[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 99 (Friday, June 16, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8566-S8567]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CIVIC EDUCATION GATHERING IN PRAGUE

 Mr. HATFIELD. Mr. President, during the first few days of 
June, one of the largest international gatherings of educators and 
representatives of the public and private sectors supporting civic 
education met in Prague, Czechoslovakia. Four hundred and twenty-five 
representatives from 52 nations participated.
  Entitled [email protected], the conference was sponsored by 36 
civic education organizations from North America, Western and Eastern 
Europe, and the former Soviet Union.
  A declaration was adopted by CIVITAS participants that asserts the 
essential importance of civic education for developing the support 
required for the establishment and maintenance of stable democratic 
institutions. Constitutional democracies must ultimately rely upon 
citizens and leaders possessing a reasoned commitment to those 
fundamental values and principles which enable them to flourish. Stable 
democracies, in turn, are vital for economic development, national 
security, and for overcoming destructive religious and ethnic 
conflicts. The declaration also argues that civic education should have 
a more prominent place in the programs of all governments and 
international organizations.
  American participation in the project was organized by a steering 
committee composed of representatives of the Center for Civic 
Education, American 

[[Page S8567]]
Federation of Teachers, National Endowment for Democracy, Institute for 
Democracy in Eastern Europe, Mershon Center at Ohio State University, 
and the Social Studies Development Center at Indiana University. All 
these groups worked in cooperation with the U.S. Department of 
Education and the U.S. Information Agency.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this declaration and in 
giving greater recognition to the need to improve civic education for 
students in the United States and in other nations throughout the 
world.
  The text of the CIVITAS declaration follows:

               Civic Education--An International Priority

       On June 2-6, 1995, representatives from fifty-two countries 
     met in Prague at one of the largest international meetings on 
     civic education ever held. The following is a declaration 
     adopted by the participants. A list of the individual signers 
     is available on CIVNET.
       The wave of change toward democracy and the open economy 
     that swept the world at the beginning of this decade has 
     slowed, and, in some respects, even turned around. Religious 
     and ethnic intolerance; abuses of human rights; cynicism 
     toward politics and government; corruption, crime and 
     violence; ignorance, apathy and irresponsibility--all 
     represent growing challenges to freedom, the marketplace, 
     democratic government, and the rule of law.
       All this makes clear how central knowledge, skills, and 
     democratic values are to building and sustaining democratic 
     societies that are respectful of human rights and cultural 
     diversity. Once again, we see the importance of education 
     which empowers citizens to participate competently and 
     responsibly in their society.
       Despite great differences in the more than fifty countries 
     represented among us, we find many similarities in the 
     challenges we face in our civic life. These challenges exist 
     not only in the countries represented here; they also exist 
     in other parts of the world, and in all aspects of social, 
     economic, and political life. People involved in civic 
     education have much to learn from one another.
       It is time again to recognize the crucial role that civic 
     education plays in many areas of concern to the international 
     community: Shared democratic values, and institutions that 
     reflect these values, are the necessary foundation for 
     national and international security and stability; The 
     breakup of Cold War blocs, while bringing much good, has also 
     created openings for aggressive and undemocratic movements, 
     even in the established democracies themselves; Civic 
     development is an essential element in--not just a side 
     effect of--economic development. Investments and guarantees 
     made by private enterprise, governments, and international 
     financial institutions will fail where political and legal 
     systems fail, and where corruption and violence flourish.
       The challenge of civic education is too great for educators 
     alone. They need far greater cooperation from their own 
     peoples, governments, and the international community.
       We seek increased support for civic education--formal and 
     informal--from the widest range of institutions and 
     governments. In particular, we urge greater involvement in 
     civic education by international organizations such as the 
     Council of Europe, the European Union, the North Atlantic 
     Assembly, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in 
     Europe, the United Nations, UNESCO, and the World Bank.
       We seek an active personal and electronic on-line-exchange 
     (through CIVNET) of curricular concepts, teaching methods, 
     study units, and evaluation programs for all elements of 
     continuing education in civics, economics, and history.
       We pledge ourselves to create and maintain a worldwide 
     network that will make civic education a higher priority on 
     the international agenda.

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