A concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the sharp escalation of anti-Semitic violence within many participating States of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is of profound concern and efforts should be undertaken to prevent future occurrences.

Mr. President, I rise to submit a resolution with my colleagues, Senators Harkin and Warner, commending the United States Institute of Peace on the occasion of its 20th anniversary and recognizing the Institute for its contribution to our Nation's capacity to manage international conflict by peaceful means. Since its founding by Congress, the Institute has been a pioneer in promoting the study and application of non-military approaches to the prevention, management, and resolution of conflict.

The Congress established the Institute as an independent, nonpartisan Federal institution dedicated to strengthening our national capabilities for conflict management and resolution. The resolution we are submitting today recognizes the importance of the Institute as a national and international resource for peaceful conflict management. It stresses that Congress looks forward to continuing to gain from the Institute's knowledge, teaching, and practical applications of conflict management as a way to promote the security interests of the United States and peace around the world. The resolution also expresses appreciation to the founding men and women of the Institute and support for the Institute from the American people. Finally, the resolution congratulates the Institute on its 20th anniversary and on its achievements in fulfilling its mandate from Congress.

Many in the Senate recall the personal dedication and efforts of our predecessors, led by Senators Spark Matsunaga and William Jennings Randolph who played essential roles in establishing the Institute. While Senator Matsunaga's bravery on the battlefield led to our country's awarding him a Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, he was also a man who knew the importance of peace. In 1979 he set in motion many of the critical events that eventually led Congress to create the U.S. Institute of Peace. Senator Matsunaga's unyielding commitment to peace began long before he arrived in this chamber. In 1938, as a student at the University of Hawaii, he wrote an essay that included the sentence: ``If we want peace we must educate people to want peace.''

The founders of the Institute and the countless Americans who supported elevating the importance of peace education in our national dialogue would be proud of the way the Institute has grown and adapted to the ever-changing world. Today, the Institute is a national resource for education, professional training, and applied programs in peaceful conflict management and the practical application of conflict management strategies as a way to promote United States security and peace in the world.

Some of the vital work currently being undertaken by the Institute of Peace includes helping countries break out of cycles of violence and peacefully resolve their conflicts. At the same time, the Institute is educating new generations of Americans about novel approaches to conflict management, and enhancing curricular materials related to the changing character of international conflict and nonviolent approaches to resolving international disputes. Over the past twenty years, the Institute has used its knowledge and expertise to train American and foreign government officials, military and law enforcement personnel, humanitarian aid workers, and civic activists in the skills of professional peacemaking. It has awarded numerous grants and fellowships to individuals, universities, and non-governmental organizations of many nations to deepen the field of conflict resolution education and ensure its application to conflict situations abroad.

In its twenty year history, the Institute has played key roles in facilitating the management of critical conflict situations, such as assisting then President Nelson Mandela in the development of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and developing a detailed plan to handle accountability in the wake of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, which became the basis for Rwandan Genocide Law. More recently, the Institute has taken an active role in facilitating peace processes in Bosnia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Afghanistan, and the Philippines. The Institute is using its expertise in Iraq in specialized areas where conflict resolution programs play a key role in stabilizing peace and nation building, such as training new ministries about conflict resolution techniques, working with the emerging judicial system to develop a reconciliation tribunal for former war criminals and human rights violators, facilitating inter-religious and inter-ethnic dialogue, and working with Iraqi universities to promote peace and conflict education. The Institute is also anticipating new opportunities for peace and conflict resolution activities on the Korean peninsula and in Sudan. In the years to come, Congress will be looking to the Institute to focus its skills and resources on peacemaking in the greater Middle East and throughout the Muslim world.

The Institute is a unique national treasure. We hope that our fellow Senators will join us in cosponsoring this resolution and stressing the United States commitment to peace.

Mr. President, I appreciate the broad bipartisan support given to Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, and the prompt action by the Committee on Foreign Relations, allowing for timely consideration of this resolution by the full Senate. Anti-Semitism is an evil that has bedeviled previous generations, formed a black spot on human history, and remains a problem to this day. As Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I have been particularly concerned over the disturbing rise

in anti-Semitism and related violence in many participating States of the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE, including the United States.

The anti-Semitic violence we witnessed in 2002, which stretched the breadth of the OSCE region, is a wake-up call that this evil still lives today, often coupled with a resurgence of aggressive nationalism and an increase in neo-Nazi ``skin head'' activity. Together with colleagues on the Helsinki Commission, we have diligently urged the leaders of OSCE participating States to confront and combat the plague of anti-Semitism. Through concerted efforts by the State Department and the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, a conference focused on anti-Semitism-- called for in the pending resolution--will be convened in Vienna, Austria, June 19-20.

