by Judy Kimmel,  Guest Blogger

As I fly home from Washington I want to provide those who were unable to attend a brief snap shot of our Peace Alliance Conference in Washington, DC over the past five days.  

My assessment would be that it was a seminal, trimtab event, launching an entirely new phase in our initiative and hope for bipartisan understanding of the deep seated need to address the root cause of violence whether international or domestic.  Our event really began Friday morning with our State Coordinators retreat where activists from each of our 50 state campaigns checked in and prepared for the arrival of their local Congressional District Leaders and state support teams. A gathering of our Student Peace Alliance came together as well, for the first time from multiple universities to be educated and briefed on current campaign strategies and an opportunity to organize for additional university outreach.  

We began our formal conference the next day with an oversold crowd (the hotel literally ran out of chairs in our out break sessions), including introductions from Marianne Williamson, in-depth training from Campaign Director Lynn McMullen to prepare for our Capitol Hill visits, a keynote address from Deepak Chopra, presentations from Denise Brown (sister of Nicole Brown Simpson) on the epidemic of family and urban violence, James O'Dea of IONS and many more distinguished experts on conflict resolution, peacebuilding, international diplomacy, education on domestic violence initiatives, and communication protocol with Representatives, and on and on…

Bottom line, over-following enthusiasm, and eagerness to hit the Hill running… research and legislative preparation on each personal Senator and Representative, communication strategies and scripts in place and a deep seated clarity on the value of the paradigm shifting groundwork that was being established with Republicans, Independents and Democrats. 

Monday having completed a phenomenal  220 visits to Congressional and Senatorial offices, dialoguing with Representatives, Senators and/or their legislative aides, (12 of those Senatorial - and of those 12, 7 with Republicans including of all people Oren Hatch), and  delegations of as many as 85 in Boxer's office… we marched on.  The reintroduction of the  House bill late Monday evening, the new number being HR808.  The tide was turning.  

Monday night a “political rock concert” with Representatives, John Conyers- MN, Lacy Clay, Keith Ellison (our first Moslem Rep.) Eddie Bernice Johnson TX, Bob Filner - CA, Barbara Lee - CA, Dennis Kucinich - OH, ….. and ending with Aerosmith's Steven Tyler belting out “Dream Weaver” to a crowd of almost 1000 citizen activists from 14 to 85…  Quite a scene…

Tuesday we began with a press conference at the Capitol including five members of Congress, Joaquin Phoenix, Francis Fisher, Amy Smart, Denise Brown, next 1 minute speeches on the floor of the House by many of the 55 Sponsoring members of Congress and finally a Congressional briefing about the value of the legislation with academic experts on family violence, mediation, international development and diplomacy for House staff….  

By then my feet were raw, my head brain dead, but inspired by the collective power of devoted citizens, Republican and Democratic, from Maine to Kaui, 13 to 85, rich and poor taking committed action on behalf of future generations and the integrity of this great nation… we each manifested a potent force, a vortex of change, the energy was palpable, genuine and heartfelt for every individual.

Walking the halls of Congress works…. We have witnessed a tipping point shift, a deeper, more complex understanding of the true intent of this legislation… a US Dept. of Peace and Nonviolence is manifesting.

I am hopeful and humbly grateful… We missed the many of you who could not attend, you were in my hip pocket the whole time... and as always I thank you for your constant support!!