tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-66984080400849618592024-02-06T23:07:53.342-06:00Peace GeekInsightful analysis of random news stories related to violence and nonviolence in the U.S. and abroad, with an emphasis on what can be done to make things better (with some occasional humor and random acts of journalism mixed in). Hint: It rhymes with "Department of Peace".Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-56863198279790511292012-04-22T13:49:00.001-05:002012-04-22T13:52:44.054-05:00National Task Force on Children Exposed to ViolenceI was browsing Google for news on "violence" today (something I have not done in quite some time) and came across this post from Robert Listenbee Jr., of the Defender Association of Philadphia. Mr. Listenbee writes about the ever-present issue of violence in our inner cities and the impact that violence has on children.
Rather than just being another in an endless stream of articles on how Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-50160516336045569502011-06-19T10:26:00.001-05:002011-06-20T11:04:04.048-05:00Happy Father's Day, Peacebuilders!
I hope this Father's Day brings special recognition to the Dads and other father figures (and their supporters) out there who are helping spread the spirit of nonviolence and building a culture of peace. Many guys are doing this everyday without the slightest bit of recognition. You guys rock! Thanks for being out there!
Here's a story about the types of things peacebuilding guys are doing Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-71802299915498169072011-02-21T13:24:00.000-06:002011-02-21T13:24:13.835-06:00The Department of Peace Act is Reintroduced in the 112th CongressIn a timely response to recent budget slashing that included eliminating financing for the U.S. Institute of Peace, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) has re-introduced legislation to establish a cabinet-level Department of Peace. You can read the details of the bill - H.R. 808 - at thomas.gov, but a summary of the key provisions follows:
Establishes a Department of Peace, which shall be headed by a Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-82493723568088470722010-11-03T23:46:00.005-05:002010-11-03T23:46:00.752-05:00Dona Nobis PacemHappy Blogblast for Peace Day!What, you may ask, does "Dona Nobis Pacem" mean?According to the Blogblast For Peace site, it's Latin for "Grant Us Peace".From some of my previous posts, you might know that I'm not a big fan of verbal pleas for peace that aren't backed by some sort of action. Countless peace marches, sleep-ins and candlelight vigils have done precious little to actually reduce the Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-56655103759279978452010-10-15T14:51:00.001-05:002010-10-15T14:54:56.165-05:00Blog Action Day 2010: Dirty Water -> Despair -> Conflict -> ViolenceThis year's Blog Action Day topic is "Water", plain and simple. Many blogs will point out that access to clean water is a human right. They will say that getting clean, potable water to those living without is the first step in improving their living conditions. And those bloggers are right! For my part, I choose to focus on the chain of despair that leads from lack of access to clean water to Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-41871687802583757192010-09-11T11:23:00.001-05:002010-09-11T12:13:43.744-05:00The "First Aid" Model for Peacebuilding in CommunitiesAs often happens, I recently found myself wandering the corridors of the internet inspired to learn more about the story behind one of the cool videos posted on DoPeace. The producer of the video hails from TheRSA.org, a U.K. group that describes itself as:
"... an enlightenment organisation devoted to finding innovative practical solutions to today’s pressing social problems."
The RSA (Royal Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-42244902178702847722010-08-29T12:20:00.012-05:002010-08-29T14:28:40.117-05:00Dollar "Billboarding" for PeaceAwhile back, I read an interesting article entitled "When Dollars Call for Change" by Emma Dumain on Congress.org. Ms. Dumain chronicles how activists and activist groups have been using dollar bills as inexpensive and effective means to get their message out to the public.With a lifespan of close to 18 months , a typical $1 bill passes through hundreds if not thousands of hands and can travel Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-61815176318376389222010-04-19T19:06:00.004-05:002010-04-19T19:11:34.581-05:00Department of Peace Act Makes the Top Ten!... list of Most Hopeless Bills on Congress.org. According to the author, Kristin Conyer:"During 2007 and 2008, 11,077 bills were introduced in Congress, while just 460 were signed into law. That means for every new law that session there were 23 bills that didn't make it out of Congress. To be fair, some of those bills were resolutions congratulating sports teams that wouldn't have gone to the Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-85687145944496928572010-04-08T21:22:00.013-05:002010-04-18T16:24:32.589-05:00Empowering Civic Activism?I greatly admire those who dedicate themselves, not only to championing important social causes, but also to the effort of engaging others in the democratic process. It seems as though more and more people and organizations are jumping on the bandwagon, which bodes well for the future IMHO. Change.org and Care2.com are leaders in this area, with millions of participants who regularly join Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-883421868808875032010-03-07T10:06:00.003-06:002010-03-07T10:09:12.121-06:00Department of Peace Presentation at Ignite BaltimoreThe Ignite speakers forum is a challenging and rewarding avenue for presenting thought-provoking ideas to an open-minded audience. Check out this presentation from the March 4 Ignite Baltimore event:Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-77900512305445754102009-10-15T17:03:00.010-05:002009-10-15T17:42:10.049-05:00Peace Geek on Climate Change (Blog Action Day '09)This year's blog action day topic is Climate Change. The idea is to get as many bloggers as possible from around the world to share opinions on Climate Change and encourage our leaders to prioritize this issue and take action. Check out http://www.blogactionday.org for more information.I've been reading "Hot, Flat and Crowded" recently and getting charged up (pun intended) about the idea of cheapViolence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-26947156273728789082009-10-04T10:30:00.006-05:002009-10-04T10:51:18.511-05:00Canada