International Conference for a WMD-Free Middle East in 2013. The organization is also a member of Abolition 2000 and cooperates well with similar organizations, such as Mayors for Peace.