July 11,2001...Dept of Peace ... first proposed in Congress....

[Desertrose]

Dennis Kucinich proposed the Dept of Peace two years ago today...2 months before 9/11.....if only.......

http://www.kucinich.us/issues/issue_departmentpeace.htm

Dept of Peace
As we stand on the threshold of a new millennium, it is time to free ourselves, to jettison our illusions and fears and transform age-old challenges with new thinking. We can conceive of peace as not simply the absence of violence but the active presence of the capacity for a higher evolution of human awareness, of respect, trust, and integrity. Of peace, wherein we all may tap the infinite capabilities of humanity to transform consciousness and conditions that impel or compel violence at a personal, group, or national level toward creating understanding, compassion, and love. We can bring forth new understandings where peace, not war, becomes inevitable. Can we move from wars to end all wars to peace to end all war?

Citizens across the United States are now uniting in a great cause to establish a Department of Peace, seeking nothing less than the transformation of our society, to make non-violence an organizing principle, to make war archaic through creating a paradigm shift in our culture for human development for economic and political justice and for violence control. Its work in violence control will be to support disarmament, treaties, peaceful coexistence and peaceful consensus building. Its focus on economic and political justice will examine and enhance resource distribution, human and economic rights and strengthen democratic values.

Domestically, the Department of Peace would address violence in the home, spousal abuse, child abuse, gangs, police-community relations conflicts and work with individuals and groups to achieve changes in attitudes that examine the mythologies of cherished world views, such as 'violence is inevitable' or 'war is inevitable'. Thus it will help with the discovery of new selves and new paths toward peaceful consensus.

The Department of Peace will also address human development and the unique concerns of women and children. It will envision and seek to implement plans for peace education, not simply as a course of study, but as a template for all pursuits of knowledge within formal educational settings.

Violence is not inevitable. War is not inevitable. Nonviolence and peace are inevitable. We can make of this world a gift of peace which will confirm the presence of universal spirit in our lives. We can send into the future the gift which will protect our children from fear, from harm, from destruction.


peace will prevail!
DR

[JohnKleeb]

1. Happy 2nd anniversity grand old dream

This is why I support the guy he comes from the heart.

[Rainbowreflect]

2. Everytime I hear or read his words, I am more strongly behind this man.

What a beautify belief in humanity he has. Imagine.

[LWolf]

3. Give the gift of peace with a vote for DK.

We can make of this world a gift of peace which will confirm the presence of universal spirit in our lives. We can send into the future the gift which will protect our children from fear, from harm, from destruction.

We have a chance to do just that. Kucinich in the white house is that gift to the world. We are constantly asked to give to this or that cause with our wallets. Here's our opportunity to give with our votes.

[Dragonfly]

4. Thanks for placing this great...

and ever-so-timely message in front of us, DR.

I first learned of the Department of Peace 3 years ago. After
a thorough reading of the composite conceptual framework, studying the spiritual-political evolution of the Cleveland-based congressman
became a regular part of my research regimen.

We stand at an important crossroads which has ripple effects reverberating way beyond the national dilemma. Thinking long-term big-picture is the world that I live in a lot now. However, the short-term goal is always about "connections" for me, second-by-second.

It heartens me to read your clearly pro-Kucinich, selfless creative passion voiced so eloquently in these threads.

Thanks.

[goobergunch]

5. Leg Update for the 108th Congress (LONG)

H.R. 1673, to establish a Department of Peace.

Introduced by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Cleveland) on 8 April 2003:

---

Mr. KUCINICH. Madam Speaker, in a moment I will introduce legislation with 46 cosponsors to create a Department-level office of peace and the Department of Peace is introduced at this moment when it seems that war is inevitable, when our troops are in the streets of Baghdad, when members of the administration talk about the possibility of invasion of Iran and the possibility of invasion of Syria.

This is the moment when we need to ask whether war is inevitable or not. This is the moment when a Department of Peace can take steps to making nonviolence an organizing principle in our society and when we can create a structure in our government where we can strive to make war itself archaic.

Forty-seven Members of Congress have put their names on this legislation because we are at a moment in the history of our Nation and in the world where we need to be asking questions. Is war inevitable? Forty-seven Members of Congress say no. Is peace inevitable? The answer must be yes.

---

Cosponsors:
Rep Abercrombie, Neil - 4/8/2003
Rep Baldwin, Tammy - 4/8/2003
Rep Brown, Sherrod - 4/8/2003
Rep Carson, Julia - 4/8/2003
Rep Clay, Wm. Lacy - 4/8/2003
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. - 4/8/2003
Rep Cummings, Elijah E. - 4/8/2003
Rep Davis, Danny K. - 4/8/2003
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. - 4/8/2003
Rep Evans, Lane - 4/8/2003
Rep Farr, Sam - 4/8/2003
Rep Filner, Bob - 4/8/2003
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. - 4/8/2003
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. - 4/8/2003
Rep Hinchey, Maurice D. - 4/8/2003
Rep Holt, Rush D. - 6/10/2003
Rep Honda, Michael M. - 4/8/2003
Rep Jackson, Jesse L., Jr. - 4/8/2003
Rep Jackson-Lee, Sheila - 4/8/2003
Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice - 4/8/2003
Rep Jones, Stephanie Tubbs - 4/8/2003
Rep Lee, Barbara - 4/8/2003
Rep Lewis, John - 4/8/2003
Rep Maloney, Carolyn B. - 4/8/2003
Rep McDermott, Jim - 4/8/2003
Rep McGovern, James P. - 4/8/2003
Rep Meeks, Gregory W. - 4/8/2003
Rep Miller, George - 4/8/2003
Rep Nadler, Jerrold - 4/8/2003
Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes - 5/6/2003
Rep Oberstar, James L. - 4/8/2003
Rep Olver, John W. - 4/8/2003
Rep Owens, Major R. - 4/8/2003
Rep Payne, Donald M. - 4/8/2003
Rep Rahall, Nick J., II - 4/8/2003
Rep Rangel, Charles B. - 4/8/2003
Rep Ryan, Timothy J. - 4/8/2003
Rep Sanders, Bernard - 4/8/2003
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. - 4/8/2003
Rep Scott, Robert C. - 4/8/2003
Rep Serrano, Jose E. - 4/8/2003
Rep Solis, Hilda L. - 4/8/2003
Rep Stark, Fortney Pete - 4/8/2003
Rep Towns, Edolphus - 4/8/2003
Rep Udall, Mark - 4/8/2003
Rep Waters, Maxine - 4/8/2003
Rep Watson, Diane E. - 4/8/2003
Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. - 4/8/2003

4/8/2003: Referred to the Committee on Government Reform, and in addition to the Committees on International Relations, the Judiciary, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

5/2/2003: Referred to the Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on 21st Century Competitiveness
5/5/2003: Referred to the Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:h.r.01673:

[AnAmerican]

6. A kick for the DOP and DK

:kick:

And thanks Goobergunch for the legislative update. I was going to post that but you beat me to it.