[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 626 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 626

  Supporting the goals and ideals of ``National Nonviolence Week'' to 
        raise awareness of youth violence in the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 12, 2014

 Mr. Lewis (for himself, Ms. Bordallo, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Carson of 
  Indiana, Mr. Conyers, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Mr. Farr, Mr. 
   Grijalva, Mr. Gutierrez, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. Honda, Ms. 
    Jackson Lee, Ms. Kelly of Illinois, Ms. Lee of California, Ms. 
  McCollum, Mr. McDermott, Mr. McGovern, Mr. McNerney, Mr. Meeks, Ms. 
Norton, Mr. Payne, Mr. Pocan, Mr. Polis, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Richmond, Mr. 
Rush, Mr. Sablan, Mr. Scott of Virginia, Ms. Wilson of Florida, and Mr. 
 Cohen) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Supporting the goals and ideals of ``National Nonviolence Week'' to 
        raise awareness of youth violence in the United States.

Whereas the Sojourn to the Past program annually takes high school students to 
        the historic locations of the civil rights movement, teaching them how 
        nonviolence protest mitigated discrimination, violence, hatred, bigotry, 
        and inequity in schools and communities;
Whereas the goal of the Sojourn to the Past program, created by Jeff Steinberg, 
        is to inspire students to become civic leaders with a duty and ability 
        to unite people in their communities in equality and justice, through 
        knowledge, understanding, and compassion;
Whereas, in 2009, a small group of Youngstown, Ohio, high school students who 
        experienced Sojourn to the Past, a 10-day journey to the civil rights 
        sites in the Southern United States, created activities for a 
        nonviolence week for the city high schools;
Whereas Mrs. Penny Wells, a social studies teacher in the Youngstown, Ohio, 
        school district aligned the Sojourn to the Past program to Ohio State 
        standards and the school district pacing guides;
Whereas the Sojourn to the Past program offers an independent study program 
        credit for Sojourn to the Past participants in support of Mrs. Wells' 
        effort;
Whereas, at the request of school superintendent Dr. Wendy Webb, the Youngstown 
        Sojourn students implemented Nonviolence Week in all the Youngstown 
        schools during the first week of October 2009;
Whereas these Youngstown Sojourn students received a declaration from Mayor Jay 
        Williams declaring the first week in October 2009 as Nonviolence Week;
Whereas the 2010 Youngstown Sojourn to the Past students successfully petitioned 
        the Youngstown School Board, the Youngstown City Council, and the 
        Youngstown State University trustees to declare the first week in 
        October each year to be Nonviolence Week;
Whereas the Sojourn to the Past program has afforded participating students an 
        experience that is far reaching and life changing and serves as a 
        catalyst for their becoming activists in applying nonviolence principles 
        throughout their lives;
Whereas according to the Department of Education, nearly 74 percent of public 
        schools in the United States recorded one or more violent incidents of 
        crime that occurred at school in 2009-2010;
Whereas most victims of school violence are first exposed as early as middle 
        school;
Whereas hostility toward homosexuality and gender nonconformity continues to 
        plague gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender youth and adults in 
        United States schools;
Whereas according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), youth 
        violence results in considerable physical, social, and economic 
        consequences;
Whereas according to the CDC, in 2011, more than 707,000 young people were 
        treated in emergency room departments for injuries sustained from 
        physical assaults;
Whereas according to the CDC, roughly 20 percent of high school students 
        reported being bullied at school in 2010;
Whereas the United States child homicide rate, for children less than 15 years 
        of age, is 5 times greater than the combined rate of 25 other 
        industrialized countries; and
Whereas the principle of nonviolence has been a core philosophy of many 
        successful social change movements: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) supports the goals and ideals of ``National Nonviolence 
        Week'' to raise awareness of youth violence in the United 
        States; and
            (2) encourages the people of the United States, State and 
        local officials, middle schools and high schools, law 
        enforcement agencies, and other interested groups to observe 
        National Nonviolence Week with appropriate programs and 
        activities that promote awareness and prevention of youth 
        violence.
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