IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1402 

Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the National Council for International 

Visitors, and expressing support for designation of February 16, 2011, 

as ‘‘Citizen Diplomacy Day’’. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 26, 2010 

Mr. MORAN of Virginia (for himself, Mr. MANZULLO, Mr. COBLE, Mr. 

ELLISON, Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. TERRY, Mr. 

KIRK, Mr. WELCH, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Mr. PATRICK J. MURPHY of Pennsylvania, Mr. BOOZMAN, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. ROTHMAN of New Jersey, 

Mr. REHBERG, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Mr. MAFFEI) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the National Council 

for International Visitors, and expressing support for 

designation of February 16, 2011, as ‘‘Citizen Diplomacy 

Day’’. 

Whereas 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the National 

Council for International Visitors (NCIV), originally 

founded as the National Council for Community Services 

to International Visitors (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 


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•HRES 1402 IH 

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 (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 


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•HRES 1402 IH 

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 


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•HRES 1402 IH 

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 two national Summits on Citizen Diplomacy and providing 

funding to its member organizations for Summits on 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; 

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; and 

Whereas, February 16, 2011, would be an appropriate date 

to designate as ‘‘Citizen Diplomacy Day’’: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) recognizes the 50th anniversary of the Na3 tional Council for International Visitors and its exVerDate Mar 15 2010 03:41 May 27, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1402.IH HR1402

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•HRES 1402 IH 

1 traordinary efforts to promote excellence in citizen 

2 diplomacy; 

3 (2) commends the achievements of the thou4 sands of citizen diplomats who have worked for gen5 erations to share the best of the United States with 

6 foreign leaders, specialists, and scholars; 

7 (3) thanks the National Council for Inter8 national Visitors citizen diplomats for their service 

9 to their communities, the United States, and the 

10 world; and 

11 (4) supports the designation of ‘‘Citizen Diplo12 macy Day’’. 

Æ 


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