Bay Area Group Promoting US Department of Peace

For Immediate release
March 10, 2002

Musicians and Fine Artists for World Peace held a concert on June 29, 2001 at 8 PM at Ashkenaz in Berkeley to begin a drive in support of a US Department of Peace. "Now we are working to bring together a coalition of San Francisco Bay area groups and individuals to actively support such a move," said Alan Moore, the group's founder. "In the midst of recent news accounts concerning President George W. Bush's proposal for a new missile defense system and proposals for new nuclear weapons and scenarios for their use, there is a growing world-wide concern that this will lead to a new nuclear arms race. Plans for a cabinet-level US Department of Peace will be a breath of fresh air and hope for peace loving people everywhere, Moore said.

According to Alan Moore, the group's Bay area director, "Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich has endorsed our plans to produce concerts and events in support of this effort. The Department of Peace Act, was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 11, 2001. Musicians and Fine Artists for World Peace has the potential to be an extremely vibrant advocate for World Change." The group plans to place full-page ads in Bay area newspapers and is looking for corporate, business and organizational support and sponsors for the ads, workshops and concerts that are being planned.

Volunteer opportunities include lobbying area legislators to cosponsor the bill, publicity, marketing, brochure design, flyering, telephoning, printing, business management, grant writing, event organizing, canvassing and fundraising. The group also needs volunteers and educators to get our nonviolence education programs within Bay area schools. Moore has been named the Western States Program Director for the International Association of Educators for World Peace-IAEWP. Last week at the their World Peace Conference in Greenwich England, a proclamation was endorsed asking the world's leaders to set up similar Departments of Peace in their perspective countries.

In the San Francisco Bay area a campaign to support a Depatment of Peace is under way. Activists, producers, dancers, musicians, and artists have been coming together to promote not only peace, but a cultural and musical renaissance reminiscent of what happened here in the sixties with the Be-Ins and Summer of Love. Bay area venues that have joined in this effort include Palookaville in Santa Cruz, Ashkenaz in Berkeley, Maritime Hall, Paradise Lounge, Anon Salon, Ambient Groove Temple and Earthdance International in San Francisco, New George's in San Rafael, the Groove Garden in Fairfax, the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, and Club Fab in Guerneville.

In addition to the group's interest in world peace and the environment, they also plan to work on campaign and election reform, the abolition or reform of the Electoral College, supporting a cabinet-level Department of Peace, reforming the criminal justice system and the three strikes law, making the office of public defender an elected position, corporate responsibility, supporting and developing sustainable communities, helping indigenous causes, increasing funding for art and music, and making life easier for artists and musicians who are an important ingredient to transforming and improving our lives. We will also be working in collaboration with Project Chrysalis.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) believes that a new, broad-based approach to peaceful, nonviolent conflict resolution at both domestic and international levels is needed.

"The time has come to review age-old challenges with new thinking," Kucinich said. "I am introducing this conceptual framework with the hopes that a Department of Peace can eventually emerge holding peace as an organizing principle in government while coordinating service to every level of American society."

The Department of Peace would be responsible for a wide range of activities which involve promoting and facilitating peaceful, nonviolent conflict resolution. Domestically, the Department of Peace would be charged with developing policies which address issues such as domestic violence, spousal abuse, child abuse and mistreatment of the elderly. The Department would also have an international mandate by analyzing foreign policy and making recommendations to the President on matters pertaining to national security, including the protection of human rights and the prevention and de-escalation of unarmed and armed international conflict.

For more info on the Department of Peace please see http://www.house.gov/kucinich/action/peace.htm or contact

Alan D. Moore
Musicians and Fine Artists for World Peace/Director
Butterfly Gardeners Association & Project Chrysalis/Director
1563 Solano Ave. #477, Berkeley, CA 94707
510-528-7730 Email: bflyspirit7@aol.com
http://www.butterflyspirit.org

Legislation Inroduced to Create Department Of Peace

FOR RELEASE: July 11, 2001

Washington, DC -- Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D-OH-10) today introduced legislation to create a cabinet level agency dedicated to peacemaking and the study of conditions that are conducive to peace.

"The time for peace is now," Congressman Kucinich said. "At the dawn of a new millennium, there is no better time to review age old challenges with new thinking that peace is not only the absence of violence, but the presence of a higher evolution of human awareness with respect, trust and integrity toward humankind. Our founding fathers recognized that peace was one of the highest duties of the newly organized free and independent states. But too often, we have overlooked the long-term solution of peace for instant gratification of war. This continued downward spiral of violence must stop to ensure that future generations will live in peace and harmony."

Kucinich's legislation to create a Department of Peace focuses on individual, group and national responsibilities of holding peace as an organizing principle. The Department of Peace will focus on nonmilitary peaceful conflict resolutions, prevent violence and promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights. A Peace Academy, similar to the five military service academies, would be created; its graduates dispatched to troubled areas around the globe to promote nonviolent dispute resolutions.

"The challenges inherent in creating a Department of Peace are massive," said Congressman Kucinich. "But the alternatives are worse. Violence at home, in the schools, in the media, and between nations has dragged down humanity. It's time to recognize that traditional, militant objectives for peace are not working, and the only solution is to make peace the goal of a cabinet level agency."