Meanwhile, the Helsinki Commission has undertaken a number of initiatives aimed at further elevating the attention given to rising anti-Semitism. In the year since the Commission's hearing on this issue, Commissioners have pursued it within the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly as well as in contacts with officials from countries of particular concern. I would point to France as a country that has recognized the problem and acted to confront anti-Semitism and related violence with tougher laws and more vigorous law enforcement. I urge French officials to remain vigilant, while recognizing that none of our countries is immune.

A recent opinion survey of adults in five European countries conducted by the Anti-Defamation League, ADL, found that 21 percent harbor ``strong anti-Semitic views.'' At the same time, the survey revealed that 61 percent of the individuals polled stated they are ``very concerned'' or ``fairly concerned'' about violence directed against European Jews. An ADL national poll of 1000 American adults found that 17 percent of Americans holds views about Jews that are ``unquestionably anti-Semitic,'' an increase of 5 percent from the previous survey conducted four years earlier. According to ADL there were 1,559 reported anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. in 2002, with attacks on campuses rising by 24 percent over the previous year.

Mr. President, if anti-Semitism is ignored and allowed to fester and grow, our societies and civilization will suffer. A particularly disturbing element we have observed is the growth of anti-Semitic acts and attitudes among young people ranging from a rise in incidents on U.S. college campuses to violent attacks perpetrated on Jews by young members of immigrant communities in Western Europe. Education is essential to reversing the rise in anti-Semitism. Our young people must be taught about the Holocaust and other acts of genocide. Institutions such as the Holocaust Memorial Museum are making valuable contributions to promote the sharing of this experience at home and abroad. Such activity should have our strong support as a vital tool in confronting and combating anti-Semitism.

Mr. President, passage of the Senate Concurrent Resolution 7 will put the United States Senate on record and send an unequivocal message that anti-Semitism must be confronted, and it must be confronted now.

Mr. President, I rise today to submit a resolution supporting the ongoing important work of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in combating anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, discrimination, intolerance and related violence. As Co- Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I remain concerned over manifestations of anti-Semitism that prompted me to introduce S. Con. Res. 7, a bipartisan initiative that unanimously passed the Senate last May. That measure provided impetus to efforts to confront and combat anti-Semitic violence in the OSCE region, the subject of a May 2002 Helsinki Commission hearing.

The resolution I submit today is aimed at building upon these efforts. The OSCE and its participating States have done much to confront and combat the disease of anti-Semitism and intolerance, and I urge our government and all other OSCE countries to continue their efforts with vigor and determination. Much of what has been accomplished can be attributed to U.S. leadership, especially to the work of U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE, Stephan M. Minikes, and his team in Vienna.

Last month the OSCE convened an historic conference in Berlin focused on anti-Semitism and violence against Jews and Jewish institutions and tools to combat this age old problem. The U.S. delegation was represented at the highest level with the participation of Secretary of State Colin L. Powell. The conference brought together elected officials and NGOs from around the globe in common support of efforts to fight anti-Semitism.

The resolution I am submitting today follows up on several of the initiatives from Berlin. The conference was punctuated with the ``Berlin Declaration,'' a statement given by the Bulgarian Chairman-in- Office, Foreign Minister Solomon Passy, during the closing plenary session. In addition to declaring that ``international developments or political issues, including those in Israel or elsewhere in the Middle East, never justify anti-Semitism,'' the Declaration advanced efforts to monitor anti-Semitic crimes and hate crimes, as all OSCE participating States committed to ``collect and maintain'' statistics about these incidents and to forward that information to the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) for compilation. The resolution urges all participating States to ensure these promises are fulfilled, and calls upon the Bulgarian Chairman-in- Office to designate a ``personal envoy'' to monitor compliance with these commitments.

The resolution also speaks to the importance of confronting instances of racism, discrimination and xenophobia wherever it occurs. It is important to note that in September, the OSCE will convene a meeting on these matters, the Brussels Conference on Tolerance and the Fight against Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimination. This meeting is very important, as no OSCE participating State is immune from these evils.

As Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, I have been impressed by the efforts of the OSCE and its participating States to address issues of anti-Semitism and intolerance. However, the time for words has passed, and I urge all OSCE countries, including the United States, to take real action. This resolution highlights several areas where steps can and should be taken. I urge bipartisan support and speedy passage of this measure.

