Telluride Watch (Colorado)
By Judith Ingalls, M.D.
(Department of Peace Campaign)
Guest Commentary
February 19, 2007

Are you aware that there is a powerful, nonpartisan grassroots movement percolating in our nation, a shining light of advocacy returning to Capitol Hill? Last week, in Washington, D.C., a piece of legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives to create a cabinet level Department of Peace. House Bill 808, submitted Feb. 5,2007, will place into our executive branch of government a powerhouse of expertise for peace building and negotiation. The Department of Peace will research, articulate and facilitate nonviolent solutions to domestic and international conflicts.

The major thrust of the bill, which has strong international as well as domestic components, will assure that a Secretary of Peace will sit at the table with other cabinet members to strengthen our nation and reestablish our credibility in the world as peacekeepers. So far, 52 members of the 110th Congress have cosigned the original bill and many more are showing interest. There is significant momentum to make this legislation happen.

The objectives of the U. S. Department of Peace are to:

* Research, facilitate, and articulate peaceful nonviolent solutions to conflict, both domestically and internationally.
* Support our military with complementary approaches ending violence.
* Provide educational programs to help ameliorate domestic violence, school violence, and conflict between law enforcement officers and the community
* Establish an Academy of Peace to train personnel in nonviolent conflict resolution

A thousand citizens, young and old, black and white, Democrat and Republican, students, retirees and families attended the Peace Alliance conference in Washington, D.C. recently to support the legislation and lobby Congress. My 15-year-old son and I had the privilege to attend this conference and meet with our Congressman John Salazar at his office on Capitol Hill. He listened carefully to what we had to say and supported our concern to create an effective way to promote peace building in our country. This legislation can do just that.

A U.S. Department of Peace is not a new idea. In 1792, the blueprint for such a department was suggested by two highly patriotic humanitarian reformers: Benjamin Banneker, a noted scientist, surveyor and editor, and Benjamin Rush, a medical doctor and educator who signed the Declaration of Independence. A friend of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, Rush served as physician general during the Revolutionary War. The two men wrote “A Plan of a Peace Office for the United States.” It is time to transform this U.S. doctrine into concrete political reality and make peace central to our everyday life.

“It isn’t enough to talk about peace,” said Eleanor Roosevelt. “One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”

We hope that you will acquaint yourself with this legislation (and the Peace Alliance) and contact your members of Congress soon if you are willing to support this very special effort.

To learn more or become involved visit www.ThePeaceAlliance.org.

To contact your Congressman call the U.S. Capitol switchboard: 202/224-3121 or visit www.congress.org to send an email.