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Week Ending April 27, 2006

S.RES.166 A resolution commemorating the lifetime achievement of the Reverend Leon H. Sullivan.

Reverend Leon Sullivan was recognized in 1963 by LIFE magazine as one of the 100 outstanding young adults in America. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights in 1999.

But among his accomplishment is the establishment of the Zion Baptist Church of Philadelphia and the Leon H Sullivan Charitable Trusts and the Progress Investment Associates through which numerous economic development and social services programs have been developed and funded. Following that he formed the Opportunities Industrialization Center that now boasts 75 job training centers nationwide and 40 centers in 16 African nations.

Perhaps Sullivan’s most long lasting discovery is his establishment of the Sullivan principals (Below in MORE INFORMATION) endorsed by 10 African heads of state, 250 governments, corporations and universities on five continents endorsed.

Sponsor:  Senator Robert P. Casey, Jr. (D-PA)

Vote: Agreed to by Unanimous Consent April 23, 2007

Cost to the taxpayers: No discernible cost.

Earmark Certification:   Not applicable to this resolution.

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MORE INFORMATION

Sullivan Principals

The Resolution

S. Res. 166

   Whereas, the late Reverend Leon H. Sullivan dedicated his life to alleviating the plight of the poor and the disadvantaged in America and worldwide;

   Whereas, Reverend Sullivan received numerous honors and awards during his lifetime, including recognition by LIFE magazine in 1963 as one of the 100 outstanding young adults in America, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992, and the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights in 1999;

   Whereas, having dedicated 37 years of his ministerial vocation to the historic Zion Baptist Church of Philadelphia, Reverend Sullivan's leadership and innovation led to the creation of one of the largest congregations in the Nation during his time;

   Whereas, in 1966, as part of his 10-36 Plan to encourage individuals to invest in the economic future of their communities, Reverend Sullivan founded the Leon H. Sullivan Charitable Trusts and the Progress Investment Associates, through which numerous economic development and social services programs have been developed and funded;

   Whereas, in 1963, in response to a lack of job opportunities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Reverend Sullivan led more than 400 ministers in a successful boycott that opened up more than 4,000 jobs for African-Americans;

   Whereas, Reverend Sullivan met the need for job training by establishing the Opportunities Industrialization Center, which has grown to more than 75 training centers throughout the Nation;

   Whereas, recognizing the need to take his struggle to alleviate the plight of the poor abroad, in 1969 Reverend Sullivan established Opportunities Industrialization Centers International, which has grown to more than 40 centers in 16 African nations, Poland, and the Philippines;

   Whereas, when Reverend Sullivan saw the need to create a broader array of programs in Africa, he established the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help, which has conducted numerous initiatives, including Schools for Africa, fellowship programs, and innovative teacher and banker training programs since 1988;

   Whereas, in 2001, the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation was established posthumously to support Reverend Sullivan's life's mission through the work of his many established organizations;

   Whereas, the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation presents the biennial Leon H. Sullivan Summits in Africa, which have provided a forum for leaders of African nations together with more than 18,000 African-Americans and Friends of Africa to interact with their counterparts and produce programs to meet the needs of the poor and disadvantaged in African nations;

   Whereas, in 1977, Reverend Sullivan helped to promulgate the Sullivan Principles, a code of conduct for human rights and equal opportunity for companies operating in South Africa, and the Sullivan Principles helped end apartheid in South Africa;

   Whereas, Reverend Sullivan expanded on the Sullivan Principles in 1999, by creating the Global Sullivan Principles, which encourage corporate social responsibility and promote global human rights and political, economic, and social justice;

   Whereas, more than 250 governments, corporations, and universities on 5 continents have endorsed the Global Sullivan Principles since their initiation;

   Whereas, 10 African heads of state endorsed the Global Sullivan Principles at the Leon H. Sullivan Summit in Abuja, Nigeria, in July 2006;

   Whereas, plans for the 8th Leon H. Sullivan Summit in Tanzania in 2008 include broader regional endorsement of the Global Sullivan Principles among African nations: Now, therefore, be it

    Resolved, That the Senate--

    (1) commemorates the life of the Reverend Leon H. Sullivan;

    (2) salutes the positive impact of the Reverend Sullivan's achievements domestically and internationally; and

    (3) encourages the continued pursuit of Reverend Sullivan's mission to help the poor and disenfranchised around the world.

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Accordingly, we will:

1. Express our support for universal human rights and, particularly, those of our employees, the communities within which we operate, and parties with whom we do business.

2. Promote equal opportunity for our employees at all levels of the company with respect to issues such as color, race, gender, age, ethnicity or religious beliefs, and operate without unacceptable worker treatment such as the exploitation of children, physical punishment, female abuse, involuntary servitude, or other forms of abuse.

3. Respect our employees’ voluntary freedom of association.

4. Compensate our employees to enable them to meet at least their basic needs and provide the opportunity to improve their skill and capability in order to raise their social and economic opportunities.

5. Provide a safe and healthy workplace; protect human health and the environment; and promote sustainable development.

6. Promote fair competition including respect for intellectual and other property rights, and not offer, pay or accept bribes.

7. Work with governments and communities in which we do business to improve the quality of life in those communities – their educational, cultural, economic and social well-being – and seek to provide training and opportunities for workers from disadvantaged backgrounds.

8. Promote the application of these principles by those with whom we do business.

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