Mr. President, I am pleased to submit Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, expressing the sense and concern of the Congress regarding the recent spike in anti-Semitic violence that occurred in many participating States of the 55-nation Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, OSCE. It is incumbent upon us to send a clear message that these malicious acts are a serious concern to the United States Senate and American people and that we will not be silent in the face of this disturbing trend.

The anti-Semitic violence we witnessed in 2002, which stretched the width and breadth of the OSCE region, is a wake-up call that this old evil still lives today. Coupled with a resurgence of aggressive nationalism and an increase in neo-Nazi ``skin head'' activity, myself, and other Commissioners on the Helsinki Commission, have diligently urged the leaders of OSCE participating States to confront and combat the evil of anti-Semitism. Attacks on members of the Jewish community and their institutions have ranged from shootings, fire bombings, and physical assaults in places as different as London, Paris, Berlin and Kiev. Vandals have struck in Brussels, Marseilles, Bratislava, and Athens. Anti-Semitic propaganda has been spread in Moscow, Minsk and elsewhere as hatemongers have tapped into technology, including the internet, to spread their venom. Yet while we witnessed a significant rise in violence last year in Europe, acts of vandalism have also occurred in the United States, so with encouraging our colleagues in other parliaments to act, we must be mindful that no country is immune.

As OSCE participating States, all member nations, including the United States, have pledged to unequivocally condemn anti-Semitism and take effective measures to protect individuals from anti-Semitic violence. Through the OSCE, which was the first multilateral institution to speak out against anti-Semitism, all of today's member states share in that heritage. Thankfully, many OSCE states that I mentioned have responded appropriately, vigorously investigating the perpetrators and pursuing criminal prosecution. In short, manifestations of anti-Semitism must not be tolerated, period, regardless of the source.

As Co-Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, I can report that the OSCE Proto Ministerial Council, through the persistent efforts of the United States, addresses the phenomenon of anti-Semitism and called for the convening of a meeting specifically focused on this timely issue. I introduce this resolution to put the United States Senate on record and send an unequivocal message that anit-Semitism must be confronted, and it must be confronted now. If anti-Semitism is ignored and allowed to grow, our societies and our civilizations will suffer. As the resolution sets forth, elected and appointed leaders should meet the challenge of anti-Semitic violence through public condemnation, making clear their societies have no room for such attacks against members of the Jewish community of their institutions.

Mr. President, I am pleased to submit a resolution, with my colleagues representing the Upper Mississippi River, expressing our support for the celebration in 2004 of the 150th Anniversary of the Grand Excursion.

In 1854, the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad became the first railroad to reach from the East Coast to the Mississippi River. To celebrate, Henry Farnam, a contractor for the railroad, organized an excursion for friends, family, and stockholders. Word about this event spread quickly and a group of 1,200 people, including former President Millard Fillmore, traveled by steamboat from Rock Island, IL to St. Paul, MN.

This grand excursion turned into an opportunity to show influential persons of the day the remarkable beauty, numerous resources, and the unlimited opportunities that the Mississippi River and the West could provide. This excursion brought millions of dollars of investment to the area and positioned the Upper Mississippi region as a dominant force in the development of the nation in the 19th century.

Once again, the Grand Excursion is an opportunity to highlight the recreational, commercial, and environmental opportunities the river provides, as well as celebrate the renaissance of the Upper Mississippi River region. Over 50 communities, 23 regional organizations, and 4 states are joining together to make this celebration a reality.

For the past 10-15 years, communities in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota have been working together to reclaim their relationship with the Mississippi River and reestablish vibrant riverfront communities. Planning for the celebration has been a catalyst for over $5 billion in capital improvements and environmental initiatives along the river.

In Iowa, communities such as the Quad Cities, Dubuque, and Clinton have all rallied together to make their riverfronts engines for economic development. The Quad Cities are the kickoff site for the Grand Flotilla taking

place in June of 2004. Dubuque is the home of the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, as well as the home dock of the Audubon Ark. All of the participating Iowa cities have welcoming marinas, main streets, and fun events planned for the celebration. I am honored to be a partner with these dynamic communities.

Through the Grand Excursion 2004, hundreds of thousands of citizens will experience America's River, a matchless national treasure, through community festivities, educational events, enhanced recreation opportunities, and cultural programs. Those who are unable to participate first-hand in the celebrations will be able to experience the excitement through a first-class website and educational Exploration Trunks that will be provided with curriculum to classrooms around the country.

I hope that you will join me in supporting this resolution of America's celebration of the Upper Mississippi River: Grand Excursion 2004.