The Treaty Room at the U.S. Department of State provided the elegant setting for the joint announcement by Secretary Colin L. Powell, Congressman Charles B. Rangel, and President H. Patrick Swygert of the $1 million grant to the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center to fund "Principles of Cooperation" between the State Department and Howard University, on Friday afternoon, May 17, 2002.

Also announced in this setting was another $1 million grant to the Bunche Center from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to support the foreign affairs effort. In the absence of President Jonathan Fanton, this announcement was made by Dr. Kennette Benedict, Director of International Peace and Security Programs.

Under the "Principles," Howard undertakes academic and other

programs to promote international affairs on campus and ethnic diversity in the U.S. Foreign Service, an objective long advocated by Congressman Rangel. His efforts account in large measure for the appropriation by the Congress.

On this basis, President Swygert indicated that the new initiative funded by the Congress will be named in honor of the Congressman – the Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program at Howard University, and that students especially selected under it to pursue Foreign Service careers will be named Charles B. Rangel Fellows.

Before a host of dignitaries in the Treaty Room, foreign affairs practitioners, high level State officials, the chairman, Mr. Frank Savage, and some members of the HU Board of Trustees; Howard administrators and

faculty, and a large number of honor students, Secretary Powell termed the occasion "a great day for the Department of State, a great day for Howard, and a great day especially for the important partnership we are building together."

Powell asserted, "The partnership serves not only our two institutions; it serves our country…because we believe strongly,the President and I, and all of my colleagues here at the Department feel strongly that the success of American diplomacy in the 21st century will depend on bringing the best young people we can find into international affairs here in the Department."

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