The United States Peace Corps declared University of Wisconsin the No. 1 producer of Peace Corps volunteers for the 18th-straight year.

UW tops the 2005 list for large universities with 129 volunteers, placing UW second to the University of California-Berkeley as all-time top producer.

Morgridge Public Service coordinator, former dean of students and long-time Peace Corps advocate Mary Rouse ascribes UW’s success of volunteers to its long tradition with the program and enthusiastic faculty.

The university has achieved a reputable number of volunteers for more than a decade because UW students and faculty are actively involved in international affairs, according to Rouse.

“We have a faculty interested in international education that instill this interest in students,” Rouse said.

UW Peace Corps representative and past volunteer Damien Wampler said UW would most likely continue its success with service-driven students in a globally alert environment.

“This city and university have a spirit of internationalism and commitment to service I think no other city this size has,” Wampler said in an e-mail.

Elizabeth Howard, a recent Peace Corp volunteer stationed in Mali, West Africa, said she was surprised by the sense of generosity she received from people who appeared to have nothing.

“I tried to explain to them how the United States has homeless people, but they could not understand because they saw their home as their family … they showed me a greater sense of community than Americans do,” Howard said.

This spirit of community is important in the wake of tsunami relief, according to Howard. Southeast Asian countries’ poor conditions, in addition to natural disasters, can create dependency on the global community.

“In third-world countries, the poor are on the edge of getting by; when you add crisis to their situation, this puts them over the edge,” Howard said.

The communities in poorer countries hold a higher regard of the importance of family and working together. According to Howard, America should value these same ideas to create a stronger community.

Rouse said UW students and faculty would continue to be the top university of Peace Corps volunteers as long as they stay involved in the community. According to Rouse, UW is aggressive in promoting involvement in the Peace Corps by passing out fliers to students and visitors to the university.

The Peace Corps began its mission of promoting peace and friendship throughout the world in 1961. It has been successful with 178,000 volunteers to date in 138 different countries. Volunteers are said to acquire new skills teaching English or providing health education and learn the hardships of poverty first-hand.

Rouse said students should also get involved in volunteer work through other outlets on campus if the Peace Corps does not fit their needs. She said she encourages students to continue volunteer work because of its value to a well-rounded education.