When I first became involved in the Campaign for the DoP, I printed out the Bill from www.thepeacealliance.org so that I could prepare myself to answer any questions that were addressed to me regarding its provisions. I got a two-page summary that says very little and 14 pages of dry legislatese. Actually, Article 1 (Findings) is quite inspiring; it reads like an essay/history lesson. The rest, though, is pretty dry. Tonight, in the course of a forum discussion on the Kucinich site (www.kucinich.us), I wrote a summary of the Offices that would be created by the DoP, and it took HOURS of poring over my printout. Rather than waste all that effort, I thought I'd reproduce it here.

The DoP Bill (H.R. 1673) organizes the Department as follows:

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1. Peace Education and Training - establish Peace Academy, develop curriculum from elementary to postgraduate level, provide educational and Block Grant programs, coordinate with Secretary of Education

2. Domestic Peace Activities - develop effective drug and alcohol abuse prevention programs, teach alternative strategies and techniques to existing law enforcement bodies, promote tolerance and celebration of diversity

3. International Peace Activities - deploy Peace Academy and other personnel; sponsor peacebuilding initiatives in areas of social, ploitical, or economic strife; advocate for a multinational peace force; administer postconflict reconstruction and demobilization; facilitate international exchange of peacebuilding personnel; serve on the National Security Council

4. Technology for Peace - provide grants for nonviolent, sustainable technologies for transportation, communications, and energy

5. Arms Control and Disarmament - safely and securely reduce, eliminate, and/or dismantle WMDs; participate in interagency, international, non-governmental assessments; develop strategies, provide technical support and legal assistance to deter land, air, sea, or space testing or use of WMDs; maintain archive of contracts, agreements, and treaties to these ends

6. Peaceful Coexistence and Nonviolent Conflict Resolution - study the impact of war on environment and public health (especially children) using the United Nations 10-point agenda, publish a monthly journal, share effective community peacebuilding efforts internationally and domestically, report annually on the effect of violence in the media, sponsor conferences on peacebuilding

7. Human and Economic Rights - support the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations: incorporate the Declaration into all agreements between the US and other nations (with the Secretary of State), recommend non-violent responses to correct domestic and international abuse of the Declaration, interface with other interested agencies, create a climate of respect (with non-governmental agencies), rectify scarcity of resources, administer funding for promotion of sustainability (with Secretary of State and Secretary of Treasury), promote compliance with international labor rights laws (with Secretary of State and Secretary of Labor)

8. General Counsel - provide coordinating forum to promote Department agenda and report to the Chief Executive

9. Interagency Committee on Peace - coordinate Department agenda with other federal agencies

There is also a "Consultation Required" Section (112) that mandates involvement of the Department with actions of the Department of State and/or the Department of Defense in any imminent, ongoing, or recently concluded international conflict or for military deployment within the US, and with the Executive Branch in drafting treaties and peace agreements. There is provision for the transfer of existing agencies to the DoP: Peace Corps, US Institute of Peace, Arms Control and International Security Affairs (Department of State), Gang Resistance Education and Training Program of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, SafeFutures (Office of Juvenile Justice) and Delinquency Prevention (Department of Justice). Finally, creation of a Peace Day to discuss peacebuilders and their activities and achievements is mandated.