WHEREAS , on February 5, 2007, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, Democrat of Ohio, for himself and on behalf of 51 other members of the United States House of Representatives, introduced House Bill 808 (HR 808) in the United States House of Representatives to create a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence, which has since garnered the co-sponsorship of more than sixty members of the United States House of Representatives;

WHEREAS, the United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence would be a cabinet-level Department headed by a Secretary of Peace who will advise the President on issues that are both domestic and international in scope;

WHEREAS, the establishment of a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence will benefit the City of [INSERT CITY NAME HERE] by holding peace as an organizing principle of American society;

WHEREAS, the establishment of a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence will benefit the City of [INSERT CITY NAME HERE] by supporting existing programs and developing new programs that relate to the societal challenges of domestic violence, school violence, gang violence, guns, racial or ethnic violence, violence against gays and lesbians, and police-community relations and disputes, which will assist members of our Police Department in experiencing fewer dangerous encounters, especially while making routine runs;

WHEREAS, the establishment of a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence will benefit the City of [INSERT CITY NAME HERE] by promoting the development and distribution to the states and their schools a peace curriculum and supporting materials for building communicative peace skills, nonviolent conflict resolutions skills, and knowledge of peace processes;

WHEREAS, the establishment of a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence will benefit the City of [INSERT CITY NAME HERE] by encouraging and supporting the development of nonviolent conflict resolution and violence prevention initiatives from within the community, including its religious groups and non-governmental organizations, thus creating greater community involvement and thereby a strong, stable, cohesive civil society in and around the city;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of [INSERT CITY NAME HERE] supports and endorses the establishment of a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of [INSERT CITY NAME HERE] urges [LIST NAMES OF LOCAL AREA REPRESENTATIVES WHO DO NOT CURRENTLY CO-SPONSOR THE LEGISLATION] to sign on as a co-sponsor of the proposed federal legislation to create a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence and to use the powers of their office to otherwise actively support its passage among their colleagues in Congress; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of [INSERT CITY NAME HERE] urges U.S. Senators [INSERT NAMES OF YOUR STATE’S SENATORS] to introduce a companion Bill into the United States Senate to create a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence and actively support its passage.