An exciting campaign is underway throughout the nation to establish a Department of Peace at the cabinet level in our federal government. Some 65 members of Congress have signed on to the bill.
Peacebuilding groups throughout the Low Country can learn more about this program and see Walter Cronkite's endorsement.at www.ThePeaceAlliance.org.
Following are highlights of the effort.
The Urgent Need for a Department of Peace
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•International violence
•International violence oNuclear proliferation creates critical need for the interruption of current cycles of violence
Nuclear proliferation creates critical need for the interruption of current cycles of violence Nuclear arsenals -- those both friendly and hostile to the United States -- are susceptible to terrorist attack or theft
Nuclear arsenals -- those both friendly and hostile to the United States -- are susceptible to terrorist attack or theft •Domestic violence
Domestic violence oCriminal and domestic violence places intense financial pressure on city, county, and state government budgets
Criminal and domestic violence places intense financial pressure on city, county, and state government budgets Example: 80% of all police runs in the City of Detroit are in response to domestic violence
Example: 80% of all police runs in the City of Detroit are in response to domestic violence We Need a Dept. of Peace …
•To reduce domestic and international violence
To reduce domestic and international violence •To gather and coordinate information and recommendations from America’s peace community
To gather and coordinate information and recommendations from America’s peace community •To teach violence prevention and mediation to America’s school children
To teach violence prevention and mediation to America’s school children •To effectively treat and dismantle gang psychology
To effectively treat and dismantle gang psychology •To rehabilitate the prison population
To rehabilitate the prison population •To build peace-making efforts among conflicting cultures both here and abroad
To build peace-making efforts among conflicting cultures both here and abroad •To support our military with complementary approaches to ending violence
To support our military with complementary approaches to ending violence Proposed Federal Legislation to Establish a U.S. Department of Peace
•Bill was introduced into the U. S. House of Representatives during the 107th and 108th Congress
Bill was introduced into the U. S. House of Representatives during the 107th and 108th Congress •Bill was reintroduced into the House of Representatives (H.R. 3760) and introduced for the first time into the U.S. Senate (S. 1756) during the current session, the 109th Congress, in September, 2005
Bill was reintroduced into the House of Representatives (H.R. 3760) and introduced for the first time into the U.S. Senate (S. 1756) during the current session, the 109th Congress, in September, 2005 •There are currently 65 committed co-sponsors in the House of Representatives
There are currently 65 committed co-sponsors in the House of Representatives •Proposed legislation calls for the Department’s budget to be the equivalent of 2% of U.S. defense budget
Proposed legislation calls for the Department’s budget to be the equivalent of 2% of U.S. defense budget The Benefits: International
The Department of Peace will:
•Advise the President, the Secretaries of Defense and State, and others on root causes of violence, plus practical ways to dismantle violence while still in a formative phase
Advise the President, the Secretaries of Defense and State, and others on root causes of violence, plus practical ways to dismantle violence while still in a formative phase •Support the military by:
Support the military by: oProviding cultural, ethnic and psychologically insightful information, education and technology
Providing cultural, ethnic and psychologically insightful information, education and technology oOffering practical skills (conflict resolution techniques, and the like) for the amelioration of violence among adversarial factions
Offering practical skills (conflict resolution techniques, and the like) for the amelioration of violence among adversarial factions oAdminister the training and support of civilian peacekeepers to participate in multinational nonviolent peace forces
Administer the training and support of civilian peacekeepers to participate in multinational nonviolent peace forces The Benefits: Domestic
The Department of Peace will:
•Develop field-tested educational programs promoting conflict-resolution and peer mediation among school-age children
Develop field-tested educational programs promoting conflict-resolution and peer mediation among school-age children •Provide violence-prevention programs addressing domestic violence, gang violence, drug and alcohol-related violence, and the like
Provide violence-prevention programs addressing domestic violence, gang violence, drug and alcohol-related violence, and the like •Provide much-needed assistance for the efforts of city, county, and state governments in coordinating existing programs in their own communities, as well as programs newly developed and provided by the Dept. of Peace
Provide much-needed assistance for the efforts of city, county, and state governments in coordinating existing programs in their own communities, as well as programs newly developed and provided by the Dept. of Peace Responsibilities of the Secretary of Peace
•In addition to leading the Department, the Secretary shall:
In addition to leading the Department, the Secretary shall:oProvide the President with statistically-verified recommendations on how a specific policy either increases or diminishes the prospect of domestic and international peace
Provide the President with statistically-verified recommendations on how a specific policy either increases or diminishes the prospect of domestic and international peaceoProvide the President with recommendations regarding the social and financial impact of domestic and international policies
Provide the President with recommendations regarding the social and financial impact of domestic and international policies A U.S. Peace Academy
•The Department of Peace will create and administer a U.S. Peace Academy, acting as a sister organization to the U.S. Military Academy
The Department of Peace will create and administer a U.S. Peace Academy, acting as a sister organization to the U.S. Military Academy •The Academy will research and teach the most cutting-edge techniques for the amelioration of violence among domestic and international populations
The Academy will research and teach the most cutting-edge techniques for the amelioration of violence among domestic and international populations •The Peace Academy will join the Military Academy in providing assistance to the military in international conflict-resolution
The Peace Academy will join the Military Academy in providing assistance to the military in international conflict-resolution •The Peace Academy faculty will be derived from well-established practitioners known for best practices in the field of conflict reduction and resolution
The Peace Academy faculty will be derived from well-established practitioners known for best practices in the field of conflict reduction and resolution Growing support
•605 U.S. Representatives are Co-sponsors of the Dept. of Peace Legislation.
605 U.S. Representatives are Co-sponsors of the Dept. of Peace Legislation. •Grassroots Efforts Support the Department of Peace Legislation
Grassroots Efforts Support the Department of Peace Legislation DOP activist groups exist in 48 states and over 285 Congressional Districts! Major Organizations Endorse U.S. Department of Peace
Amnesty International
Center for Nonviolent Communication
Global Exchange
Global Youth Action Network
National Organization for Women- N.O.W.
Peace Action
Physicians for Social Responsibility
School Mediation Center
Tikkun
Veterans for Peace
YES!-Youth for Environmental Sanity
