Introduction Of A Resolution Commemorating The World March For Peace And Nonviolence

Floor Speech

* Mr. LEWIS of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I rise to introduce a resolution commending the participants and organizers of the inaugural World Peace March.

* Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famously said, ``Non-violence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man.''

* The idea for this march was developed during the Symposium of the World Center for Humanist Studies in Punta de Vacas, Argentina. The result is a 90-day global voyage to raise awareness about the importance of peace and nonviolence. More than 100 participants will visit 45 countries encouraging a global movement towards peace.

* On the 140th anniversary of Mahatma K. Gandhi's birth, the World March for Peace and Non-Violence began in Wellington, New Zealand. The participants have since traveled across Asia, Europe, and Africa, through many countries in opposition to militarism, war, and violence. Upon arriving in the United States, the teams divided to travel across the country and to Canada before beginning the final leg of their journey through Central and South America en route to Argentina.

* I applaud the participants for their commitment to nonviolence and their determination to follow in the footsteps of Gandhi and Dr. King. Earlier this year, I led a congressional delegation to India to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Dr. and Mrs. King's pilgrimage. Upon return, I introduced H.R. 3328, the Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative Act of 2009, a bill to establish initiatives through the U.S. State Department and the U.S. Institute of Peace to rededicate our nation and educate our future leaders about the power of peace.

* Madam Speaker, I have dedicated my life to Gandhi's words, ``Nonviolence is a weapon of the strong.'' Nonviolence was the foundation of the Civil Rights and Quit India movement. I hope that all of my colleagues will appreciate the value of nonviolence as a means to achieving both domestic and global peace. I hope they will join me in support of this very simple resolution.

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