Congressman and legendary Civil Rights leader of USA, John Lewis introduced a bill in the US House of Representatives to promote the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
The bill sought a budgetary allocation of 150 million dollars for the next five years.
Gandhi-King Development Foundation: The Bill proposes establishing a Gandhi-King Development Foundation, which will be created by the USAID under the Indian laws. This foundation would have a governing council convened by governments of the United States and India and would oversee grants to NGOs in the areas of health, pollution and climate change, education and women empowerment.
Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative: The Bill also proposes the establishment of a Gandhi-King Scholarly Exchange Initiative with an allocation of 2 million dollars for the next five years till 2025. It also seeks to establish a Gandhi-King global academy, which would be a professional development training initiative on conflict resolution.
This Bill is being considered as a significant landmark initiative by the United States Congress to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.