By Nancy Merritt

Nonviolent conflict resolution solutions and legislation calling for a U.S Department of Peace and Nonviolence (DoPN) are part of a growing discussion on the need for peacebuilding in our government. On February 23, 2008, Californians representing Northern California's 22 Congressional Districts gathered to celebrate being peace and to share an abundance of good news about DoPN and peacebuilding activities. This celebration of being peace was sponsored by the Northern California DoPN campaign and was hosted by the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center (MDPJC) DoPN Task Force.

The gathering sparked the attention of radio station KPFA and resulted in a news story on the KPFA evening news. KPFA reaches listeners in Northern California, and, via internet, throughout the world. To hear the entire inspirational report, go to www.kpfa.org recent archives, 02/23/08, 6:00 p.m. evening news. This story is approximately 18 minutes into the newscast. Reporter Julia Varskoski did a terrific job telling the Department of Peace story and getting the word out about the upcoming California Regional Conference at UC Berkeley in August 2008.

 

"Even the Defense Department is calling for an increase in spending in the areas of peacebuilding because, with Iraq and Afghanistan, the military does not have the tools it needs to do that job. They are not the guys to do this job – that's not what they do," Wendy Greene, Peace Alliance (PA) Managing Director, told the Northern California meeting and KPFA listeners. "Congress is a reactive body. If we want the world to go in the direction of peacebuilding and nonviolent conflict resolution, it is up to us to make our voices heard in Washington," she said.

 

Matthew Albracht, Summer of Peace Director and Former PA Managing Director, also told Northern California DoPN supporters and KPFA listeners that a coalition of groups is working on Summer of Peace 2010 to turn the Bay area into a model community practicing nonviolent conflict resolution. Summer of Peace will focus attention on peaceful techniques and resources with the goal of reducing school shootings, gang violence, and domestic violence.

 

"This is why we are on this planet – to learn to live together," Matthew shared.

 

And that is what the celebration of being peace was, and is, about. We talked together, ate together, and worked together to create a Global Art Project for Peace. At the being peace celebration, fortune smiled upon us in many ways:

• From a reflection on being peace by Mary Alice O'Connor, MDPJC Executive Director, and a message to pay attention, be awake, forgive ourselves and focus on what is being born;
• to a surprise and much appreciated visit by Wendy Greene who said DoPN grassroots priorities are to talk it, walk it, and fund it;
• to a DoPN PowerPoint presentation by Suzanne Llewellyn and Annette Schmidt, MDPJC DoPN members who created the PowerPoint and have presented it to such other groups as Grandparents for Peace;
• to a presentation by Dave Dionisi, from TEACH PEACE in Davis/Sacramento who talked about his philosophy of abundance, read the Dream Changer With Sophia the Lady Bug! (a coloring book for kids and their parents), discussed The Peace Club events for high school students, and walked the walk by inviting all to visit www.teachpeace.com and download for peaceful purposes any material on the website;
• to a discussion by Ed Tonningsen, MDPJC DoPN member, of the potential for a DoPN in the California State government;
• to a report by Judy Kimmel, PA Board member, about the upcoming CA Regional DoPN Conference at UC Berkeley, August 1-3, 2008, which will include a keynote address by Marianne Williamson and presentations relating to local, national, and international violence-related issues;
• to a report by Nancy Merritt, Northern California State Coordinator, on Northern California accomplishments, actions and expanded directions for Northern California;
• to a presentation by Matthew Albracht about the exciting possibilities of the San Francisco area 2010 Summer of Peace to harness the efforts of dozens of cutting-edge programs to reduce violence and create new models for collaboration that can be replicated in other cities and countries worldwide;
• to a presentation by Paula Powers, CD9/East Bay DoPN member, about the Global Art Project, where local groups create and display their visions of a global peace and then exchange those artistic visions worldwide … visions of peace simultaneously encircling the Earth (see www.globalartproject.org ).

Of course, being Northern Californians, we were forced to brag that of the 32 cities and other government entities that have endorsed establishment of a DOP, 10 are from CA, including 8 from Northern California. We are in various stages of seeking endorsements from additional Northern California cities.

 

Of the 68 current Congressional co-sponsors of HR 808, 12 are from California, including 7 from Northern California. There are others whose endorsements we continue to seek. We are building relationships with Senator Boxer, Senator Feinstein, and their staffs.

 

From meeting with Congress members and/or their staffs, and through the work of the California DoPN Senate team, we have learned the importance of continuing to build grassroots support and building support among others, including environmental groups, women's organizations, the law enforcement community, organizations that work with children, labor, religious organizations, the healthcare community.

 

We discussed the possibility of a Northern California focus on the law enforcement community and the religion/spiritual community. Additionally, the DoPN research team and others are working on the important task of answering questions and concerns about DoPN from Congress.

 

We also discussed the real key to success with our elected officials – FOOD.

 

On Valentine's Day, we delivered cookies and Valentines to the offices of Senator Barbara Boxer, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Barbara Lee, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Lynn Woolsey. Staff members remember us because of past Mother's Day Peace-Wants-A-Piece-of-the-Pie deliveries and they readily agreed to meet with us for the upcoming Mother's Day (with pies, of course). We pondered how many pies it will take to create a U.S. Department of Peace – a plethora of pies? A thousand-pie department? A million-pie department?

 

In addition to being honored by the presence of DoPN volunteers from CD1, CD5, CD6, CD8, CD9, CD10, and others, we were joined by Aeeshah Clottey, PA Board member and Attitudinal Healing Connection (AHC) Founder and Board President. AHC works to eliminate violence through creative and educational programs that transform the spirit and build peaceful loving communities for all humanity. (See www.ahc-oakland.org )

 

Special thanks to our able MC Stephen Zendt, photographer Jeff Day, and the MDPJC DoPN group in Walnut Creek (www.mtdpc.org). If you are interested in participating with the CA Regional Conference planning or other activities, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

One Dream Can Change Everything!