[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15662]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       COMMITMENT TO WORLD PEACE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 19, 2003

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my 
commitment to world peace and to stress the importance of establishing 
dialogue and understanding among all people. It is in recognition of 
this need that on Tuesday, June 24th, at 6:30 p.m. in Rayburn room 
B3338-340, the American Leadership Initiative will hold a special 
awards ceremony to honor great Americans from all 50 states who have 
demonstrated a commitment to peace.
  Many of my prestigious colleagues will join with me and co-chair 
Congressman Kurt Weldon in giving tribute to some of the outstanding 
Americans from our districts. Members of the clergy, legislators, 
educators, and business and community leaders will be among those 
honored with the ``Ambassadors for Peace Award--Excellence in 
Leadership'' award. These committed citizens have been working to renew 
and strengthen our families and marriages, restore our communities, and 
rebuild our nation and world. We are grateful to the founders of the 
Ambassadors for Peace, the Rev. and Mrs. Sun Myung Moon, for promoting 
the vision of world peace and we commend them for their work.
  These Ambassadors for Peace have become increasingly effective and 
relevant in their communities since the tragedy of 9/11. They have been 
working together to promote understanding among all faiths, 
particularly with Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders. With the 
realization that many of the tensions currently facing the world cannot 
be addressed without consideration of the religious implications 
involved, the Ambassadors for Peace have formed an American 
Interreligious Council. This council seeks to support and advise our 
Nation's leaders concerning the issues and challenges of seeking 
lasting peace. The American Interreligious Council is also a part of 
the effort to create an international council of religious leaders. The 
members of this council will support the leaders of the United Nations 
as they work to resolve conflicts throughout the world. This body will 
provide a direct link between international leaders and the various 
religious peoples in their constituencies. This will help to ensure 
that peace agreements are embraced by the diverse communities these 
leaders represent.
  Today, though crisis is at our doorstep, we must maintain an 
unwavering hope for peace. It has become clear that the establishment 
of a lasting peace throughout the world will only come to full fruition 
through the ongoing dialogue and cooperation of religious and political 
leaders. The Ambassadors for Peace are working tirelessly to bring 
about international cooperation and are to be commended for their 
leadership in this great effort.

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