Washington, D.C.- IDC applauds the introduction of S.3368, the Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act of 2018, by Senators Chris Coons (D-DE), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Todd Young (R-IN), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) in the United States Senate on August 22nd, 2018. This timely legislation would require the U.S. government – in collaboration with global civil society – to develop a 10-year strategy to bring down current levels of global violence and better address the root causes of violence, violent conflict, and fragility that drive recurrent global crises.

S.3368 accompanies its companion, H.R.5273, that was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Representatives Eliot Engel (D-NY), Ted Poe (R-TX), Michael McCaul (R-TX), Adam Smith (D-WA), Bill Keating (D-MA), and Paul Cook (R-CA) on March 14.

The Global Fragility and Violence Reduction Act would require the U.S. Department of State, in partnership with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. Department of Defense, and other federal agencies, to develop a new strategy to reduce and prevent violent conflict. It would give the U.S. government the tools it needs for a long-term, coordinated approach to identify and mitigate the drivers of violence in order to prevent conflict.

This timely legislation comes at a moment when violent conflict has forcibly displaced a record 68.5 million people and costs the world an estimated $14.76 trillion annually. There is an urgent need to improve the U.S. government’s ability to reverse these trends and prevent future conflict.

1. Alliance for Peacebuilding
2. American Friends Service Committee
3. CARE
4. Carl Wilkens Fellowship
5. Center for Civilians in Conflict
6. Center on Conscience & War
7. Charity & Security Network
8. Chemonics
9. Church of the Brethren, Office of Public Witness
10. Conference of Major Superiors of Men
11. Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, US Provinces
12. Cure Violence
13. Educators Institute for Human Rights
14. Friends Committee on National Legislation
15. Global Communities
16. Humanity United Action
17. i-ACT
18. In Defense of Christians (IDC)
19. International Alert
20. International Crisis Group
21. International Rescue Committee
22. Jewish World Watch
23. Karuna Center for Peacebuilding
24. Mercy Corps
25. National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
26. National Latino Evangelical Coalition
27. Pax Christi International
28. Pax Christi USA
29. Peace Direct
30. PRBB Foundation
31. SaferWorld
32. Search for Common Ground
33. STAND: Student-Led Movement to End Mass Atrocities
34. Stop Genocide Now
35. World Relief
36. World Vision

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