BURLINGTON, VT – U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) delivered remarks at the Vermont Council on World Affairs’ International Day of Peace Summit in Burlington. The Senator’s remarks rebutted President Trump’s address at the United Nations (U.N.) this week. Senator Welch focused on the importance of supporting institutions of democracy locally and around the world to protect our national security and advance peace.
Earlier this week, Senator Welch traveled to New York for meetings at the United Nations General Assembly and Climate Week.
“What I find so inspiring about being here is that we maintain that commitment to being engaged in the world in a constructive way, even from this small state of Vermont. It reflects a generosity of spirit that Vermonters have had. If we can help create institutions of democracy in other countries, we want to help. And that is reason enough for us to be engaged. But there’s another reason: it really is about national security. There is enormous instability in the world, and it’s always ready to be awakened and exploited by leaders who are motivated by self interest or hate, or who use hate as a tool to mobilize people to support them. It’s fear-based. And that is always going to be present in the world. It’s part of the human condition,” said Senator Welch.
“But there’s another choice those of us can make that’s also part of the human condition. And that’s to accept that—with whatever authority, and responsibility, and strength we have—we can contribute to an alternative vision where it does promote security, it does promote stability, and it does support common understanding. And it starts with conversations. It starts with recognizing the people with whom you disagree—or you don’t know oftentimes—there’s an immense amount of common ground if you take a little bit of effort to try to find out what that is—and that’s engagement.”
View photos from the event on the Senator’s website:
The Vermont Council on World Affairs (VCWA) was founded in 1952 by Warren Austin, a former U.S. Senator for Vermont and the first official U.N. Ambassador. The annual peace summit honors the U.N.’s International Day of Peace and is a day-long event designed to engage attendees in discussion, collaboration, and learning regarding building peace and advancing human rights, locally and globally.
###