Peace Geek

Is This Thing On?

2012-01-09T22:05:00.002-05:00

Just testing

Happy Father's Day, Peacebuilders!

2011-06-19T11:26:00.001-04:00

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

The Department of Peace Act is Reintroduced in the 112th Congress

2011-02-21T14:24:00.000-05:00

In 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

Dona Nobis Pacem

2010-11-04T00:46:00.005-04:00

Happy 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

Blog Action Day 2010: Dirty Water -> Despair -> Conflict -> Violence

2010-10-15T15:51:00.001-04:00

This 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

The "First Aid" Model for Peacebuilding in Communities

2010-09-11T12:23:00.001-04:00

As 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

Dollar "Billboarding" for Peace

2010-08-29T13:20:00.012-04:00

Awhile 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

Department of Peace Act Makes the Top Ten!

2010-04-19T20:06:00.004-04:00

... 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

Empowering Civic Activism?

2010-04-08T22:22:00.013-04:00

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

Department of Peace Presentation at Ignite Baltimore

2010-03-07T11:06:00.003-05:00

The 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:

Peace Geek on Climate Change (Blog Action Day '09)

2009-10-15T18:03:00.010-04:00

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 cheap

Canada introduces Department of Peace legislation!

2009-10-04T11:30:00.006-04:00

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

It's Not Rocket Science

2009-09-18T14:22:00.006-04:00

(Inspired by Toothpaste For Dinner)Visit DoPeace

Peace Studies Take Off

2009-09-02T15:27:00.003-04:00

(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

Veterans For Peace Support the Youth PROMISE Act

2009-08-20T16:49:00.003-04:00

At 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 "

Walter Cronkite with Dennis Kucinich on the Department of Peace Idea

2009-07-23T10:02:00.000-04:00

Visit DoPeace

"Corrections" System So Wrong

2009-07-22T14:49:00.006-04:00

(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

Aim4Peace - A Program to Help Stem Inner-City Violence

2009-07-18T13:37:00.000-04:00

Amidst 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 hot

Youth PROMISE Act Close to Reality - 228 cosponsors!

2009-07-17T13:20:00.000-04:00

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 of

Declaration of Independence from Violence

2009-07-04T10:00:00.009-04:00

On 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

DoPeace Ning Overview

2009-06-24T10:05:00.002-04:00

Check out this SlideShare presentation about the new DoPeace site: DoPeace Ning OverviewView more OpenOffice presentations from Ted Nunn.

Celebrating A Future Secretary of Peace

2009-06-22T10:17:00.005-04:00

(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

"Soldiers of Peace" - CSN&Y

2009-06-15T16:22:00.004-04:00

In 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 the

Needed: Peace Heroes

2009-06-13T23:11:00.011-04:00

(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

Act Now to Reduce Youth Violence

2009-06-13T12:17:00.004-04:00

Change.org

The Line Between "Free Speech" and "Irresponsible Speech"

2009-06-11T15:58:00.008-04:00

Michael Rowe posted a fantastic entry on Huffington Post today - Death at the Holocaust Museum and the Degradation of the American Dialogue - that reflects on some of the hate-based violence of the past few days. A snippet:There is no Environmental Protection Agency to measure hate pollution in national dialogue, and no mechanism in place to warn us when the poisonous rage spewed into the

Twin Cities Premier: "Soldiers of Peace"

2009-06-10T22:00:00.005-04:00

SOLDIERS OF PEACEMonday, June 15, 7:30 p.mHeights TheaterThe Department of Peace campaign in Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District is excited to be hosting this fundraiser with Friends for a Nonviolent World (FNVW.org). About the film: Through the course of this documentary, we meet some amazing people and see what they are accomplishing around the world in the way of peace and reconciliation,

Sarasota, Florida, Supports a U.S. Department of Peace

2009-06-07T12:04:00.009-04:00

(Sarasota, FL- June 1, 2009)On a 3-2 vote, the Sarasota City Commission approved resolution 09R-2099 to support legislation to create a U.S. Department of Peace (H.R. 808) at their June 1 meeting. By passing this resolution, Sarasota (pop. 53,000) joins a long list of other cities around the country - including Detroit, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles - that are supporting this

Rep. Donna Edwards Supports a Department of Peace

2009-06-06T11:13:00.008-04:00

Washington, DC - June 4, 2009Today, Congresswoman Donna Edwards from Maryland's 4th district became the 71st cosponsor of H.R. 808 - the Department of Peace act. Rep. Edwards joins Congressman Elijah Cummings (from District 7, a long time supporter of the Department of Peace bill) as the second cosponsor of the legislation from the great State of Maryland, which has eight congressional

What is Real National Security?

2009-06-05T22:21:00.008-04:00

(Posted by Wendy Greene on DoPeace.ning.com)"Security is not Defense; Defense does not equal security."The concept was far from new to me. What was different was who was saying it.Lt. Col. Shannon Beebe, former Senior Africa Analyst in the Office of the U.S. Army Deputy Chief of Staff, Intelligence, is considered one of the nation's leading thinkers on the concept of human security. He spoke as

The Culture of Availability

2009-06-04T12:29:00.006-04:00

Youth PROMISE Update - 31 New Cosponsors in May!

2009-06-03T15:20:00.005-04:00

The Change.org community is having a huge impact! The concerted effort to lobby Representatives in the House since the Youth PROMISE act (H.R. 1064) was first introduced has lead to some very encouraging results. In the month of May alone, 31 new co-sponsors have signed on, bringing the total number of cosponsors to 115, representing 26% of the 435 delegates in the House! The following list shows

The Root of All Evil

2009-05-31T07:58:00.004-04:00

Beliefs are the root of all evil.Now that I have your attention, allow me to clarify. Attachment to beliefs…, or Personal identification with beliefs…, or Belief that beliefs are “truth” and not just opinion… is the root of all evil.Most, if not all, of the conflict we witness on a daily basis (that which is not based on fighting over subsistence issues, such as food and water) is the result of

"Amazing Grace" - Amazing Movie!

2009-05-29T18:27:00.008-04:00

"Amazing Grace" is a movie about the abolition movement in England, but it has meaningful and inspiring messages for the modern peace movement, as well. It's also a darned good movie in it's own right, especially for fans of period pieces. I give it five peace signs, easily.One of the early scenes shows the protagonist - William ("Wilber") Wilberforce - holding a meeting at his estate with very

A Memorial Day Salute

2009-05-25T11:07:00.005-04:00

This Memorial Day, I'm choosing to honor those who died for our country by considering what we should be doing to make sure no one else need to die for our country ever again. A couple of things that come to mind:Outlaw the concept of "Preemptive War"Embrace the concept of "Preemptive Peace"We need to stop funneling billions and billions of dollars year after year expanding our national capacity

"Peace on the Streets" Ad

2009-05-19T12:27:00.003-04:00

Choice FM - a radio station in London - has been working to end street violence. Not quite "Department of Peace" worthy, but a striking video, nonetheless.

NAACP Supports the Youth PROMISE Act

2009-05-14T09:25:00.002-04:00

LEGISLATION EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES TO INVEST IN AT-RISK YOUTH BEFORE THEY JOIN GANGSThe Issue:The United States, by far, incarcerates its residents at much greater rates than any other nation in the world. Incarceration costs in the U.S. have risen to $65 billion a year. African Americans and other racial and ethnic minorities are especially over-represented among the prison population.

What's More Deadly? Swine Flu or Gun Violence?

2009-05-11T19:37:00.009-04:00

(by Cynthia Tucker - April 29, 2009)