Greetings Department of Peace supporters!

Congressman Martin T. Meehan of Massachusetts' 5th district has signed on to the Department of Peace and Nonviolence bill (HR-3760). Meehan is the second congressman in as many months to sign on to the bill, building momentum behind the efforts of the Massachusetts Campaign for a U.S. Department of Peace (http://www.madop.org) to get all Massachusetts members of congress to sign onto the bill. "We're going for the domino effect," said Pat Simon, state co-coordinator of the Massachusetts campaign.

Please call the congressman and thank him for supporting this bill. We want to make sure he knows how much we all appreciate this! Also, urge the congressman to work with the House Judiciary Committee to get a hearing for the bill, a first step toward getting the bill to the floor of the House for a vote.

Lobbying began in 2002 when a group from First Parish in Concord visited the congressman's Lowell office. Efforts intensified this year, and finally after months of active lobbying the deal was closed at a "Town Meeting" held by Congressman Meehan last Saturday, December 3, 2005. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss ideas about getting the troops home from Iraq. Linda Fields, MA-5th district co-coordinator for the Department of Peace campaign, along with Pat Simon and Jason White, state co-coordinators, approached the congressman both before and after the meeting about signing on to the Department of Peace bill. "I'll sign that bill," said Congressman Meehan, "It sends a message." The congressman also announced his intention during the meeting in front of about 200 attendees as well as a televised audience.

Meehan, who started his Congressional career in 1993, serves on two committees that are of particular importance to the legislation and the objectives of the proposed Department. The Judiciary committee is one of the four committees to which the bill has been referred for hearings. Meehan and his colleague Congressman John Conyers, who also co-sponsors the legislation, will continue to work on scheduling a hearing in an effort to move the bill to the floor of the House of Representatives for a vote.

The second committee on which Congressman Meehan serves that is of importance to the objectives of the Department of Peace and Nonviolence is the Armed Services Committee. Through his regular contact with both civilian and military personnel in the Department of Defense, Meehan is in a unique position to relay information about how the Department of Peace would support the work of our armed forces. Our troops need more than just candy to hand out to children to build peace on the ground in a conflict situation. They need the proven professional mediation and conflict resolution skills that a Department of Peace could provide.

Congratulations and thank you to Congressman Meehan for "sending a message" of peace and non-violence. Our world certainly needs more messages like this to be sent. And many, many thanks to those who helped to make this happen including Linda Fields, Emily Alston-Follansbee, Barbara Walker, Bill Deignan, Joe Andrews, Carlene Clements, Dave Dunn, Carol Dwyer and Grassroots Action for Peace, Loretta FIlipov and September 11th Families, Susan Hughes and Planning for Peace, the Social Action Committee at First Parish in Concord, and everyone in the 5th district who held meetings, got petitions signed, called the congressman, talked to their neighbor and supported the campaign.

In Peace and Gratitude,

Pat Simon and Jason White
State Co-coordinators
The Massachusetts Campaign for a U.S. Department of Peace