[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 42 (Tuesday, April 12, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3491-S3492]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         SUBMITTED RESOLUTIONS

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 SENATE RESOLUTION 104--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE ENCOURAGING 
  THE ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT OF AMERICANS IN WORLD AFFAIRS AND URGING THE 
     SECRETARY OF STATE TO TAKE THE LEAD AND COORDINATE WITH OTHER 
GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES AND NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN CREATING AN 
    ONLINE DATABASE OF INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS AND RELATED 
                             OPPORTUNITIES

  Mr. FEINGOLD (for himself and Mr. Hagel) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations:

                              S. Res. 104

       Whereas the United States needs to do a better job of 
     building personal and institutional relationships with 
     peoples and Nations around the world in order to combat the 
     rise in anti-American sentiment that many polls and studies 
     have reported;
       Whereas a broad bipartisan consensus in favor of 
     strengthening United States public diplomacy emerged during 
     2003 in Congress and was expressed in various reports, 
     including reports of the Council on Foreign Relations, the 
     General Accounting Office, the Advisory Commission on Public 
     Diplomacy, the Heritage Foundation, and the Advisory Group on 
     Public Diplomacy for the Arab and Muslim World;
       Whereas, in July 2004, the National Commission on Terrorist 
     Attacks Upon the United States released its final report on 
     United States intelligence, which determined that ``[j]ust as 
     we did in the Cold War, we need to defend our ideals abroad 
     vigorously. America does stand up for its values
     . . . If the United States does not act aggressively to 
     define itself in the Islamic World, the extremists will 
     gladly do the job for us.'';
       Whereas the National Intelligence Reform Act of 2004 
     declares the sense of Congress that the United States should 
     commit to a long-term and significant investment in promoting 
     people-to-people engagement with all levels of society in 
     other countries;
       Whereas international exchange programs, which have 
     assisted in extending American influence around the world by 
     educating the world's leaders, have suffered from a decline 
     in funding and policy priority;
       Whereas, when students are instructed in their civic and 
     community responsibilities during secondary education, the 
     importance of their participation in global affairs should be 
     underscored as well;
       Whereas the number of United States university-level 
     students studying abroad in 2002-2003 was 174,629, 
     representing just over 1 percent of United States students;
       Whereas \2/3\ of United States students studying abroad 
     study in Western Europe (18.2 percent in the United Kingdom 
     alone), although 95 percent of the world population growth in 
     the next 50 years is expected to occur outside of Western 
     Europe;
       Whereas there are 29,953,000 retired workers in the United 
     States as of December 2004, meaning that there are many older 
     Americans who have the talent, maturity, and time to 
     volunteer their services abroad;
       Whereas the average United States college graduate who has 
     studied 1 of the less commonly taught languages reaches no 
     more than an intermediate level of proficiency in the 
     language, which is insufficient to meet national security 
     requirements; and
       Whereas there are hundreds of well-established 
     organizations in the United States that implement educational 
     and professional exchanges, international volunteering, and 
     related programs, and the efforts of those organizations 
     could readily be expanded to reach out to more Americans: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This resolution may be cited as the ``People-to-People 
     Engagement in World Affairs Resolution''.

     SEC. 2. SENSE OF SENATE.

       It is the sense of the Senate that--
       (1) the Secretary of State should coordinate with 
     implementing partners in creating an online database that 
     provides information on how Americans can take advantage of--
       (A) international exchange programs of the Department of 
     State, the Department of Education, and other Federal 
     Government and non-government entities;
       (B) volunteer opportunities with organizations that assist 
     refugees and immigrants in the United States;
       (C) opportunities to host international students and 
     professionals in the United States;
       (D) sister-city organizations in the United States;
       (E) international fairs and cultural events in the United 
     States; and
       (F) foreign language learning opportunities;
       (2) Americans should strive to become more engaged in 
     international affairs and more aware of peoples and 
     developments outside the United States;
       (3) Americans should seize 1 or more opportunities toward 
     this end, by such means as--
       (A) participating in a professional or cultural exchange;
       (B) studying abroad;
       (C) volunteering abroad;
       (D) working with an immigrant or refugee group;
       (E) hosting a foreign student or professional;
       (F) participating in a sister-city program; and
       (G) learning a foreign language; and
       (4) Members of Congress should raise the importance of 
     international engagement in the districts and States the 
     Members represent.

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I am pleased to submit the People-to-
People Engagement in World Affairs resolution with my colleague from 
Nebraska, Senator HAGEL.
  In July 2004, the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the 
United States released its final report, which determined that ``just 
as we did in the Cold War, we need to defend our ideals abroad 
vigorously. . . . If the United States does not act aggressively to 
define itself in the Islamic world,

