[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Pages 14799-14800]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 603--COMMEMORATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 
 NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL VISITORS, AND DESIGNATING FEBRUARY 
                 16, 2011, AS ``CITIZEN DIPLOMACY DAY''

  Mr. SPECTER (for himself, Mr. Lugar, Mr. Leahy, Mr. Burr, Mr. Bayh, 
Mr. Pryor, Mr. Burris, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. Dorgan, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. 
Durbin, Mr. Bond, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Bennett, Mr. Casey, Mr. Cochran, 
Mr. Udall of New Mexico, Ms. Klobuchar, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Cantwell, Mrs. 
Hagan, Mrs. Hutchison, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. Coburn) submitted the 
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the 
Judiciary:

                              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

[[Page 14800]]

     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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