[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 603 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 603

    Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Council for 
International Visitors, and designating February 16, 2011, as ``Citizen 
                            Diplomacy Day''.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 30, 2010

Mr. Specter (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Burr, Mr. Bayh, Mr. 
   Pryor, Mr. Burris, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Dorgan, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. 
Durbin, Mr. Bond, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cochran, 
Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. 
   Hagan, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. Coburn) submitted the 
   following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
                               Judiciary

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
    Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the National Council for 
International Visitors, and designating February 16, 2011, as ``Citizen 
                            Diplomacy Day''.

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
    Resolved, 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''.
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