[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 123 (Tuesday, September 14, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S7095]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CITIZEN DIPLOMACY DAY
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. Res.
603, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The clerk
will report the resolution by title.
The assistant bill clerk read as follows:
A resolution (S. Res. 603) commemorating the 50th
anniversary of the National Council for International
Visitors, and designating February 16, 2011, as Citizen
Diplomacy Day.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the
resolution.
Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, the motions to
reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or
debate, and any statements related to the resolution be printed in the
Record.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The resolution (S. Res. 603) was agreed to.
The preamble was agreed to.
The resolution, with its preamble, reads as follows:
S. Res. 603
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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