Newark, 19th City to Endorse U.S. Department of Peace  

Just days after the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Holiday, the Newark City Council last night voted unanimously to support the U.S. Department of Peace initiative.  Newark joins Chicago, Atlanta, Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Palo Alto and Santa Cruz, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Detroit, Cambridge and other cities across the nation representing more than 6.5 million people to endorse and urge formation of a U.S. Department of Peace. 

"This is an important initiative for peace, especially in light of the President's urging to increase the number of troops to Iraq," said the resolution's sponsor, Council Member Ronald Rice, Jr., as he thanked his Council colleagues after their unanimous vote to endorse the bill.   

“It is especially timely that the bill was passed on January 17th, 2007 in Newark,” said Rice.  "Passing this resolution is one way to continue the work of Dr. King who urged us to be 'drum majors for peace' not too long ago."
 
The federal level Department of Peace was also seen as a possible model for establishing a Department of Peace within the state or at the local level, Rice said.  
 
Local organizations including the NJ Department of Peace Campaign, New Jersey Peace Action, and People's Organization for Progress provided information about the bill to the council.
 
~Terri Suess