[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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