Menu

United States Institute of Peace

Home ▶ Events

Twenty Years of Progress in Peacemaking: A Salute to Congress

Date: Wednesday, March 16, 2005 / Time: 1:00pm - 4:00pm 

Share This
Print the Page

Image above: USIP president Richard H. Solomon addresses guests at the 20th Anniversary reception.

Overview

The Institute celebrated the 20th Anniversary of its founding with a special reception on Capitol Hill on March 16, 2005 that saluted current and former Members of Congress for their roles in creating and supporting the Institute for two decades. In his remarks to the more than 250 guests at the reception, Institute president Richard H. Solomon reaffirmed the Institute's commitment to fulfilling its Congressional mandate to "search for non-violent approaches to dealing with international conflict."

Acknowledgments

The United States Institute of Peace was established and has grown on the basis of long-term public interest and dedicated support from many Members of Congress. The Congressional founders of the Institute brought tremendous creative energy to creating an institution dedicated to international conflict resolution. We gratefully acknowledge and honor the men and women who helped found the Institute, including Representative Dante Fascell of Florida, Representative Dan Glickman of Kansas, Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon, Senator Nancy Kassebaum of Kansas, Senator Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, Representative John Porter of Illinois, Senator Paul Simon of Illinois, Representative Pat Williams of Montana, as well as Members of Congress today.

Specifically, the Institute recalls the pioneering efforts of Senator Spark Matsunaga of Hawaii and Senator Jennings Randolph of West Virginia.

We also want to express our thanks to Senator Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), Senator Chuck Hagel (R-Nebraska), and Congressman Donald Payne (D-New Jersey) for joining us at the reception.

Program and Archived Video

To listen to audio or to view video, please click on the links provided below. You also can right click on the links and choose "Save Target As" or "Download Linked File." This will save the file to your computer and then allow you to play it in your media player directly.

Welcoming Remarks

Congressional Perspective

Other Friends

Historical Perspective

Salute to Congress

  • J. Robinson West, Chairman of the Board, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Maria Otero, Vice Chairman of the Board, U.S. Institute of Peace
  • Chester Crocker, Former Chairman of the Board (1992-2004), U.S. Institute of Peace

Latest Publications

Russia’s War and China’s Rise Set a New Path for South Korea-NATO Relations

Russia’s War and China’s Rise Set a New Path for South Korea-NATO Relations

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

By: Geunwook Lee;  Kwang-Jin Kim

July 2024 marked the third time South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol joined a NATO summit along with the leaders of the alliance’s other Indo-Pacific partner countries (Australia, Japan and New Zealand), informally known as the IP4. This represents a new phase in South Korea’s relations with the Atlantic alliance, but building a lasting friendship will take time and requires navigating a series of challenges. Amid an emerging global division of democratic and authoritarian camps and the challenges posed by China and Russia for both the Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic regions, it is incumbent on both Brussels and Seoul to build a more cooperative relationship. That journey, however, has just begun.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

Is Southeast Asia’s Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone the Key to Indo-Pacific Stability?

Is Southeast Asia’s Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone the Key to Indo-Pacific Stability?

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

By: Nigel Li

Over five decades into the “Asian peace,” there are reasons to be pessimistic about the future security of the Indo-Pacific. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has ignited concerns of conflict in Asia and Moscow’s nuclear threats have unearthed the specter of nuclear war as China rapidly augments its nuclear capabilities. An escalating arms race between the U.S. and China will inevitably leave non-nuclear weapon states caught in the middle. But all is not lost. In Asia, there are existing security mechanisms that could be revitalized to reinforce strategic stability. One of those mechanisms is the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (SEANWFZ).

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

Bangladesh’s Revolution Remains Unfinished

Bangladesh’s Revolution Remains Unfinished

Monday, August 19, 2024

By: Geoffrey Macdonald, Ph.D.

On August 5, a student-led revolution toppled Bangladesh’s increasingly repressive prime minister, Sheikh Hasina. After 15 years in power, her government’s sudden and improbable collapse creates the possibility for a new era in Bangladesh. Democratic champions are reinvigorated, but instability and violence will grow in the near term and countervailing forces will likely emerge to blunt progress. Bangladesh’s revolutionary moment is not yet a revolution. Only sustained and deliberate political reform can finish what the students started. The United States can help.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance

Ukraine’s Pivot Changes the Narrative in Russia’s war; Outcome Remains Unclear

Ukraine’s Pivot Changes the Narrative in Russia’s war; Outcome Remains Unclear

Thursday, August 15, 2024

By: Mary Glantz, Ph.D.

Almost 30 months into Vladimir Putin’s brutalization of Ukraine with a full-scale invasion that has pulverized vast swaths of its farmlands, towns and cities, Ukrainians have surprised Putin and the world by driving the war back into Russia — a move that, if nothing else, has altered the current narrative around this conflict. Ukraine has again brandished its determination, initiative and innovation, effectively resetting assumptions in its defense against its much larger attacker. The possible outcomes of Ukraine’s strike remain varied and unpredictable — and its eventual implications will rest on the evolutions of several questions, both military and political.

Type: Analysis

Global Policy

In Venezuela, Nonviolent Action Is Key to a Negotiated Democratic Transition

In Venezuela, Nonviolent Action Is Key to a Negotiated Democratic Transition

Thursday, August 15, 2024

By: Consuelo Amat, Ph.D.;  Matthew D. Cebul, Ph.D.;  Maria Antonia Montes

On July 28, Venezuela held one of the most consequential elections in its history. The country’s political opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado, overcame popular disillusionment, political divides and a rigged electoral system to earn a landslide victory for its unity candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia. According to one civil society group, estimates “extrapolated from the official vote count receipts” from a representative sample of local voting centers give González 66% of the vote. Venezuela’s opposition met the moment with an inspired pro-democracy campaign.

Type: Analysis

Democracy & Governance;  Mediation, Negotiation & Dialogue;  Nonviolent Action

View All Publications