Department of Peace and Nonviolence

These past few days (5 days), I’ve been attending the 3rd annual Department of Peace Conference. I got to meet really cool people and to listen to really dedicated peace makers around the nation. Before I go on, here’s a brief description about the DOP legislation (now has changed to HR 3760) by the Peace Alliance:

::The Dept. would establish nonviolence as an organizing principle of American society, providing the U.S. President with an array of peace-building policy options for domestic and international use. The Department would focus on nonmilitary peaceful conflict resolutions, prevent violence and promote justice and democratic principles to expand human rights. Domestically, the Department would be responsible for developing policies which address issues such as domestic violence, child abuse, mistreatment of the elderly, school and gang violence and other issues of cultural violence. Internationally, the Department would gather research, analyze foreign policy and make recommendations to the President on how to address the underlying causes of war and intervene before violence begins. The Department of Peace would systematically root out the causes of violence by creating new and innovative programs, as well as vastly increasing support of the many existing programs around our nation and the world that are already having a positive impact.::

What I was interested in was the role of the US military. Now, the purpose of the military is to provide security, not to kill but to deliver security…more importantly to deliver peace. The DOP will include all the positive movements. The environment, for example, will be transformed into some form of action because planet we called Earth is in a crisis phase. I was more interested in the prospect that the DOP will address issues of domestic and cultural violence where my beloved Linda Trinh was a victim of her assailant. I cannot share the details of her violent death, but I believe that the peace communities will help prevent further bloodshed of this kind. There hasn’t been closure that I seek. But I tell you, no military can provide for a stable emotional state. Violence begets violence. Azim Khamisa, one of the keynote speakers, says it best about dealing of grief and loss that “grief has to be transformed into a powerful commitment to change”. It’s a powerful notion of which I am still seeking.

I was so pleased that the conference went so well organized with influential speakers and dedicated people. Walter Cronkite the legendary CBS evening news anchorman gave his unequivocal support to the DOP in a public conversation with Congressman Dennis Kucinich (pictured above). Patch Adams(my second encounter with him) was being himself, always zestfully exuberance. I definitely envy that quality.

At any rate, since the conference the bill is already garnering support in Congress with 62 co-sponsors, including my Congressman Albert R. Wynn (4th district, Md). Haha, I was edgy at the meeting with his legislative director Alon Kupferman, but our persistence and commitment paid off. Woo hoo!! Now we just need 156 more congressmen to co-sponsor. I also would like to thank GG, SH, JH, FB and CS for making it possible for me to attend this conference.