2011 progress report to the Global Alliance for
Ministries and Departments of Peace

Country: United States of America
Campaign: Department of Peace – USA
GA Contact Person: Matthew Albracht and Aaron Voldman
Contact Email: matthew@thepeacealliance.org, aaron@thepeacealliance.org
Website: www.thepeacealliance.org

2011 Report to Global Alliance for Ministries and Departments of Peace United States of America
July 31, 2011

I. A Brief History

In 1792, an Office of Peace was proposed to counterbalance the then Department of War. The first legislation for a U.S. Department of Peace (DoP) was introduced in 1935, which, by 1969 was followed by 90 additional bills. Congressman Dennis Kucinich introduced legislation into the House of Representatives on July 11, 2001 calling for a DoP, and has reintroduced it in each new session of Congress since that time. This version of the legislation is now celebrating its 10th anniversary. Companion legislation was introduced in the Senate in 2005, and, at this time, we are seeking U.S. DoP legislation in the Senate.

The Peace Alliance (TPA). TPA began in 2003 to support the emergence of the DoP grassroots campaign, including educating and training citizens to be citizen lobbyists for peace. TPA is organized by congressional districts and includes State Coordinators. There are now 174 grassroots leaders signed up in 43 states and Guam. TPA held national conferences in Washington DC in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, with plans for a national conference in 2012. Regional and state conferences, including some in partnership with other local organizations, took place in 2006, 2008 and 2010. In 2011, TPA is launching its latest educational initiative, The Faces of Peace, featuring various national and local people who are all working toward peace in various ways, to both educate the public on how we can all contribute toward a culture of peace as well as illustrate the many ways peacebuilding already exists in our society.

The Student Peace Alliance (SPA). SPA formed in 2006 to “advocate for legislation and policy that enhances our ability to reduce violence and build sustainable peace, engage in local peacebuilding efforts on campuses and in communities, and work in partnership with TPA on policy and community service initiatives.” Currently, there are approximately 40 SPA chapters on college, high school and grade school campuses. SPA held national conferences in 2007 and 2010.

Endorsers. In 2005, the Detroit City Council was the first of 39 cities to pass a resolution calling for the passage of the DoP bill. TPA also has numerous organization and celebrity endorsers, many of whom have spoken at national and local conferences and posted video or audio messages on www.thepeacealliance.org.

Change.org. In 2009 and 2010, the DoP legislation and appointment of a Secretary of Peace were voted among the top ten ideas for change in Change.org’s on-line “contests” to bring the nation’s priorities to the attention of the President.

II. Current Status

Seventy-seven, of 435 members of Congress, co-sponsored H.R. 808 at its most recent zenith in the 109th Congress (2005-2006). Since its reintroduction on February 18, 2011, 34 have signed on as of 7/29/11 and we are working to sign on other former and new co-sponsors. Several of the original 2001 Congressional co-sponsors continue to strongly advocate for its passage.

While TPA is expanding its advocacy to include other pieces of legislation and initiatives that are in alignment with its mission to empower civic engagement for a culture of peace, in May 2011 it formed a DoP Legislative Committee to focus on this legislation more thoroughly.

Acknowledging that “one of the most important lessons of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is that military success is not sufficient to win,” in 2007, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recognized the vital role of what he termed soft power –“economic development, institution-building and the rule of law, promoting international reconciliation, good governance, providing basic services to the people, training and equipping indigenous military and police forces, strategic communications, and more – these along with security, are essential ingredients for long-term success.” We have heard these same sentiments echoed in meetings with our Senators and Members of Congress and we are heartened by these statements which tie directly with the intention of a DoP. We believe these same soft power guidelines apply to domestic and community violence issues in our cities and expanding them will also lead to more understanding of and advocacy for a DoP.

III. Highlights of Recent Activities, Events or Action Steps

In this tenth anniversary year of Kucinich-sponsored DoP legislation, TPA continues to build alliances and collaborate with the U.S. citizenry/advocates, other peace organizations, members of congress, principals of governmental entities and world citizens.

National TPA Initiatives. Every year around Mother’s Day, TPA celebrates its “Peace Wants a Piece of the Pie” initiative with delivery of pies to legislators to advocate that peace wants a tiny sliver of the federal discretionary budget. Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, International Day of Peace and now the bill’s anniversary date have been dates over the years to concentrate contacts to representatives (in addition to Washington DC visits during conferences).

National highlights include, after reintroduction of DoP legislation in February, 2011, DoP sponsor Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH) was our national call guest speaker in April. Two additional calls in June and August feature DoP cosponsors Rep. Barbara Lee (CA) and John Conyers (MI). Additionally TPA holds monthly national calls with guest speakers addressing local, national and global violence reduction/prevention and peacebuilding.

Regional, state, local and grassroots highlights are numerous and include collaborations with peacebuilding and community groups, exploring state-level departments of peace, working toward endorsement by the CA Democratic party, picnics for peace, community gardening for peace, art events for peace, Martin Luther King Day events, Hiroshima/Nagasaki Day remembrances, International Forgiveness Day events, attendance at the July Dalai Lama speech in D.C. and regional conference calls with guest speakers from such communities as Afghanistan, Sudan and Tibet and representatives of the Native American community.

IV. Insights or Lessons Learned

As we create a culture of peace, we are always learning!

• Being the Change/Message. “Being the change we want to see in the world” has always been a commitment we asked of our volunteer leadership, staff and board and an intention for all volunteers. We continue to learn about the balance between recommending and following guidelines and being open to what is being born in the moment. The goal is a culture of peace, where the value of cultivating peace to the best of our ability in each season is more important than incremental wins or losses that can be measured in numbers (although we continue to like our statistics).
• Connecting Within. Connection and collaboration among leadership from around the country cannot live on virtual communication alone. While factoring in the economy and awareness of the carbon footprints of air travel, we continue to experiment with the logistics of board/staff planning retreats and national, regional and local conferences.
• Collaborating. Collaboration and alliances with peace advocacy organizations and other-missioned organizations wanting to further peacebuilding has gone from an intention for effectiveness to a necessity for surviving and eventual thriving during this phase of the paradigm shift.
• Realizing. Years of “going for the connecting” resulted in TPA being invited into conversations and alliances as shifts in government are discussed, being consulted by national news media, collaborating with other national organizations on educational teleseminars and larger national peace events.
• Spreading the Word and the Work in Relative Balance. Outreach happens at both the local and national levels all the time. There is always good news happening somewhere in the network.
• Fundraising. Funding has ebbed and flowed with changes in board, staff, volunteers and the shifts in the economy. In 2011,TPA formed a standing Fundraising Committee and we celebrate that we have survived a significant economically changing period in America.

And, again, as Gandhi said, we “seek to be the change we want to see,” first and foremost as we learn.