[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Page 25175]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

  Mr. HARKIN. Mr. President, I want to take some time to remind our 
colleagues, and indeed all Americans, that today, September 21, 2007, 
is the International Day of Peace. The United Nations and its member 
states unanimously established an International Day of Peace in 1981. 
However it was not until 2001 that September 21 was agreed to as the 
permanent date. According to the U.N. resolution, the International Day 
of Peace should be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the 
ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples. I 
applaud Governor Chet Culver for his proclamation affirming Iowa's 
observance of International Peace Day. And, at this time, I would like 
to do my own part to mark this day, especially on the behalf of the 
many Iowans who are committed to the ideals of peace.
  Unfortunately, this may be International Peace Day, but this is 
hardly a day of peace. The United States is in the fifth year of a 
devastating war in Iraq, a war of choice that was launched preemptively 
by the current U.S. administration. The Middle East is marked by 
conflict and bloodshed from Lebanon to Israel to the Palestinian 
territories to Iraq and Afghanistan. The genocide in Darfur continues 
to rage. Militias continue to prey on innocent women in Eastern Congo. 
In Guatemala, there is an increase in violence against women and 
against those fighting for the rights of the indigenous population as a 
result of the most recent elections. HIV/AIDS continues to ravage the 
continent of Africa. Millions of children are forced to work in abusive 
conditions--in many cases, as outright slaves--and are denied an 
education.
  Historically, the mixture of strength and a preference for peaceful 
relations with the rest of the world is what has given the United 
States its moral standing. In the past, it was our willingness to come 
to the aid of those who could not defend themselves, and a commitment 
to resolving conflicts peacefully, if at all possible, that made us the 
beacon of hope for a better world.
  But a true commitment to peace is not measured by a proclamation or 
by high-minded speeches on one day of the year. It takes more than good 
intentions and high ideals. What it takes is the hard work of 
diplomacy, people-to-people exchanges, and active, assertive peace 
movements in each country. It takes a sustained effort to understand 
our adversaries and, if at all possible, to resolve our differences 
peacefully.
  I have long been committed to finding peaceful solutions to 
conflicts. That is why I was present at the creation of the U.S. 
Institute of Peace. Throughout our long history, America has been proud 
of its strong, well-led military. And this outstanding military 
leadership is no accident. It is possible because we maintain 
prestigious, world-class military academies that train some of the best 
and brightest minds in America in the art and science of war. But 
Americans also have a long history as a peace-loving people. Time and 
again, we have brokered peace agreements between warring nations, and 
we have intervened to head off potential conflicts. The Institute of 
Peace draws on this proud tradition, and today makes a vital 
intellectual investment in the art and science of peacemaking.
  I look forward to a time, hopefully not too far in the future, that 
will truly be a day of peace. But let us remember that peace is not 
merely the cessation or absence of hostilities. The ideals of peace 
require us to practice understanding, tolerance, and honorable 
compromise. The ideals of peace require us to look upon our fellow 
human beings and to see them as our brothers and sisters. The ideals of 
peace require us to reject unprovoked aggression and violence as 
acceptable instruments of national policy.
  On this International Day of Peace, I salute the many good people in 
Iowa, across America, and around the world who devote themselves 365 
days a year to the cause of peace and nonviolence. The world is a 
better place because of their activism and engagement, and because they 
summon us to what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature.

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