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Re: Peace Blogs

Peacetalk — Sat, 10 Dec 2005 15:10:56 -0500

Jason White wrote:

Read the thoughts of others at this site that hosts blogs from around the world. www.peaceblogs.org.

Thank you for your contribution to:
http://www.propeace.eu

Re: Text of Congressman James McGovern's Speech

BALUMUENE SANTOS — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 08:17:22 -0400

Jason White wrote:

Text of the speech given by Congressman James McGovern on March 5, 2005 at First Parish in Concord, Massachusetts.

WHY I SUPPORT A US DEPARTMENT OF PEACE

Thank you, Pat, for those kind words of introduction.

I want to thank Dave Dunn, Carol Dwyer and Pat Simon for inviting me to participate in this special event.

Please let me begin by expressing my own appreciation and support for the efforts of everyone in this room to make this world a more peaceful place.

It means a great deal to me to meet people and organizations that are committed to building a more peaceful world and using peaceful, non-violent means as a tool of action, as a tool to create social change.

I know that you all have the skill, the experience and the commitment to work towards improving the human condition. I know that you believe, like I do, that by working together, we can develop creative and innovative ways to increase the impact of peace-building at all levels of society, nationally and internationally. And if there is one thing I am sure of, itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s that we can make a difference.

I know that Dave just summarized the key elements of H.R. 1673, which was the bill number in the 108th Congress, of legislation to establish a Cabinet-level U.S. Department of Peace. I know that my good friend and colleague, Dennis Kucinich of Ohio, plans to reintroduce this legislation soon, and I am already on his list as an original cosponsor of this bill.

This bill Ã¢â‚¬â€œ and the vision of Congressman Kucinich Ã¢â‚¬â€œ embrace a broad-based approach to non-violent conflict resolution, both here at home and internationally. A Department of Peace would actually serve to promote non-violence as an organizing principle in our society, and promote non-violence as a fundamental value of our society. In effect, it seeks to help create the conditions for a less violent, more peaceable world.

Domestically, the Department would be responsible for developing policies to address such issues as domestic violence, child abuse, and the mistreatment of the elderly. Internationally, it would make recommendations to the President on the protection and promotion of human rights, and the prevention and de-escalation of international conflict.

One aspect of this bill that I like very much is that the Department would have an Office of Peace Education to work with educators in elementary, secondary and higher education on the development and implementation of curricula to teach students in conflict resolution skills. It would also create a Peace Academy, modeled after our military service academies, where the best and the brightest would receive instruction in peace education and offer opportunities for graduates to serve in programs dedicated to domestic or international conflict resolution.

Many people might dismiss this proposal out of hand as utopian, but let me talk about a couple of aspects of this proposed Department that demonstrate how efforts in this direction are already underway.

Let me start with the Peace Academy. I happen to be the Democratic Co-Chair of the Congressional Hunger Center. My Republican counterpart is Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri. The Hunger Center is dedicated to training up the next generation of leaders in the fight against hunger. Many people think ending hunger is an idealistic and impossible goal. I donÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t. I think itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a matter of political will. And I can tell you that every year, we are flooded with applications from some of the best graduate students in the country to spend one year working as fellows in domestic hunger organizations and domestic hunger policy-making offices Ã¢â‚¬â€œ or two years working one year as a fellow in an overseas placement targeting hunger and then one year back here in the United States in an international policy-making placement addressing hunger issues.

I can guarantee you that many of these young men and women would have been happy to apply for admission to a Peace Academy, if they had been offered such an opportunity.

We need to remember Ã¢â‚¬â€œ once upon a time, there was no Peace Corps; there was no VISTA program; there was no Department of Education, for that matter. It took leaders with visions to create these programs and agencies. This case is no different.

War is always presented as something inevitable, a tragic aspect of human nature, and an unfortunate, but necessary, means of ensuring peace and stability.

Well, war is not inevitable unless we refuse to work Ã¢â‚¬â€œ patiently and tirelessly Ã¢â‚¬â€œ for peace.

War with Iraq was presented as inevitable. In fact, it was presented as so necessary that the failure to go to war would result in the demise or imminent harm of the United States. Except it was all a lie. No weapons of mass destruction. No ties to the al-Qaeda terrorist network. No imminent threat whatsoever. And yet, those of us who raised questions about the rationale leading up to the war are still held up to public criticism, even though the questions we were raising were correct Ã¢â‚¬â€œ and even though the alternative action we were proposing, namely letting the UN arms inspectors complete their mission, would have resolved all the unanswered questions.

IsnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t it time to insist that our leaders suspend their incessant talk of preventive war? Of their presumed right act unilaterally? IsnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t it time that we insist upon Ã¢â‚¬Å“preventive diplomacyÃ¢â‚¬Â and our obligation to lead and work with the world community on matters of global security?

I have a vision of nations working together, using what President Roosevelt called the Ã¢â‚¬Å“science of human relationshipsÃ¢â‚¬Â to end conflicts before they flare into full-fledged armed war. That is the basis for the creation of a Department of Peace.

When Walter Cronkite first heard that legislation had been introduced in the Congress to create a Department of Peace, he stated Ã¢â‚¬Å“there is an urgency to its adoption. In this dangerous world, where the strength of the United States is needed to keep the peace, we need a visible manifestation of our intention to play that role, without the arrogance that cost us friends and allies among the nations and peoples of the world.Ã¢â‚¬Â

Well, I agree with Walter Cronkite.

There is an urgency. There is a need. And this is the time for vision and for action.

We need to continue to press our government Ã¢â‚¬â€œ and governments around the world Ã¢â‚¬â€œ to work within the international system of law and justice.

You must continue to use your voice to demand change in U.S. policies that escalate conflict, violence, the violation of human rights, and war.

And I will continue to help you in this effort by playing a similar role in Congress.

I know that together, we will succeed.

Preliminary Reactions

Susan Livingston — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 13:18:22 -0400

Section 202 is really powerful! I don't remember the House Bill taking over responsibilities from the Department of State but rather acting in conjunction in an "advisory" capacity. The Senate Bill is a closer approximation to Walter Cronkite's idea that the Department of State may be obsolete! Why not simply rename the Department of State and demote the Secretary of State to the position of Undersecretary for International Peacebuilding Activities in the DoP?

Also, I notice that the sense of this legislation is not to elevate the U.S. Institute of Peace to a Cabinet-level position as I was once led to believe.

Could the Peace Corps be "renovated" into the Peace Academy?

Section 112 seems a bit stronger than the "must consult" clause in the House Bill, too.

"Blue in a Red State"

Senate Committees

Susan Livingston — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 12:44:57 -0400

Thanks, Jason. I'll have a parallel report by State and District shortly (like I did for the four House Committees) so that we'll know how we can most effectively focus our lobbying efforts.

"Blue in a Red State"

Senate bill

Jason White — Wed, 05 Oct 2005 09:40:32 -0400

The conference was amazing, and it was good to have the South Carolina perspective in our midst.

I've put the full text of the senate bill S.1756 here.

MA DoP Campaign Model

Susan Livingston — Tue, 04 Oct 2005 12:23:14 -0400

It was pure joy to join the MA delegation for some of their planning sessions at the conference, and then to attend some of the above-mentioned events the following week. The power of people working together to make manifest a common dream is in such contrast to the experience of those of us from places where the network is not so strong, or where those in power are not so responsive.

That you live in a different world was painfully underscored for me as I crossed the SC state line and passed through the town called Coward. A little further along, I noted a sign that identified Trash Road. I drove on the Purple Heart Freeway. All around me, I see self-denigration and the glorification of violence. Fortunately, I was carrying a full-capacity load of love from the NVC retreat in Litchfield, CT, and what I saw and sensed filled me with a compassionate sadness rather than anger and despair.

An addition to the above report on the presentation by Rev./Dr. Smock of the U.S. Institute of Peace is called for. When asked to comment on his position during the question/answer session, he seemed to dance around the issues and ended with a half-hearted endorsement. In my discussion with him at the reception following his presentation, it was clear that he was truly torn. On the one hand, he welcomed the idea of a strengthened budget and staff - as would any agency whose resources fall short of meeting the needs for their services. However, he feared that the effectiveness of his organization would be compromised by becoming an agency of the federal government. Let us address this very real concern.

It is also worth noting that the Senate legislation would elevate the U.S. Institute of Peace to a Cabinet-level position rather than "folding" it into a new Department. To me, this is an improvement on the Bill in the House, and it underlines the importance of turning the attention of networks in Districts where the Representative is already a sponsor of the House Bill to promoting the Senate legislation. However, let us be certain that our domestic issues are still addressed, and that we still get our Peace Academy. I believe it is possible to amend a Bill after it is introduced.

