I'm not sure why everyone is holding the Peace Corps up as something amazing- I've spent a fair bit of time with them in Africa, and they were pretty much useless. They were like any other group of young western people in a warm sunny place - full of good intentions, but also with money that goes farther, freedom from parents, etc. They had little to contribute to development as they had no skills. A Fine Arts or History degree is great, but doesn't mean much in a small village in Africa where the problems are health, water and agriculture. As much time and resources are spent on the health, safety and welfare of these American youth as on development projects making it. Having spent a lot of time around the development community in Africa, Peace Corps is essentially regarded as being the bottom of the pile of development agencies.
I understand the appeal, and organizations like Peace Corps and Canada World Youth - that specialize in sending untrained young people to developing countries - are great organizations, but they do far more for the youth participating in them than they do for the locals. The youth participating learn a lot, and have an amazing experience, and maybe make some small differences locally but they are not development tools.
The Developing World does not need more labourers, more hands, or amateurish english teachers. That is about all that Peace Corps, and similar organizations, provide. The Peace Corps is a group of young Americans with the best of intentions, but with very little to actually contribute. How many young people have skills that are actually needed? Are they Doctors? Engineers? Nurses? Do they have a skilled trade? nutritionist? experienced farmer? Idealism and good intentions are fine, but they don't help anyone.
Someone earlier derided CIDA, Crossroads, and CUSO for only sending skilled professionals and not students overseas. This is exactly the required model. Pouring unskilled youth into developing regions doesn't do much, but placing a few key professionals into these countries can make a world of difference. The problem, I think, likes in that exactly the same skills and trades are in demand overseas as in Canada - doctors, skilled tradesmen, nurses, etc. Do we want to send these valuable people overseas, or keep them home to meet our needs?