A Gift to my Co-Chair, Scott Roos and Committee
City Council Resolution ACTION Committee
Supporting:  Department of Peace HR 3760

It was a bit of a cold night for a meeting in Chicago. February, 2006.  I had visited my friends back in Scottsdale on a much warmer night last September.  They took me to so many meetings during this (so-called) vacation, to talk about this thing called the Department of Peace. People there seemed well informed, very dedicated and hard working and didn't sing “Cumbuya”.   A good thing.  That would have led to a quick exit by yours truly.
 
My friends in Arizona encouraged me to check out what I could do back in Chicago.  I remember feeling overwhelmed.  My husband Randy and I were trying to find a business to buy and I had just completed a Peace Journey trip to Morocco and a documentary.  When I returned to Chicago, I looked up the web site www.thepeacealliace.org <http://www.thepeacealliace.org/> , contacted some of the then leadership.  For months, I heard nothing back.  Leadership there was coming and going, it seemed.  And then, finally, a notice came to me and it was February.   And I thought what the heck.  How much trouble could I get into by going to one meeting? 
 
So there I was, sitting in a room of strangers in Streeterville. A neighborhood where i really never spent much time and now,  nine month’s later my new company Juvenesse resides.  I have had training in energy work, so I was trying to pick us some sort of vibe. Some vision if you were.  There were lists of things to do, they said.  So much to be done.  I remember forcing my right hand to stay on my lap so I wouldn’t volunteer.  Then, as if I were in a dream state, I heard myself say, “I will do it if Scott will be my Co-Chair”.  Scott?  Scott who?   I leaned forward from a perfectly aligned row of seats.  So did Scott.  Oh yeah, Scott.  He had introduced himself a few minutes ago. He said, “OK”, with a big smile.
 
Just like that. That’s how it started.
 
Scott and I created what we called the City Council Resolution ACTION Committee.  And I got a web page at www.chicagoDOPalliance.org <http://www.chicagodopalliance.org/>   and Scott created the content.  We invited people to our first meeting at Reza’s.  I could go on and on about the meetings and the people who came forth, and then just went away to their real jobs without a word, or only showed up when celebrity were in the room.  But I will save that for another story.
 
This story is about success.  This story is about two people who were dedicated to creating a story about the power of the human spirit.  Never once did our committee, which continued to build and grow, take the easy road.  We decided from day one, we wanted to stand for something important on all levels.  We were going to meet Alderman to support our Resolution who really could be impacted by this Department’s existence.  People who had to deal with crime, or came from a background where this kind of healing thing might help them to reach inside their soul, go back in time, and feel hope.
 
We created the Chicago Summer of Service.  That’s how we dealt with it.  We moved from our “Committee” into “Action”.  We teamed up with other nonprofit's, got the 18th District Police Department to lend us the Community Center for a week, and rounded up 80 or so teens to do service projects.  Focus on communities in need; that was our mantra.  We happened to have chosen the hottest week of the summer to do this.  We also chose to work with Service for Peace.  They made the logistics possible.  We made the money work for us and brought in partnerships.
 
So the strategy was set.  Chicago Summer of Service would happen in Englewood in Alderman Shirley Coleman’s Ward as well as Alderman Walter Burnett, Jr.   Englewood had experienced a rash of youth murders that spring and summer.  We knew that Alderman Burnett had grown up in Cabrini Green and that both would be an inspiration to our youth.   These Aldermen took time and spoke to our kids that week.  And it wasn’t just the hearts of the kids they touched.
 
This dedication led to support by these Alderman.  We know we could have just asked them to help us and we feel these two outstanding Aldermen would have said yes.  After all, Alderman Coleman and I had met earlier that year in New York.  She knew of my passion for all things peaceful.  But that would have simply been the easy way.
 
Scott and I decided if you wanted to ask for something meaningful, you needed to show your heart.  That ethic was pushed to the limits by people like Moroccan artist Bouba, Mary Catherine Loudani, her children Nick and Jade, Steve Nomura, “James”, Wyn Anderson, Michelle Peltier, Jawaad Kirkwood, Jeff Grossberg, Congressman Bobby Rush’s office and Todd Barnett at Donoghue School. DOP folks, Karen Johnson, Matt VanSlyke and others came in support as well as a yoga expert and dance therapist!  And Susie helped us plant and dedicate a Peace Pole.  Who knew!
 
And, my Co-Chair Scott Ross, who took an entire week off from work to pick me up everyday and cart me around everywhere, with photo and video equipment in 100+degree weather and spoke about the values of the DOP.  Always with a smile!  The kids took to calling Mr. Roos “Uncle Scott”.  If you get the opportunity to meet and know Scott, you will know why. 
 
And, Mayor Daley’s Clean and Green Project, Streets and Sanitation, 18th District Police Department.  Millennium Park too. We flooded the park with Summer of Service youth asking the question “Do you think we can live in peace?” to complete strangers. We ‘forgot’ to get a permit and two guards told us to hurry up and do it, as they smiled and walked away.  And then there were the Hot Dogs. If you have kids, you have to have a lot of hot dogs and we had the best ones sponsored by Downtown Dogs.
 
Then, there was the creation of a DOP Public Service Announcement this summer. Jawaad (J.L).Kirkwood, Rocco Cataldo, Nick Angotti and your team of professionals and young stars,  Will Riley, Isabell Abello and Jawaad’s little cousin. We loved him!
 
And some meetings were organized. We met with Senator Obama. And later some of us met with Senator Durbin.  New people emerged, including Dr. Francine Smolcha and Eugene Silas, District 7 guy.  He should do great things.
 
City Council was back in session and on September 11th Alderman Shirley Coleman and Walter Burnett, Jr. gave us a gift.  They presented our Resolution at City Council.  November 9th, the City Council hearing was held in Council room 201-A.  Alderman Billy Ocasio, Chairman of Human Relations and Alderman Coleman led the hearing.  The City Council passed the Resolution with 100% support on Wednesday November 14th.  That day folks from our committee sat for over 5 hours as we waited to be acknowledged on the City Council Floor.   We went into action.  Next step, we organized and hosted a World Peace Day November 17th in just a couple of days.
 
The people and this committee who we so counted on, were there, night and day.  This World Peace Day celebration event allowed us formally to thank these Aldermen and our Committee.  The event was hosted by the amazing  Whitehall Hotel and most importantly, Thomas Belelieu, General Manager.  A man with a heart and soul to match.  Guest speaker Dr. Chris Stout shared enormous insights on international issues facing our planet, and a glimmer of hope for the future.  J.L. Kirkwood performed his Spoken Word poem, Peace Journey and a friend of Nick’s, Elizabeth Doyle, sang John Lennon’s “Imagine”.  OK, so maybe “Cumbuya” isn't so bad.
 
Some might say it was the great Downtown Dogs hot dogs that sealed the deal for us.  Some might say we just got lucky.  I say it goes back to the beginning in Arizona, where my friend Terry told me to keep it fun.  Keep it real. And find amazing people to help you. Like all of you!
 
What more can I say?  Thank you. Everyone.
 
Love, Jeannette Kravitz