[[Page S3492]]

the extremists will gladly do the job for us.'' The 9/11 Commission 
report clearly states that in the interests of national security, the 
U.S. must commit to a long-term, global strategy, which includes, among 
other things, effective public diplomacy.
  Public diplomacy is an essential component of our efforts to define 
and defend America's interests and ideals abroad. But a successful, 
long-term approach to building solid relationships with the rest of the 
world is not just the mission of the State Department. It also requires 
the engagement of the American people.
  This People-to-People Engagement in World Affairs resolution is a 
call to Americans to reach beyond our borders to engage with the world 
at an individual level. It encourages Americans to seize opportunities 
to engage in the global arena--through participating in a professional 
or cultural exchange; studying or volunteering abroad; working with an 
immigrant or refugee group in the United States; hosting a foreign 
student or professional; participating in a sister-city program; or 
learning a foreign language. This resolution also urges the State 
Department to coordinate between government agencies and non-
governmental organizations to create a database where Americans can 
learn of opportunities to become involved in world affairs. 
Furthermore, it encourages all Members of Congress to work to raise the 
importance of citizen diplomacy in their states and districts.
  Americans must make a serious investment in reaching across borders 
and reversing the tide of increasing anti-American sentiments abroad. 
According to a 2003 Pew Research Center survey, during 1999-2000, more 
than 50 percent of the people in surveyed countries held a favorable 
view of the U.S., and in at least one country, favorable views of the 
U.S. were held by over 80 percent of those surveyed. More recent 
surveys reveal a stark contrast with those figures and growing anti-
American sentiment. Pew found that, by 2003, favorable views of the 
United States in these countries plummeted. Additionally, whereas 
negative public opinion of the U.S. among Muslims was once limited to 
the Middle East, now it has spread to populations in places like 
Nigeria and Indonesia. Pew found that ``the bottom has fallen out of 
Arab and Muslim support for the United States.''
  While these sentiments are most notable in the Muslim world, they 
extend even farther, coloring the views of many others.
  Growing anti-American sentiment abroad is dangerous and breeds 
misperceptions in future generations. Our ability to work with allies 
to foster democratic societies and tackle global problems relates 
directly to our image abroad. Building an international coalition with 
our allies requires their trust that our efforts are genuine. Success 
in combating terrorism, the greatest global threat, is contingent upon 
a unified, global participation. Members of the international community 
must collaborate to eliminate loopholes that terrorist networks 
manipulate when intelligence and communication break down between 
borders.
  Anti-Americanism can feed a steady supply of recruits and supporters 
for terrorist networks, intent on our destruction. Terrorist networks 
capitalize on misperceptions about the U.S. to advance their own agenda 
and scapegoat the U.S. as the reason for the poverty, weak and corrupt 
states, and powerlessness that many experience on a daily basis.
  International cooperation is also essential for effective progress in 
other important, trans-border issues, such as the proliferation of WMD, 
human trafficking, poverty, environmental degradation, and diseases 
from HIV/AIDS to polio. We cannot solve these problems alone--we need 
allies to help find and achieve meaningful solutions.
  Combating anti-American sentiments requires that we engage in a 
conversation with people in all levels of society beyond our borders. 
And as Secretary Rice has noted, our dialogue cannot be a monologue. 
Talking at people about what the U.S. image abroad should be is not 
sustainable or effective. Talking with people, and listening to them, 
however, can be the start of real understanding and even trust. That 
conversation needs to happen at a governmental level, through public 
and private diplomacy, but it also needs to happen at an individual 
person-to-person level, through citizen diplomacy.
  I have met with a number of groups from my State of Wisconsin that 
tell me they are concerned about misperceptions of America abroad, 
which they believe discourage people from coming to the U.S. to visit, 
study, learn about our wonderful country, and share their knowledge. I 
am so proud of the work people back in Wisconsin have done to overcome 
barriers to engaging outside our borders, whether by continuing 
Wisconsin's strong history of support for the Peace Corps, or by taking 
part in farmer to farmer initiatives and education exchange programs, 
building sister communities, or tirelessly working to ensure that 
Wisconsin maintains its success in attracting foreign visitors to our 
remarkable state. In 2004, Wisconsin was awarded the Goldman Sachs 
Foundation Prizes for Excellence in International Education in honor of 
its work to bring international education and skills into its 
curriculum. In fact, earlier this year, Wisconsin welcomed a group of 
teachers from Azerbaijan to study the workings of our education system 
to create a model for a new curriculum in their country.
  Wisconsin also works to improve communities abroad. A non-profit 
organization based in Wisconsin helps abused children in Latvia and is 
working to create the first family shelter there for these children and 
their mothers. Another Wisconsinite who is an expert in dairy prices 
participated in a farmer to farmer program to assist in building a 
pricing system in Armenia's dairy industry. He was able to share his 
experiences from this program with myself and people back in the state.
  Citizen diplomacy not only helps the rest of the world to understand 
us, it strengthens this country internally as well. Americans with 
insight into and understanding of the world beyond our borders become 
energized constituents who demand wise foreign policy and help all of 
us to understand global events.
  President Kennedy acknowledged the importance of public diplomacy in 
1960 and challenged Americans to serve their country through building 
stronger communities abroad. His vision is even more relevant today. It 
is our responsibility to connect with people outside our borders. This 
duty can be fulfilled by teachers, students, retirees, and anyone who 
can share the best of the American people. We are a generous nation. 
Many of our fellow Americans have dedicated their lives to bringing 
about change for a better world. It is in our hands to carry this 
mission forward.

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