the united states department of peace
by bonnie findley

Why does that sound so odd? Could it be that as a nation we don’t think, politically, in terms of peace but in terms of conflict and war?

Well, hold on to your hats because there is a move afoot to establish a Department of Peace, not only as a federal cabinet level department but at local levels as well. The Asheville-Buncombe Department of Peace?

In September 2005, bills were presented in both houses of Congress to establish a Department of Peace and Nonviolence (H.R. 3760 and S. 1756). The legislation is co-sponsored by 60 U.S. Representatives. In the preamble to H.R. 3760, the creators of the bill set forth that the founders of our country believed that “the achievement of peace was recognized as one of the highest duties of the new organization of free and independent States.” The bill’s sponsors go on to point out that, in spite of our country’s founding dreams of hope, during “the 20th century, more than 100,000,000 people perished in wars, and now, at the dawn of the 21st century, violence seems to be an overarching theme in the world, encompassing personal, group, national, and international conflict, extending to the production of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons of mass destruction…” Therefore, they submit that it is “the sacred duty of the people of the United States to receive the living truths of our founding documents and to think anew to develop institutions that permit the unfolding of the highest moral principles in this Nation and around the world.”

Lofty goals indeed, and, some would say, well worth pursuing if we humans are to evolve to our full intellectual and spiritual potential. In the forefront of furthering these goals, the Peace Alliance, a group actively campaigning for passage of the legislation, describes the function of the department on their website (thepeacealliance.org). It says, in part:

The primary function of a United States Department of Peace will be to research, articulate and facilitate nonviolent solutions to domestic and international conflict. The Department of Peace will facilitate the most cutting edge ways to wage peace. From nonviolent communications skills, to conflict resolution techniques and cultural relationship building, the Department of Peace will employ proven and effective strategies for diminishing violence in our country and in our world.

Supporting the country internationally, the department will advise the president and cabinet secretaries about the root causes of violence as well as offering ways to “dismantle violence” before it becomes a solution to conflict. It will also support the military, providing cultural, ethnic, and psychological insights; and practical skills for conflict resolution and the “amelioration of violence among adversarial factions,” skills that would greatly serve our military women and men in Iraq today.

Domestically, the Department of Peace will assist local communities in developing peaceful living skills among its residents by developing “field-tested educational programs promoting conflict-resolution and peer mediation among school-age children; providing violence-prevention programs addressing domestic violence, gang violence, drug and alcohol-related violence”; and providing assistance at the city, county, and state levels in coordinating existing and newly developed programs of peace and nonviolence.

Ellie Richard, an Asheville resident, is the North Carolina Coordinator for Department of Peace campaign. Her involvement in this project began when, despondent over the political situation at the beginning of 2001 and looking for somewhere to turn for hope, a friend recommended she take a look at the work of Dennis Kucinich, whose website proposed a Department of Peace--before the attacks of September 11th and before his presidential campaign.

Ellie explained that she believes the creation of the Department of Peace is the beginning of a shift from one paradigm to another; away from violence and toward peace. “A culture of peace is going to take some serious work, some serious education.” Ellie is wholeheartedly involved in that serious work and serious education. She not only coordinates state-wide activities, she shares information and insight with groups and individuals locally and around the state, striving to gain further support for passage of the legislation. She related that 12 states have passed resolutions supporting the creation of a Department of Peace, and she is determined that it will “make the cut” for consideration in North Carolina this year. Although it might seem like it would be easy to get support for the creation of a governmental agency with the goal of international and domestic peace as its only mission, in the current political climate, many people are fearful of being labeled as anti-military or unpatriotic if they choose to participate in working for peace.

I asked Ellie how she envisioned the Department of Peace helping our local community. She related that violence impacts most of us. In our community (and in most American communities) there is violence in schools, not only overt acts but also in more subtle forms such as bullying and peer pressure; domestic violence; and other forms of violence like gang-, alcohol- or drug-related. Aside from the obvious financial costs (medical, judicial, law enforcement, etc.), “the emotional, psychological, and spiritual costs are profound.” Ellie said that we need to bring programs to our local communities that teach people to communicate and relate without violence, and there are incredible programs out there that are proving to be highly effective in doing that. Bringing these programs into local schools, places of worship, and community centers will help eliminate the root causes of violence. The Department of Peace will be the centralized point, assuring access to information and programs and guidance for all communities—local, state, and national.

When I first heard about the Department of Peace (a few months ago), the idea brought me hope, too. Sometimes it seems as though the world is awash in aggression and violence and desperation. Knowing that there are enlightened folks out there striving for a better way inspires me to join them. Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. would be proud. The United States Department of Peace!

If you are interested in joining the effort visit the Peace Alliance website (thepeacealliance.org) or contact Robin Clark, District 11 Coordinator, at 259-9968.