[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23737]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                            ONE DAY IN PEACE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JOHN CONYERS, JR.

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 19, 2000

  Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise this morning in solidarity with the 
world, and call on all other Members of the House to stand as well, and 
join over 100 nations, 25 United States governors, hundreds of mayors 
and over 1,000 organizations in nearly 140 countries in supporting One 
Day in Peace. The bill, House Concurrent Resolution 363, which I 
cosponsored with Representative Dennis Kucinich and many other 
Representatives, calls for January 1, in accordance with the United 
Nations General Assembly, to be a 24-hour period designated as One Day 
in Peace when the people of this Nation and the world act for the most 
part with unprecedented cooperation and good will. The Chairman and the 
Ranking Member of the House International Relations Committee have 
indicated that they will not oppose this resolution being brought to 
the floor now, and I urge all my fellow Congressmen to support this 
effort. Let us fulfill the dream by marking 01/01/01 as the first One 
Day in Peace worldwide. The bill urges people around the world to 
gather with family, friends, neighbors, and members of their community 
to pledge nonviolence in the new year and to share in a celebratory New 
Year meal. It also encourages Americans who are able to match their new 
year meal with a timely gift to the hungry at home or abroad. This 
Resolution is important because it acknowledges, the need to work for 
those goals that appeal to the greatest positive attributes of our 
humanity. My friends no better time exists to lift up a new standard of 
peace and goodwill in this world. Can you imagine, Mr. Speaker, if at 
the beginning of every year, all of America, and indeed all of the 
world proclaim aloud and at once, in unison and strength, that these 
are our goals: brotherhood, charity, understanding, and peace. Such a 
declaration has never before been made, but it can. I urge support of 
H. Con. Res. 363 and support its overwhelming passage.

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