U.S. Campaign for a Department of Peace

About me:

Ideas for Change in America began as a nationwide competition following the election of Barack Obama to identify the best ideas for change in America. After the submission of 7,875 ideas and 675,943 votes, a community emerged to fight for the implementation of the top 10 ideas!

Appoint a Secretary of Peace in Department of Peace and Nonviolence received the 2nd largest number of overall votes, a whopping 14,997 votes!! Due to an impressive technology campaign this idea was able to reach masses of people, some for the first time and the public support was clear.

This idea was voted as one of the TOP 10 IDEAS FOR CHANGE IN AMERICA IN 2009 because of you!!

You can continue to support this cause by joining the U.S. Department of Peace Movement on Change.org ....



On January 16, Change.org and the Case Foundation co-hosted an event at the National Press Club in Washington, DC to announce the top 10 rated ideas and the ideas were given to the Obama Administration. A national campaign has been launched behind each idea, mobilizing the collective energy of the millions of members of Change.org, MySpace, and partner organizations to ensure that each winning idea gets the full consideration of the Obama Administration and Members of Congress.

Congratulations to the American Public for bringing real change to President Obama's desk.

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There is a nationwide pro-peace movement. In all 50 States there are Department of Peace groups, asking for support to help prevent violence in our own country and treat it as a national priority. We can achieve this by encouraging our Congressional Representatives to cosponsor federal legislation. HR-808 is a violence-prevention bill currently sitting in Congress with 70 co-sponsors. We want every American citizen to know about it, get involved and ask your Congressman or Congresswomen to support the bill by cosponsoring and championing HR-808 among their peers.
We’re not an Anti-War group and we aren't protesting anything... We are about Change. We’ve chosen to invest our energy into something positive, we can help create, that has practical solutions.
This is our chance to‘Stand up for Peace’ in our communities and our country. Please help by taking action to ensure the passage of this bill for the creation of a United States Department of Peace. True change comes from a combined effort of citizens wanting it and then a government system or officials supporting it.
"Take an action and change the future.
The Bill:
The bill calls for the creation of a 'U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence' within the President’s Cabinet. Doing this would provide the political strength and resources needed to create a national shift in our culture towards a pro peace-building community. As a cabinet-level position, which means it would operate on the same levels as the Department of Homeland Security or Department of Agriculture, the Department of Peace and Nonviolence would research and develop the latest in violence prevention strategies. It would also advise the President on how to non-violently address domestic and international conflict before it results in large scale violence. Establishing a Federal Department dedicated solely towards peace building, conflict resolution and violence reduction policies and programs, provides the political strength needed to shift our focus from reacting to the aftermath of violence, to understanding and eliminating the root causes of violence.
The Goals:

• * Teach violence prevention in schools, grades K through 12th; as well as develop new educational programs that promote conflict resolution among school children.

• * Focus on reducing the levels of domestic violence, gang violence, child abuse and drug and alcohol related violence by developing policies and providing funds for anti-violence educational programs.

• * Effectively treat gang violence and work to rehabilitate the prison population.

• * Focus on peace-making efforts among conflicting cultures within America and other countries.

• * Support our military with alternative, approaches to peace-building and cultural understanding.

• * Provide assistance to law officers and city, county, state governments by supporting, existing, community building programs within their own cities and local communities

• * Create a U.S. Peace Studies Academy, on the same level as the U.S. Military Academy.

• * and much more…