After a successful afternoon of meetings Minnesota activists gather to thank Councilman Cam Gordon for sponsoring the resolution. left to right are Mary Jane LaVigne, Faith Kidder, Dot Maver, Sue Skog, Chelsea Skog, Councilman Gordon, Paul Rozycki

In 1948, when he was mayor of Minneapolis, Hubert Humphrey challenged our country to move forward on civil rights. Minneapolis Councilman Gary Schiff cited former Vice President Humphrey's example, in presenting a resolution for the Department of Peace at their August meeting, Claiming the economic and human costs of violence are too high in their city, cosponsors Cam Gordon, Ralph Remington and Diane Hofstede led other council members to a near unanimous endorsement.

Minnesota DOP activists of all ages attended the meeting. including Sage, Leif and River Royzki. They are the sons of Paul Royzki, who led the Minneapolis resolution effort. Though the young men are of elementary and pre-school age, they are receiving an early, higher education in activism.

A Message from our CD5 Team Leader in MN 
The Minneapolis City Council Passes the A resolution supporting the establishment of a department of Peace

This really is a story of how one person makes a difference.

Last fall Paul Rozycki approached me about getting a resolution passed the Minneapolis city council.  He gathered some of his neighbors invited his Alderman and  his Alderman seemed impressed. A few months later he contacted him and a few other City Council Members.  In the spring of this year he seemed to have three of the seven votes needed. Then Mary Jane LaVigne suggested that perhaps when Dot was in town she could meet with them.  Paul got earnest about calling people. Two weeks before Dot came we still didn't have the meetings with her and the council members set. I suggested we go down to City Hall personally and try to put the meetings together. So Paul and I took his three sons and my grandson ages 2-8years and went down and camped out in the city council waiting room  as the receptionist called each City Council Member's office one by one.

Two hours later we had confirmed three members willing to meet and some good leads on some other Members.  When Paul got home there was a message that two City Council Members Cam Gordon and Gary Schiff had agreed to sponsor the resolution.The meetings with Dot and the city council members  and in some cases their aides as their representatives went fantastic. The last meeting of the day was awesome. It was so much fun to watch as council members and Aides brainstormed what it would really look like for their neighborhoods if there was a Department of Peace.

The actual passing was anti-climatic and perfunctory. It was done in a second, after months of tireless work by Paul.  Wow that was easy

I think it helped that we had had a successful Kucinich contingent in Minneapolis in 2004  and that the DFL progressive caucus supported the Department of Peace. But the clincher was the legislation itself. What city council person doesn't want to decrease violence in their community? I am very happy I was able to be a part of this initiative and very grateful to Paul for his perseverance.

In Peace,
Faith Kidder
CD5 Coordinator

   

Left to right in back: Paul Ostrow ,Scott Benson, Robert Lilligren, Gary Schiff, Cam Gordon, MaryJane LaVigne. Front Left to Right: Diane Hofstede, Elizabeth Glidden, Faith Kidder, Willy Crary On their knees in front: Paul Rozycki with his sons: Sage, River, and Leif