introduces Department of Peace legislation!Hot off the presses is the following article from the Vancouver Sun about how the Canadian lawmakers are pursuing the idea of creating a Department of Peace. Way to go, Canada! Now, what can the rest of us do to help make this happen? We can start by sending MP Bill Siksay a big "THANK YOU!" at Siksay.B@parl.gc.ca or visit his web page. Read the text of bill C-447 here.OTTAWA — A federal New Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-10484912440250816292009-09-18T13:22:00.006-05:002009-09-18T20:51:47.882-05:00It's Not Rocket Science(Inspired by Toothpaste For Dinner)Visit DoPeaceViolence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-26218956316596930862009-09-02T14:27:00.003-05:002009-09-02T14:34:59.513-05:00Peace Studies Take Off(By Dana Micucci, New York Times)LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico — The Bradbury Science Museum in this drab high-desert town studded with old army barracks houses life-size replicas of Little Boy and Fat Man, chilling reminders of the human capacity for unspeakable violence. The cutely named atomic bombs, which were invented here, were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945. Less Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-25958744563767513632009-08-20T15:49:00.003-05:002009-08-20T15:53:18.662-05:00Veterans For Peace Support the Youth PROMISE ActAt the recent Veterans for Peace convention in College Park, Maryland, Jim Ramelis introduced a resolution for VFP to support the Youth PROMISE act - and it was approved! The below text is from the VFP website:"YOUTH PROMISE ACTWhereas Veterans for Peace affirms its responsibility to serve the cause of world peace in its "Statement of Purpose", andWhereas a bill known as "The Youth Promise Act " Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-72163830012186408642009-07-23T09:02:00.000-05:002009-07-22T21:05:14.722-05:00Walter Cronkite with Dennis Kucinich on the Department of Peace IdeaVisit DoPeaceViolence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-28088347014180464222009-07-22T13:49:00.006-05:002009-07-22T13:59:32.649-05:00"Corrections" System So Wrong(Guest post by Kendra Mon)Correcting California's so-called “corrections” system could reduce budget woes and help people turn their lives around. In the last 20 years our prison population tripled. We waste billions of dollars yearly, locking up thousands of nonviolent drug offenders though community-based treatment is cheaper and actually gets people off drugs. We throw away hundreds of Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-32898782899494314672009-07-18T12:37:00.000-05:002009-07-17T13:18:31.046-05:00Aim4Peace - A Program to Help Stem Inner-City ViolenceAmidst the non-stop media reminders that we live in a violent society, every once in awhile comes a story that offers an amount of hope. One such story is about the work of a group called Aim4Peace in Kansas City, Missouri. Aim4Peace recruits and trains ex-convicts and puts them to work to prevent future convicts. The street-savvy Aim4Peace "violence interrupters" are charged with identifying hotViolence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-12570948557606805502009-07-17T12:20:00.000-05:002009-07-17T12:28:48.215-05:00Youth PROMISE Act Close to Reality - 228 cosponsors!The grassroots campaign to garner support for H.R. 1064 - the Youth PROMISE act - continues to build momentum. The number of co-sponsors has risen dramatically since the bill was first introduced in February, climbing to 228 cosponsors as of this writing. This total includes 18 Republicans, so even Conservatives recognize the value of evidence-based programs that are tailored to meet the needs ofViolence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-69414971974330283442009-07-04T09:00:00.009-05:002009-07-05T11:23:31.576-05:00Declaration of Independence from ViolenceOn this day in 1776, our country's forefathers declared independence from the tyranny of the British monarchy and launched this shining example of democracy. However, somewhere along the way, the right to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" has morphed into a society based on violence and a winner-take-all mentality. The history of our democracy is filled with one tragic period of war Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-91830756839071613732009-06-24T09:05:00.002-05:002009-06-26T17:47:59.904-05:00DoPeace Ning OverviewCheck out this SlideShare presentation about the new DoPeace site: DoPeace Ning OverviewView more OpenOffice presentations from Ted Nunn.Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-77695480263537383892009-06-22T09:17:00.005-05:002009-06-22T14:12:10.380-05:00Celebrating A Future Secretary of Peace(Thanks to Wendy Greene for sending this in.)This article was printed in the Sonoma Index-Tribune. It's a look at how the vision of the Department of Peace inspires and fuels life's greatest dreams. What a beautiful world we have with dreams--and actions--like this.Here's the link to the original article, which is excerpted below.Schorr, Jasperse top SVHS gradsGraduation tonightBy Emily Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-40550265332804449052009-06-15T15:22:00.004-05:002009-06-18T14:51:15.093-05:00"Soldiers of Peace" - CSN&YIn keeping with the theme of the past few posts, I offer lyrics from the Crosby, Still, Nash & Young song:Soldiers of peace are not fighting a warAre not looking for enemies behind every doorAre not looking for people to kill or to maim.Soldiers of peace are just changing the game.Men who were fighting for all of our livesAre now fighting for children, for homes and for wives,Fighting for theViolence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-22574950884669500782009-06-13T22:11:00.011-05:002009-06-18T14:51:37.466-05:00Needed: Peace Heroes(by Mary Jane LaVigne | June 11, 2009 )"Never a shot fired in anger." That's what my father tells me. We’re visiting Fort Snelling in the Model T Ford after Saturday errands. We have many times, but this is the first time I’ve been inside the Round Tower.Dad boosts me up on the rifle slit so I can peer out. They’re rebuilding the fort. The slit gives me a sight line down the reconstructed wall Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6698408040084961859.post-16710978072847230992009-06-13T11:17:00.004-05:002009-06-13T11:21:43.610-05:00Act Now to Reduce Youth Violence Change.org Violence B. Gawnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13902507295777646361noreply@blogger.com0