IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 569 

Supporting the work of citizen diplomacy organizations and encouraging the 

convening of a Presidential Summit on Global Citizen Diplomacy. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 19, 2009 

Mr. MORAN of Virginia (for himself, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. LATHAM, Ms. 

DELAURO, Mr. MITCHELL, Mr. LOEBSACK, Mr. BRALEY of Iowa, Mr. 

HINCHEY, and Mr. MCGOVERN) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the work of citizen diplomacy organizations and 

encouraging the convening of a Presidential Summit on 

Global Citizen Diplomacy. 

Whereas citizen diplomacy is the initiative of individual people in the United States and nonprofit groups to interact 

with citizens of other countries in a spirit of goodwill and 

mutual understanding; 

Whereas millions of people in the United States have participated in citizen diplomacy efforts in many different ways, 

such as by hosting foreign students, participating in medical missions, joining sports or artistic exchanges, and 

participating in significant discussions with citizens of 

other countries when traveling abroad; 


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•HRES 569 IH 

Whereas the number of private sector, nongovernmental organizations, and faith communities involved in citizen diplomacy has increased significantly over the past decade, encouraged by the increased ease of international communications between citizens in different countries; 

Whereas organizations such as Sister Cities International, 

Partners of the Americas, World Affairs Councils of 

America, and the National Council for International Visitors, among others, have distinguished records in promoting citizen diplomacy between people in the United 

States and citizens of other countries; 

Whereas these organizations seek to expand opportunities for 

people in the United States of all backgrounds to engage 

with the rest of the world through exchanges in education 

and business, through churches and nonprofit organizations, and through a diverse array of other programs; 

Whereas many people develop their most powerful impressions of this Nation through face-to-face encounters with 

people in the United States when they visit this country 

or when United States citizens travel abroad; 

Whereas effective citizen diplomacy promotes the best of 

American values, generosity, and community service to 

citizens of other countries, which is a powerful projection 

of a key goal of United States foreign policy; 

Whereas the global spread of information and communications technology has empowered individuals around the 

world to participate in the international exchange of ideas 

and to influence the policies of their governments; 

Whereas the Peace Corps is an extraordinary example of how 

citizen diplomacy can make lasting differences in relations between nations, with its nearly five decades of sucVerDate Nov 24 2008 02:30 Jun 20, 2009 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\HR569.IH HR569

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•HRES 569 IH 

cess in building bonds of friendship between people in the 

United States and citizens of other lands; 

Whereas United States public diplomacy programs, such as 

International Visitors, Fulbright academic exchanges, 

student exchanges, the United States Speaker and Specialist program, sports diplomacy, and cultural exchanges, build ties of mutual understanding between individuals and lay the groundwork for international cooperation; 

Whereas the National Lieutenant Governors Association has 

issued a resolution titled ‘‘Smart Power Public Diplomacy: Using Citizen Diplomacy to Strengthen U.S. 

World Standing’’, calling for expanded public diplomacy 

activities and greater focus on the contributions of citizen 

diplomacy; 

Whereas the United States Center for Citizen Diplomacy actively promotes the activities of some 400 outreach organizations throughout the United States; 

Whereas the non-partisan United States Center for Citizen 

Diplomacy, in support of its mission to dramatically increase our global engagement, has issued a ‘‘Call to Action’’ that urges all people in the United States to become globally conscious and engaged through education 

and study abroad, development programs, commerce, exchanges in the arts and sports, international volunteer 

service, and educational tourism; 

Whereas the United States Center for Citizen Diplomacy has 

called on President Obama to establish an ‘‘Initiative for 

Global Citizen Diplomacy’’, and to help support this effort by participating in a Presidential Summit on Global 


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•HRES 569 IH 

Citizen Diplomacy, in cooperation with the State Department, which would be the first such summit since 1956; 

Whereas 70 leaders and stakeholders who met at White Oak 

under the auspices of the Howard Gilman Foundation 

issued 10 recommendations on fundamental public diplomacy needs for the 21st century, including the vital importance of citizen diplomacy; and 

Whereas citizen diplomacy is undeniably one of the most powerful and effective means to present the human face of 

the United States to the rest of the world: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) enthusiastically applauds the outstanding 

3 work of citizen diplomacy organizations and indi4 vidual citizen ambassadors who deepen friendships 

5 and mutual understanding through their volunteer 

6 service; 

7 (2) endorses the goals of the ‘‘Call to Action for 

8 Global Citizen Diplomacy’’ launched by the United 

9 States Center for Citizen Diplomacy, in order to en10 courage people in the United States to become more 

11 involved in community-based citizen-to-citizen inter12 national activities, including those focused on edu13 cation, environmental protection, health care, eco14 nomic development, gender discrimination, poverty 

15 alleviation, and the arts; 


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•HRES 569 IH 

1 (3) encourages President Obama to convene a 

2 Presidential Summit on Global Citizen Diplomacy 

3 that would commend the activities of citizen diplo4 macy organizations and citizen ambassadors, and 

5 that would seek to inspire other people in the United 

6 States to participate in these opportunities for na7 tional and international service; 

8 (4) recommends that the State Department en9 courage citizen diplomacy programs as part of its 

10 public diplomacy mission; and 

11 (5) calls on people in the United States of all 

12 ages and backgrounds to seek out ways to engage 

13 with citizens from other countries in order to estab14 lish global partnerships and to help better our own 

15 communities, the Nation, and the world. 

Æ 


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