The What

The Department of Peace and Nonviolence is a non partisan piece of legislation coming before the U.S. Congress to create a Department of Peace within our Federal Government. The primary function of the U.S. Department of Peace will be to research, articulate and facilitate proven nonviolent solutions to domestic and international conflict. Its proposed budget is the equivalent of two percent of the defense budget. The Department of Peace would aid the Department of Defense and the Department of State. The interests of peace and nonviolent options would have a cabinet level position making it a national priority.

The Who

In order for the bill to become a law it must be passed by both the House and Senate, then signed into law by the President. In order for our Congresspersons and Senators to express their constituents' opinions with their vote we must express our opinions. Many Americans have not yet heard of this bill. The proposed project, The Gift of Peace will be a part of informing our fellow Americans about its existence. 75 members of Congress currently cosponsor the bill. Several people in Congress have expressed that if they receive even fifty letters from people in their district they consider it a serious issue.  

The Idea

"The idea for this series of monologues grew out of a belief in The Department of Peace and Nonviolence bill that is coming before the US Congress. Once I read the specifics of the bill I felt compelled to be a part of encouraging other people to read and support The Department of Peace. Having always been inspired by Whitman's Leaves Of Grass I began to think of each character as a 'leaf of grass' in the American fiber. Regardless of one's politics, religion or race we have all had that moment when a deeper calling for a more peaceful world arose within us, even if only for a moment. The Gift of Peace was written to remind us to see a part of ourselves in every human being so that perhaps that moment may be extended and sustained." - Stacey Martino

"The current crisis in our democracy has less to do with congressional failure to express the will of the people, and more to do with the failure of the people to express their will in a meaningful way." - Marianne Williamson

"The Department of Peace legislation addresses the political dimension of peace-creation in a crucial way, institutionalizing the interests of peace within the workings of the United States Government. With the creation of the Department of Peace, an established voice for peace will be at the table of American power. This will be our generation's gift, should we choose to give it: to our nation, to our children, and to the progress of the human mind. In order to establish a U.S. Department of Peace we must present a compelling case for its existence both to our fellow citizens and our elected officials. A collective will then becomes a political constituency, with both the will and the power to effect the laws of the United States." - www.dopcampaign.org

The Vision

The national tour will be called The Gift of Peace Project and will either travel by van or bio diesel bus. We will follow a carefully mapped out route to areas where the bill is not yet cosponsored and utilize the support of the 300 volunteer groups set up in the 435 districts. We'll let people know that we are coming through public radio, internet sites, faith and civic based organizations invested in social justice and our blog. After each performance we'll open the forum to discussion and use "votesmart" to let the audience know who represents them and how to make contact.   We'll end our tour in Washington, D.C. at the national Department of Peace Conference. We'll spread Department of Peace buttons, bumper stickers, t-shirts and peace along the way like breadcrumbs for the new century. All of this will be documented, edited on the road and turned into a documentary for Peace. A Director's Guild of America winning and Emmy nominated documentarian will direct the film version.   A brief and compelling trailer, including interviews with fellow Americans we meet along the way, will be ready in time for The Gift of Peace arrival in DC during the February conference. This trailer will be made available to members of Congress. The Gift of Peace will arrive in Los Angeles as a one night awareness/fundraiser on February 28th. The Los Angeles reading already has the interest of several high profile actors, a Tony Award winning director, a beautiful theater and we are hoping to add some musicians. We will have volunteers from The Department of Peace movement on hand to let the audience know who their representatives are and how to contact them. This event will be covered extensively by the media, drawing support for the bill and raising funds for the project.

The When

Our goal is to tour late January and present our LA event on February 28th. We'd arrive in DC for the Department of Peace Conference and reintroduction of the bill in early February.