Whereas the year 2011 marks the 50th Anniversary of the
National Council for International Visitors (referred to in this preamble as
the NCIV), originally founded as the National Council for
Community Services to International Visitors (commonly referred to as
COSERV) in 1961;
Whereas the mission of NCIV is to promote excellence in
citizen diplomacy—the concept that the individual citizen has the right and
responsibility to help develop constructive United States foreign relations
one handshake at a time
;
Whereas citizen diplomacy has the power to shape
perceptions in the United States of foreign cultures and international
perceptions of the United States, effectively shattering stereotypes,
illuminating differences, underscoring common human aspirations, and developing
the web of human connections needed to achieve more peaceful relations between
countries;
Whereas NCIV is the private sector partner of the United
States Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program (referred
to in this preamble as the IVLP), a public diplomacy initiative
that brings distinguished foreign leaders to the United States for short-term
professional programs under the authority of the Mutual Educational and
Cultural Exchange Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2451 et seq.; also referred to as the
Fulbright-Hays Act
);
Whereas the NCIV network comprises individuals, program
agencies, and 92 community organizations throughout the United States,
including approximately 80,000 volunteers who are involved in NCIV member
activities each year as host families, professional resources, volunteer
programmers, board members, and other supporters;
Whereas the network of citizen diplomats in NCIV has
organized professional programs, cultural activities, and home visits for more
than 190,000 foreign leaders participating in the IVLP, 285 of whom went on to
become chiefs of state or heads of government in their countries;
Whereas the NCIV network has hosted and strengthened the
relationships of the United States with notable foreign leaders who are alumni
of the IVLP, including: Abdullah Gul, President of Turkey, Nicolas Sarkozy,
President of France, Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India, Morgan
Tsvangarai, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, and Alvaro Uribe Velez, President of
Colombia, as well as Willy Brandt, former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of
Germany, Kim Dae-Jung, Former President of South Korea, Frederik W. de Klerk,
former President of South Africa, Indira Ghandi, former Prime Minister of
India, Anwar Sadat, former President of Egypt, and many others;
Whereas United States ambassadors have in repeated surveys
ranked the NCIV network-facilitated IVLP first among 63 United States public
diplomacy programs;
Whereas in 2001, Senator Arlen Specter nominated the NCIV
network of citizen diplomats to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, stating that
they have done … the best work for fraternity between
nations
;
Whereas all Federal funding for the citizen diplomacy of
the NCIV network is spent in the United States, where it has leveraged $6 in
local economic impact for every Federal dollar expended;
Whereas NCIV member organizations provide invaluable
opportunities for United States students to develop global perspectives and
vividly experience the diversity of the world by bringing foreign leaders into
local schools, loaning teachers cultural artifacts, and developing
internationally focused curricula;
Whereas participation of United States communities,
businesses, and universities in the international exchange programs implemented
by the NCIV network strengthens the ability of the United States to produce a
globally literate and competitive workforce;
Whereas NCIV celebrates excellence in citizen diplomacy
and has honored 7 individuals—Senator J. William Fulbright in 1987, the
Honorable John Richardson in 1990, Maya Angelou in 1993, Richard Stanley in
2000, Keith Reinhard in 2007, Garth Fagan in 2008, and Rick Steves in 2009—with
the NCIV Citizen Diplomat Award for their exemplary work towards transcending
barriers between the peoples of the world in visionary ways;
Whereas NCIV provides leadership at the national level
having convened leaders of sister organizations for 2 national Summits on
Citizen Diplomacy and providing funding to its member organizations for Summits
on Citizen Diplomacy in communities throughout the United States, giving those
organizations the opportunity to foster internationally focused dialogue and to
cultivate lasting partnerships with like-minded organizations in their own
communities; and
Whereas NCIV member organizations serve as international
gateways, sharing their communities with the world and the world with their
communities—welcoming strangers and sending home friends: Now, therefore, be
it
That the Senate—
(1)commemorates the
50th anniversary of the National Council for International Visitors and its
extraordinary efforts to promote excellence in citizen diplomacy;
(2)commends the
achievements of the thousands of citizen diplomats who have worked for
generations to share the best of the United States with foreign leaders,
specialists, and scholars;
(3)thanks the
National Council for International Visitors citizen diplomats for their service
to their communities, our country, and the world; and
(4)designates
February 16, 2011, as Citizen Diplomacy Day
.