[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 21]
[Senate]
[Page 29380]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                          WORLD YOUTH ALLIANCE

 Mr. BROWNBACK. Mr. President, at a time when the global 
community's attention is focused on rebuilding Iraq and the relations 
that states have to one another, I would like to commend the World 
Youth Alliance, which offers itself as a way forward to address some of 
the critical questions with which we are faced.
  Working with over 1 million young people from over 100 countries 
around the world, these young people have had a constant presence at 
the United Nations and other international institutions for the last 4 
years. Their membership consists of young people of diverse faiths--
Christian, Jewish, Muslim, and other--and young people of no faith. 
Their binding commitment is to work for the promotion of the dignity of 
the person at the international level and in each of their countries 
and communities around the world.
  The World Youth Alliance understands that building sustainable, free 
and just societies can only be accomplished when the human person is 
recognized and placed at the center of all policy, programs, and 
culture. In doing this, they are reaching out to each other and to the 
world to impact the policy and culture that is being created around 
them.
  The dignity of the person, according to the World Youth Alliance, is 
intrinsic and inviolable. The dignity of the person is the basis for 
all human rights. In this, they place themselves directly in the heart 
of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the great human 
rights history that has particularly grown after the tragedy of World 
War II.
  The World Youth Alliance recognizes that each individual, no matter 
how vulnerable, must be protected by the state. Otherwise, the state 
finds itself in the terrifying position of deciding the worth of a 
human being and objectifying the human person. At such a point, the 
freedom and justice of the state are called into question. The World 
Youth Alliance then reminds the global community that the person can 
never be seen as the problem, but must be recognized at all times with 
having the dignity and rights which the person possesses by simple 
right of being. This global coalition understands that to protect each 
human person and to build sustainable and free societies, this dignity 
must be extended to each member of the human family, unconditionally, 
from the moment of conception until natural death.
  In the last 4 years, this coalition of young people has had 
extraordinary success. Their membership continues to grow. They have 
participated at major United Nations conferences. They have spoken to 
the General Assembly and to individual states, and they have helped to 
determine the outcomes of documents and resolutions.
  This group of young people has trained over 10,000 young people on 
the importance of the international institutions and the relationship 
that these institutions have on their lives. They have initiated 
projects together: projects to build community centers in Nigeria for 
young people who are struggling to build up their communities and 
combat HIV/AIDS; projects to educate and rebuild schools in Tanzania, 
South Africa and Mexico; projects with street children in Latin 
America; projects with art and beauty to reawaken the transcendent 
among all of their generation and ours.
  Most recently the World Youth Alliance has worked with a coalition of 
states at the United Nations, including the United States, on the draft 
discussions to prepare for an international treaty on human cloning. At 
the first discussion on cloning, the United States quoted from the 
World Youth Alliance in their statement to the General Assembly. 
Recognizing a shared commitment to protecting the dignity of each and 
every person, the statement read: ``[this resolution] also responds to 
a call by over one million youth from all continents. They are members 
of the World Youth Alliance, who believe that only a total, 
comprehensive ban on human cloning would protect and respect the 
dignity of all human beings. They respectfully asked the Ad Hoc 
Committee to work towards a complete ban. To the youth, the future 
world leaders, we hope that the Sixth Committee will be able to say--we 
heard you!''
  As the World Youth Alliance continues to grow and expand their work 
in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe, let us wish them the same 
kind of continued growth and success. Their work to train young people 
to engage at the international level, connecting a generation together 
in the promotion of the dignity of the person and human rights, is 
precisely what the world needs. I look forward to seeing many of them 
as the future world leaders, a role in which they have already found 
themselves, demonstrating remarkable integrity, vision and capability. 
Our work will be well served when it inspires this kind of response and 
commitment from the world's youth.

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