Fighting Global Poverty

In the 1960s, twenty-thousand young Americans landed in South America to serve as Peace Corps volunteers. The program was hailed by President John F. Kennedy and by volunteers themselves as an exceptional initiative to end global poverty. In practice, it was another front for fighting the Cold War and promoting American interests in the Global South.

The global economy in 1950 was defined by a lack of interconnectedness and U.S. economic dominance. More than half a century later, stronger international economic ties and the rise of the Chinese and Indian economies are just two of the dramatic changes that are underway as globalization—the process of the world's diverse countries coming together and sharing experiences, events, and trade—continues to be a force in our economic climate.