The historical methods we have tried in the US to address our differences – domestically and internationally – through nonviolent means have failed miserably. We need the weight of a federal Department of Peace to elevate the development and use of peacebuilding skills to help save lives and treasure as we resolve our conflicts through nonviolent means. The time to take a different approach is long over due.

What implications would this have?

SEC. 110. OFFICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND ECONOMIC RIGHTS.

(4) provide trained observers to work with non-governmental organizations for purposes of creating a climate that is conducive to the respect for human rights;

Do you really think we don’t try peaceful negotiation first. This department is redundant and would just cost more money and accomplish nothing at the same time. We have a department of Peace its called the Department of Defense, and they don’t bomb first and ask questions later like many hippies think. I suppose the the Dems that thought this up are not confident in Hillery’s ability to negotiate with the international community?

Holy smokes! I never thought that I would see a Congress with the huevos to propose this Cabinet-level department. This is awesome! Here’s hoping that it passes…

H.R. 808 will become law if people with your enthusiasm and hope reach out to your friends and family to rally support and ask your elected officials to cosponsor the legislation. Check out www.htepeacealliance.org to get involved and get access to the tools to help become a citizen activist.
Peace,
Ted

The correct URL to find out more about the grassroots campaign to establish the Department of Peace is http://www.thepeacealliance.org.

What an idiotic idea! Do these people ever sober up?

To romegan48:
I can understand the knee jerk reaction if you only see the title of the bill. If you haven’t read the Department of Peace bill yet, I recommend it. If you read the bill and still have the negative opinion, I would enjoy hearing your suggestions for what can be done to reduce violence in our country and internationally. Keep in mind that what we are currently doing is not working. That’s the sober truth.

No… this bill is insane!!!!! It is absolutely ridiculous.

Simply growing government even MORE AND if you really read through this bill… taking more CONTROL domestically. Pay attention to the wording…

To KimberlyM: Yes! Please pay attention to the wording. Successful peace-building programs within the United States (see Edvita, Crossfire, Barrios Unidos, the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, Micro-finance, Challenge Day, etc.) use as a fundamental principle: FREE WILL.

One cannot force a person to be non-violent. Rather, this bill provides resources for communities to create CUSTOM TAILORED responses to reducing violence and crime in this country. So rather than taking control domestically it is IN ACTUALITY empowering local communities to take control themselves.

There is government that empowers its citizens and government that oppresses its citizens. The spirit of this bill is to educate and empower its citizens in the spirit of the Homestead Act, the GI Bill, or the Land Ordiance of 1785 which set aside land specifically for schools. This resulted in the United States having one of the highest literacy rates in the world. So, what exactly is ridiculous about that?

“what exactly is ridiculous about that?”
How about the fact that because of the government’s inability to keep Communist Czars out of the White House and government’s inability to be unbiased when asked tough questions. I will oppose any growth in government.

An Institute of Peace already exists. Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAvJKEzhos8

are we electing barney the dinosaur to head this department??

Just what we need – another agency of the Federal Government.

This has to be a joke. How Orwellian.

This is the sort of thing that starts you down the road to mass brainwashing and a police state. We don’t need the government to tell us how to get along and play nice. If we give them that power, they will eventually twist this power to be able to outlaw anything they deem detrimental to peace, as THEY define it. You can kiss freedom good-bye!

I have an idea, American Citizens should learn to take responsibility for themselves!

“We don’t need the government to tell us how to get along and play nice.”

Obviously, we do. One needs look no farther than the lack of peace for proof of that.

Maybe we should have a Department of broke also or a Department of Stupid Bills. Sure lets grow government with irresponsible bloat.

This has got to be the dumbest thing I have seen in a long time. We don’t need a “Deapartment of Peace”, what we need is to dissolve the Nanny State and hold the citizenry accountable for their actions! We have peace within our country. I haven’t heard of any States declaring war on one another. For the United States to be at peace in the global sense, well it takes two. If some country wants to declare war, a Department of Peace isn’t going to have anything to say about it. At that point, what you need is a strong military and an armed citizenry. On that note, remember this axiom, an armed society, is a polite society!

Anybody out there a Babylon 5 fan?? Remember the episode where the Earth Alliance established the “Ministry of Truth?” Does this proposed “Department of Peace” sound slightly similar?? What the hell is happening to this country??
It’s time for the PEOPLE to wake up and take back control of this Nation!!