CONTACT: Kathie Scarrah, 202.226.8139, 703.845.2874

The summary of the bill Congressman Kucinich introduced today follows this local story on the Department of Peace.

SUMMARY OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACE LEGISLATION

Legislation introduced today by Congressman Dennis Kucinich to create a Department of Peace includes the following:

Establish a cabinet-level department in the executive branch of the Federal Government dedicated to peacemaking and the study of conditions that are conducive to both domestic and international peace.

Headed by a Secretary of Peace, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate.

The mission of the Department shall: hold peace as an organizing principle; endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights; strengthen nonmilitary means of peacemaking; promote the development of human potential; work to create peace, prevent violence, divert from armed conflict and develop new structures in nonviolent dispute resolution; and take a proactive, strategic approach in the development of policies that promote national and international conflict prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict and structured mediation of conflict.

The Department will create and establish a Peace Academy, modeled after the military service academies, which will provide a 4 year concentration in peace education. Graduates will be required to serve 5 years in public service in programs dedicated to domestic or international nonviolent conflict resolution.

The principal officers of the Department, in addition to the Secretary of Peace will include; the Under Secretary of Peace; the Assistant Secretary for Peace Education and Training; the Assistant Secretary for Domestic Peace Activities, the Assistant Secretary for International Peace Activities; the Assistant Secretary for Technology for Peace; the Assistant Secretary for Arms Control and Disarmament; the Assistant Secretary for Peaceful Coexistence and Nonviolent Conflict Resolution; the Assistant Secretary for Human and Economic Rights; and a General Counsel.

The first day of each year, January 1st will be designated as Peace Day in the United States and all citizens should be encouraged to observe and celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace in the coming year.

Please read the following letter from Congressman Kucinich supporting our work.

Congress of the United States
House of Representatives

June 4, 2001

Mr. Alan Moore
1563 Solano Ave. #477
Berkeley California 94707

Dear Mr. Moore:

I am writing to support the efforts of Musicians and Fine Artists for World Peace to create a more peaceful world. I am especially appreciative of your interest in discussing my proposal for the establishment of a Cabinet-level Department of Peace. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions or comments from group members.

I am pleased to learn that people are working hard to promote nonviolence. I am aware that you have the skill, the experience and the commitment to work towards improving the human condition. I believe that working cooperatively as a community of peace-seekers we can look forward to developing creative and innovative ways to increase the impact of peace building at all levels of society, nationally and internationally In the finest example of Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr., we can learn to confront our enemies with ahimsa, unconditional love. We can make a difference, of this I am sure!

Based on these beliefs, I have called for the establishment of a Cabinet-level Department of Peace, which shall maintain nonviolence as an organizing principle. Working at both national and international levels, it will resolve conflict in any form with a peaceful, nonviolent philosophy. It will be orientated toward the development of human potential, and will endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand universal human rights.

Domestically, it will analyze present policies. The Department will expand successful existing programs and develop new approaches to deal with the implements of violence.

The Department of Peace shall be empowered domestically to address all forms of violence within our communities. It will advocate on behalf of women victimized by violence, as well as address the problems of domestic violence, spousal abuse, child abuse, and mistreatment of the elderly. In collaboration with community and neighborhood organizations, including the schools in our communities, the Department of Peace shall assist in the establishment of community based violence prevention programs. It shall endeavor to create new policies which are responsive to the challenges of drug and alcohol abuse, and of crime.

The escalation of hate crimes in our society is undeniable. The reports of racial and ethnic violence, violence against gays and lesbians, and religiously motivated crimes are consistently increasing. I believe that working together we can create hate-free communities. The Department of Peace will provide for counseling strategies concerning hate crimes.

We must call upon America's youth for the purpose of creative peacemaking. The critical thinking capabilities of grade school, high school and college students can result in proactive solutions to the overwhelming presence of violence in our schools, including the presence of handguns, gang related violence, racial or ethnic violence and police-community relations disputes.

You may also be interested to know that the Peace Day I introduced passed Congress, making January 1, 2001 a day of peace and sharing. The resolution was introduced in the Senate by Senator Wellstone. The resolution expresses the sense of Congress that a day of peace and sharing should be established at the beginning of each year and that:

(1) each year should begin with a day of peace and sharing during which;

(A) people around the world should gather with family, friends, neighbors, their faith community, or people of another culture to pledge nonviolence in the new year and to share in a celebratory new year meal, and

(B) Americans who are able should match or multiply the cost of their new year meal with a timely gift to the hungry at home or abroad in a tangible demonstration of a desire for increased friendship and sharing among people around the world, and

(2) the President should issue a proclamation each year calling on the people of the United States and interested organizations to observe such a day with appropriate programs and activities.

Peace is an achievable goal! Let us continue to work together to initiate a dialogue on creating a culture of peace.

Sincerely,

Dennis Kucinich
Member of Congress

Please go to http://www.house.gov/kucinich/action/peace.htm for more information on the Depatment of Peace.