In order to elevate Senator Mark Dayton's effort from a token gesture to some charming young constituents to a serious political movement, we must take him and his efforts to our hearts to the same extent as we have done with Representative Dennis Kucinich and his efforts. "The legislation" is now an ambiguous expression; let us talk about the House Bill or the Senate Bill. How can we get The Peace Alliance to shift some of their resources to Senator Dayton and his Bill? I have not yet read the text of the Bill; it is not available for download at The Peace Alliance. I have not yet seen a summary of the Bill that can be used as a networking tool. Thank you for the link to his website. Can we get media made available on his appearances like we do for Dennis and Marianne?

If we want to make support for the DoP a campaign issue in Senate races around the nation in the '06 election, these tools are badly needed. (By the way, do we know in which states there will be Senate campaigns so that we can mobilize our network?) I hope that since the MA DoP Campaign is well-organized, highly effective, and the home of propeace.net, they will take a leadership role in this effort. We need you, MA!

"Blue in a Red State"

Re: Stratford High School Drug Raid

Jason White — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 22:20:27 -0400

Susan Livingston wrote:

...but I believe that guns have no place in schools...

It's another example of a horribly mixed up message. Kids are told "No guns in school." But then government agents go into the school bearing arms. It's as if agents of the government believe the laws do not apply to them. We need better mechanisms to respond when law enforcement breaks the law. What have been the results of the lawsuits filed by the parents?

Stratford High School Drug Raid

Susan Livingston — Thu, 04 Aug 2005 12:54:37 -0400

If you have listened to the above, you might wonder what I was talking about when I said that if I had been teaching at Stratford High School when the raid was conducted, I wouldn't be here today. The Stratford High School raid happened in early November of '03. It took eight or nine months to sort out this episode of [understatement] poor police/community relations [/understatement], and the case drew the attention of the FBI, ACLU, and NAACP. It stands in stark contrast to the example of the police/gang intervention I described that is happening currently in Watts.

Here is what I saw on the videotape that was presented on the evening news. The school had been paid a surprise early-morning visit by a group of police with their drug-sniffing dogs. They appear on the surveillance camera with guns drawn and dogs straining at their leashes. The stream of students is crouched with head covered or lying on the floor in fetal position at the foot of the lockers. Later, the principal resigned his position, and there were numerous law suits brought by the parents against the school, the police, etc. There were investigations by the above-named groups. The controversy raged on the editorial pages about the undue show of force and the use of racial profiling in the planning of the raid.

As far as I was concerned, those students were victims of an act of terrorism perpetrated by their so-called protectors. If my classroom had been in that hall, my own knee-jerk reflex to protect those for whom I am responsible would have directed me NOT to lie on the floor, but rather to do what I could to protect "my" students. I probably would have tried to hustle as many as possible into my classroom where they could sit with dignity while waiting for whatever was going on in the hallway to be sorted out. I may have been shot or mangled in the process, but I believe that guns have no place in schools, and as a teacher, I always tried to keep my "domain" as safe and friendly as possible.

"Blue in a Red State"

Congratulations!

Susan Livingston — Thu, 07 Jul 2005 11:37:13 -0400

Hi, Massachusetts! South Carolina here. I have family ties to your state; my son, daughter-in-law, and three grandsons live in District 5, and my mother's family is from Adams, in the westernmost part of your state. I went there often as a small child. My first mountain view was from Greylock Mountain.

You only have one Congressional District to go until MA goes from light gray to dark gray on the map at The Peace Alliance, and I hope that happens before the conference in September. You must be so proud to have three out of 10 of your Congresspeople signed on as sponsors of the DoP Bill. Keep up the good work! You are a model for the rest of the nation.

I'm looking forward to meeting you in September.

"Blue in a Red State"

KUCINICH

Susan Livingston — Wed, 04 May 2005 19:12:56 -0400

...spoke to an ACLU group in which he chastised Howard Dean for his abandonment of the propeace agenda, according to an open letter I just received from his website. He certainly is a man who speaks his mind. I have to admire his clarity, but I find his tone confrontational. While we're on the subject of framing, I think he could have expressed his regret at losing such a great [fill in the blank with speaker, politician, diplomat, thinker - I don't know much about Dean] to the cause of peace. He might as well have called Dean a traitor! Of course, we must take our audience into account; lawyers do tend to be more confrontational in style. However, I hope that "open" letter wasn't too open or the righties are going to use it as further evidence of divisiveness on the left. Maybe I just got it because I'm registered at his website. (But I'm sure the righties have their own intelligence system monitoring that site.)