Congresswoman Barbara Lee on Friday introduced a new bill in the House of Representatives that would create a Cabinet-level "Department of Peacebuilding."
In a press release, Lee said "peacebuilding” encompasses both activities that target the root causes of violence and broad measures used to prevent violent conflict and create sustainable peace.
Lee represents California's 13th Congressional District, which includes Albany, Berkeley, Oakland, Emeryville, Alameda and San Leandro.
Here is the complete press release from Lee's office:
Washington, D.C.—Today, Congresswoman Barbara Lee introduced H.R. 808, the “Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2013” to create a cabinet-level Secretary and Department of Peacebuilding. The term “peacebuilding” refers both to activities that target the root causes of violence as well as the broad measures used to prevent violent conflict and create sustainable peace.
“This culture of violence that we live in is unacceptable. On our streets and across the globe, the pervasive presence of violence has infected the lives of millions, and it is far past time we address it as a nation. We invest hundreds of billions each year in the Pentagon, in war colleges, military academies, and our national defense universities all to develop war tactics and strategies. Now we need that kind of investment in peace and nonviolence here at home,” said Congresswoman Barbara Lee.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each life cut short by a homicide costs the U.S. economy $1.65 million. Worldwide, the Institute for Economics and Peace estimates that violence and conflict cost the global economy $9 trillion in 2011.
Congresswoman Lee continued, “The Department of Peacebuilding advances the good work of my friend and former colleague Congressman Kucinich and has the potential to reduce suffering on a national and global scale while saving billions of dollars through violence reduction and increased economic productivity.”
This proposed department would be charged with developing national strategies and programs for violence reduction both domestically and internationally. Working across agencies, the Secretary of Peacebuilding would sponsor conflict prevention and dispute resolution initiatives, facilitate peace summits between conflicting parties, encourage community policing, and support efforts by local community and religious groups to reduce gun violence, racial and ethnic violence, and prevent violence against women and LGBT Americans.
Original cosponsors include Representatives Robert Andrews, Yvette Clarke, John Conyers, Jr., Janice Hahn, James McGovern, Chellie Pingree, and Jared Polis.
What do you think of Congresswoman Lee's idea for a Department of Peacekeeping? Share you thoughts in the comments section below.
None of that is sustainable, and certainly doesn't educate us in how to work with limited resources, and with others taking the lead in their own regions. The whole of the non-defense foreign affairs/aid budget is a comparatively small fraction, and could be increased with some of the savings if we cut back defense spending, hard.
I don't understand how they can put time into a bill as ridiculous as this one when they still haven't passed a budget. Everyone needs to wake up. Stop voting for your party and vote out incumbents after two terms.
Perhaps; but it's more that the extremely naive OP's ideas are what makes Republicans possible. Her childlike ignorance is scary, and and perhaps just a PR scam to the equally ignorant. Let's make Rodney King the poster child: "Can't we all just get along.' Is there ANYTHING on her 'wish list', or 'goal statement', or 'to do' list that ISN"T ALREADY incorporated, and subsidized by us? Is there ANY politician that thinks they don't ALREADY support all of her goals?
I mean, who could have seen THIS coming? "In a shocking turn of events, after years of resistance Iran has unilaterally halted its own nuclear program. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad spoke to reporters late yesterday and announced the “total and complete” abandonment of “all efforts” toward creating a nuclear bomb. He cited “really nice U.S. diplomat” as the reason. “We were wholeheartedly committed to developing a nuclear bomb so that we could basically win the Middle East in its entirety for Allah, by destroying all of our enemies, in particular those Satans in Israel, but probably Saudi Arabia too, and anyone else who looked at us crosswise,” said Ahmedinejad. “We also really enjoyed shaking our little stick at the US and watching them bend over. But then this really nice man from the U.S. asked us to stop, so we did! We also gave the drone back. What do we need it for?” http://pjmedia.com/lifestyle/2012/01/11/iran-halts-nuclear-program-because-nice-diplomat-asked-them-to/
I think the term used for this is 'magical thinking.' As someone above said, she is behaving like a moron. I do wonder if she thinks, or if she just 'feels.'
Hey Barbara, how about coming up with AND passing a budget? Then in your spare time you can spend time on these trivial pursuits.
But I suspect the economy and U.S. technology will move forward better with the latter. No one has ever said there was such a thing as a 'humane' and 'just' war. Just say'n.
There is no cost to the city except to find a suitable public location for the Peace Stone Sculpture. According to David Jakupca, the Spiritual Father of the Environmental Arts Movement, The Stones are each handcrafted and are approximately 3 to 4 ft square and weight about 300 lbs are indestructible (vandal proof) and erects in a few hours.....(NOTE: specific Peace Stones will be designated as part of the National Coast-to-Coast Great American Peace Trail) Rep Lee, Governors, mayors, council members, civic leaders, business exec, teachers, parents, kids…. today, if we live up to our responsibilities and recommit to our tradition of civic participation, there is nothing our country can’t achieve. Please contact me directly at the ARK in Berea to expedite delivery of peace-carved-in-stone to your city park. Full Story: http://bereabuzz.blogspot.com/2013/02/building-national-coast-to-coast-great.html