Additional Statements

ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS -- (Senate - May 26, 2005)

NINTH ANNUAL WORLD CONGRESS IN AMMAN, JORDAN

Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, next week, from June 2-6, 2005, the Center for Civic Education will host the Ninth Annual World Congress on Civic Education in Amman, Jordan. Nearly 200 civic education leaders will attend this event, representing 58 countries and 28 U.S. States.

The purpose of the World Congress is to share information about the best practices and materials developed through Civitas: An International Civic Education Exchange Program, an authorized program of the No Child Left Behind Act. The program addresses the full range of civic education activities. These include the development of educational policy, standards, curricular frameworks, and materials, as well as teacher education, classroom implementation, and research and evaluation.

One program developed through Civitas is Project Citizen, a middle school level program on public policy in the United States. Project Citizen is now being used in more than fifty countries, and is one of the most effective programs in promoting the development of a political culture supportive of democratic values, principles, institutions, and participation.

Another important component of Civitas is the series of exchanges among leaders in civic education in the United States and those in emerging and established democracies worldwide. The purpose of the exchanges is for civic education leaders to learn from and assist each other in improving education for democracy in their home nations.

Therefore, I think it is an important step that for the first time the World Congress on Civic Education will be hosted in the Middle East. Joining the Center for Civic Education in hosting this year's World Congress is Arab Civitas--a regional network of nine Arab countries in the Middle East--and the Jordanian Center for Civic Education Studies.

Arab Civitas, which is funded through the Middle East Partnership Initiative at the State Department, administers a program of citizenship education in elementary and secondary schools in the Middle East. Civic educators in Jordan, Egypt, the West Bank, Lebanon, Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Yemen, Bahrain, and recently Saudi Arabia, work with the Center for Civic Education through Arab Civitas. The goal of the program is to help students understand and respect the core concepts of freedom and democracy such as free expression, pluralism and the rule of law, and human rights.

As the chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, it is my strong belief that many of the conflicts and problems in the world, and particularly in the Middle East, could be lessened by strong investments in education. I am particularly supportive of education programs which seek to improve tolerance and understanding of others. Thus, the theme of this year's congress is of particular interest to me: Advancing Peace and Stability through Active Citizenship.

Mr. President, I think we can all agree that this is exciting work that the Center for Civic Education is accomplishing. Its work in strengthening democracy, and promoting tolerance and moderation, in the United States and throughout the world, is admirable. I hope and expect the attendees will have a successful Ninth Annual World Congress on Civic Education.

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