,i #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #agaj ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,april #bd1 #bjac ,mr4 ,lewis introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs ,a ,,bill ,to authorize the ,gandhi-,king ,scholarly ,exchange ,initiative focusing on peace and nonviolence in global conflict resolution1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short ,title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,gandhi-,king ,scholarly ,exchange ,initiative ,act of #bjac4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,mohandas 7,mahatma7 ,karamchand ,gandhi and ,martin ,luther ,king1 ,jr41 were dedicated leaders of peace1 civil rights1 social justice1 and social change in their respective communities and countries and in the world4 7#b7 ,mahatma ,gandhi1 who was born on ,october #b1 #ahfi1 was murdered on ,january #cj1 #aidh1 after dedicating his life to the peaceful empowerment of the people of ,india and to their liberation from ,british occupation4 7#c7 ,martin ,luther ,king1 ,jr41 who was born on ,january #ae1 #aibi1 was murdered on ,april #d1 #aifh1 after a life dedicated to peaceful movements against segregation1 discrimination1 racial injustice1 and poverty4 7#d7 ,on ,august #bb1 #bjaa1 the ,dr4 ,martin ,luther ,king1 ,jr4 ,national ,memorial opened to the public in ,washington1 ,,dc4 ,this newest memorial on the ,national ,mall pays tribute to ,dr4 ,king's national and international contributions to world peace through non-violent social change4 7#e7 ,mahatma ,gandhi1 who employed the principle of satyagraha1 or non-violent resistance1 has come to represent the moral force inspiring many civil and social rights movements around the world4 7#f7 ,king's effective use of ,gandhian principles was instrumental to the ,american civil rights movement4 7#g7 ,in ,february #bjji1 a congressional delegation traveled to ,india to commemorate the #ejth anniversary of the pilgrimage of ,martin ,luther ,king1 ,jr41 and his wife1 ,coretta ,scott ,king1 to that country in #aiei1 and to study ,gandhi's life and work1 highlighting the need for further progress in peaceful conflict resolution and combating poverty4 7#h7 ,in ,february #bjji1 ,united ,states ,special ,envoy for ,pakistan and ,afghanistan ,richard ,holbrooke visited ,india to determine how the international community can better contribute to peace and stability in ,afghanistan and ,south ,asia4 7#i7 ,according to the #bjaa ,global ,peace ,index prepared by the ,institute for ,economics and ,peace1 a #be percent reduction in violence would result in a #b trillion economic benefit1 enough to offset the reconstruction costs of the #bjaa ,japanese earthquake and tsunami and eliminate the public debt of ,greece1 ,portugal1 and ,ireland4 #c4 ,gandhi-,king ,scholarly ,exchange ,initiative 7a7 ,initiative established ,the ,secretary of ,state is authorized to carry out1 in cooperation with the appropriate representatives of the ,government of ,india1 an initiative to be known as the ,gandhi-,king ,scholarly ,exchange ,initiative4 ,the initiative shall be comprised of educational1 scholarly1 and professional exchange programs1 including the following3 7#a7 ,an annual public diplomacy forum for scholars from the ,united ,states and ,india that focuses on the legacies of ,mahatma ,gandhi and ,martin ,luther ,king1 ,jr41 which shall-- 7,a7 be held alternately in the ,united ,states and in ,india2 7,b7 include representatives from governments1 non-governmental organizations1 educational institutions1 cultural organizations1 and civic organizations2 and 7,c7 focus on studying the work of ,gandhi and ,king1 and applying their philosophies to current issues1 including the status of poverty1 conflict1 human rights1 civil rights1 peace1 nonviolence1 and democracy in the ,united ,states and ,india4 7#b7 ,a professional development training initiative for government employees to develop international conflict solutions based on the principles of nonviolence developed in consultation with the president and chief executive officer of the ,united ,states ,institute of ,peace1 the ,under ,secretary for ,public ,diplomacy and ,public ,affairs of the ,department of ,state1 and ,united ,states cooperating partners1 which shall-- 7,a7 target ,federal1 ,state1 and local government employees in countries with ongoing political1 social1 ethnic1 or violent conflict2 7,b7 include a specific focus on the success of nonviolent movements in conflict resolution2 7,c7 develop a curriculum for teaching conflict resolution and make such curriculum available to participating government employees2 and 7,d7 be made publically available through a variety of media4 7#c7 ,an undergraduate1 graduate1 and post-graduate student exchange for students to-- 7,a7 study the history and legacies of ,martin ,luther ,king1 ,jr41 and ,mahatma ,gandhi2 7,b7 visit historic sites in ,india and the ,united ,states that were integral to the ,american civil rights movement and the ,indian independence movement2 and 7,c7 research and develop papers on the importance of peace1 nonviolence1 and reconciliation in current conflict regions4 7b7 ,united ,states ,cooperating ,partners ,defined ,the term ,united ,states cooperating partners means-- 7#a7 an institution of higher education 7as such term is defined in section #aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a7771 including1 to the maximum extent practicable1 an historically ,black college or university that is a part ,b institution 7as such term is defined in section #cbb7b7 of such ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajfa7b777 or an ,hispanic-serving institution 7as such term is defined in section #ejb7;a77#e7 of such ,act 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #aaja;a7a77#e7772 7#b7 a combination of institutions of higher education 7as such term is defined in section #ajc7b7 of the ,higher ,education ,act of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajjc7b7772 7#c7 a nongovernmental organization incorporated in the ,united ,states2 or 7#d7 a consortium consisting of two or more such institutions of higher education1 higher education associations1 or nongovernmental organizations4 #d4 ,reporting requirements 7a7 ,initial report ,not later than #abj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state shall submit to the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,house of ,representatives and the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations and the ,committee on ,appropriations of the ,senate a report on the ,secretary's plan to carry out the initiative authorized under section #c4 7b7 ,periodic updates ,upon the request of the committees referred to in subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall submit to such committees an update on the ,secretary's progress in implementing the plan referred to in subsection 7a74 #e4 ,authorization of appropriations ,to carry out this ,act1 there are authorized to be appropriated to the ,secretary of ,state such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjad through #bjai4 ,amounts appropriated pursuant to the authorization of appropriations under this section are in addition to amounts otherwise available for such purpose4