http://www.dopcampaign.org/ [Excerpts from website]
A U.S. Department of Peace bill (HR 1673), sponsored in the House of Representatives by Congressman Dennis Kucinich, establishes nonviolence as an organizing principle of American society, providing the U.S. President with an array of peace-building policy options for domestic and international use.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE HISTORIC DEPARTMENT OF PEACE LEGISLATION
(HR1673)
- Hold peace as an organizing principle in our society;
- Endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights;
- Strengthen non-military means of peacemaking;
TITLE I--ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACE SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF
DEPARTMENT OF PEACE.
(a) ESTABLISHMENT- There is hereby established a Department of Peace
(hereinafter in this Act referred to as the `Department'), which shall--
(1) be a cabinet-level department in the executive branch of the Federal
Government; and (2) be dedicated to peacemaking and the study of
conditions that are conducive to both domestic and international peace.
(b) SECRETARY OF PEACE- There shall be at the head of the Department a
Secretary of Peace (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the
`Secretary'), who shall be appointed by the President, with the advice and
consent of the Senate.
(c) MISSION- The Department shall-- (1) hold peace as an organizing principle, coordinating service to every level of American society; (2)
endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights; (3) strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking; (4) promote the development of human potential; (5) work to create peace, prevent violence, divert from armed conflict, use field-tested programs, and
develop new structures in nonviolent dispute resolution; (6) take a proactive, strategic approach in the development of policies that promote
national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention,
mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and structured mediation of conflict; (7) address matters both domestic and international in scope;
and (8) encourage the development of initiatives from local communities,
religious groups, and nongovernmental organizations.
SEC. 102. RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS.
(a) IN GENERAL- The Secretary shall-- (1) work proactively and interactively with each branch of the Federal Government on all policy
matters relating to conditions of peace; (2) serve as a delegate to the National Security Council; (3) call on the intellectual and spiritual wealth of the people of the United States and seek participation in its
administration and in its development of policy from private, public, andnongovernmental organizations; and (4) monitor and analyze causative principles of conflict and make policy recommendations for developing and
maintaining peaceful conduct.
[for more Click http://www.dopcampaign.org/read_bill.htm to read entire bill.]
http://www.positivenews.org.uk/
“We must wage peace with sophistication and commitment just as we now wage war.” ~ Marianne Williamson, US Department of Peace Initiative.
A Bill has been presented to Parliament to pave the way for the formation
of a Ministry for Peace.
Introducing his Bill, Labour MP John McDonnell called for a new
Government Department whose sole purpose would be to focus the resources
of government on the promotion of peace and the eventual abolition of
war.
The Bill was initiated by Diana Basterfield, who chairs the steering
committee promoting the Ministry of Peace. "We came into being to be a
voice for the millions who marched for peace through the United Kingdom in
2003", she explains. "The British people in all their diversity clearly
showed that we have evolved to a point where violence is morally
unacceptable as a tool of foreign policy."
A Minister for Peace would be a voice at the Cabinet table to speak up for
non-violent conflict resolution and alternatives to war.
John McDonnell told the House, "The Ministry would provide within
Government an expertise in non-violent conflict resolution, through which
Government could be advised on how policies can be developed across
government to reduce the potential for conflict. Secondly, it would
provide and co-ordinate Government resources to foster greater
understanding in Britain and the world of how war can be avoided! and peace
achieved".
In the last thousand years, England has been at war for 56 years out of
every hundred.
"Violence of all kind permeates our society - in the home, in the
playground, on housing estates, at football matches, between communities,
between generations", says Diana Basterfield.
"What is needed is a cultural shift - from infants to foreign policy,
the culture must be permeated with the tools of non-violence and conflict
resolution."
A Ministry of Peace would support and promote a renaissance of research in
this country into the causes and impacts of conflict, monitoring potential
areas of conflict and advancing practical techniques to avoid outbreaks of
violence before they arise. That includes identifying the potential for
conflict over the scarcity or maldistribution of natural resources, the
impact of human rights abuses as a cause of conflict, the potential for reducing and eliminating the arms trade and demonstrating the potential of a variety of techniques for conflict resolution and effective community
peace-building activities.
The idea for a Ministry of Peace originated in the United States where
Dennis Kucinich introduced a Bill for a Department of Peace in Congress.
Congressman Kucinich is seeking the Democratic nomination for President
advocating the elimination of all America's weapons of mass destruction
the American Initiative for a Department for Peace has been working
closely with its British counterpart.
The idea has also been taken up by the General Assembly of the European
Women's Lobby which recently called on the European Union Commission to
create the post of Commissioner for Peace.
The British steering committee also want to see a Commission for Peace
established in the UK outside Parliament which would bring together all
the elements of civil society engaged in building a culture of peace who
could advise the government.
They would like to hear from anyone wishing to get involved and urge
people to encourage their MP's to support the call for Ministry for Peace.
Website: www.ministryforpeace.org.uk
“At first people refuse to believe that A strange new thing can be done.
Then they begin to hope it can be done. Then they see it can be done. Then
it is done and the world wonders why it was not done Centuries ago.” ~ Frances Hodgson Burnett
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