HR808/U.S. Department of PEACE - News | IMAGINE PEACE
HR808/U.S. Department of PEACE - News IMAGINE PEACE
The Honorable — —United States House of Representatives— — House Office BuildingDistrict of Columbia 20515
Dear Representative —:
Just a brief letter, if I may, to urge you to support legislation to establish a US cabinet-level Department of Peace and Non-Violence. Your support of legislation to help make this concept a reality will be extremely important.
As one who served in the US Air Force as an officer and then the US Foreign Service and Senior Foreign Service for a total of 32 years, I’m personally a very strong backer of a Department of Peace. I want to stress the fact that I’m not anti-military. The US Military plays an essential and critical role in our foreign policy, and must sometimes be the tool that the US Government utilizes. However, a Department of Peace could be instrumental in helping to assure that peaceful options are “on the table” for consideration when security and emergency situations arise overseas. Such non-violent options, of course, won’t always be possible – unfortunately, military options are sometimes the only courses of action that are workable. However, it’s critical that peaceful, non-violent options are always given consideration.
I’ve occasionally heard counter-arguments that a Department of Peace would be duplicative and expensive. Undoubtedly, there might be some duplication, but careful planning can help to minimize or eliminate many of the duplicative functions. In terms of the expense, I would argue that at a time when our Department of Defense expenditures are pushing $500 billion annually, that the comparative costs of setting up and running a Department of Peace and Non-Violence would be relatively miniscule. In fact, in the long run a Department of Peace would very possibly save billions of dollars – one overseas conflict mitigated or prevented could pay the costs of a Department of Peace for a decade. I would argue that when all aspects of a Department of Peace are considered and given the nature of the world today, impacted by globalization, competition for resources, terrorism, well-armed national military forces, the growing spread of nuclear capabilities, and many other factors, that we can’t afford to be without a Department of Peace.
I’ve served in many hostile environments during my time with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of State, the U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) and the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH), a Phoenix-based NGO focusing on development in sub-Saharan Africa. I’ve spent 22 years living overseas and 12 additional years working from.................
more....
The Honorable — —United States House of Representatives— — House Office BuildingDistrict of Columbia 20515
Dear Representative —:
Just a brief letter, if I may, to urge you to support legislation to establish a US cabinet-level Department of Peace and Non-Violence. Your support of legislation to help make this concept a reality will be extremely important.
As one who served in the US Air Force as an officer and then the US Foreign Service and Senior Foreign Service for a total of 32 years, I’m personally a very strong backer of a Department of Peace. I want to stress the fact that I’m not anti-military. The US Military plays an essential and critical role in our foreign policy, and must sometimes be the tool that the US Government utilizes. However, a Department of Peace could be instrumental in helping to assure that peaceful options are “on the table” for consideration when security and emergency situations arise overseas. Such non-violent options, of course, won’t always be possible – unfortunately, military options are sometimes the only courses of action that are workable. However, it’s critical that peaceful, non-violent options are always given consideration.
I’ve occasionally heard counter-arguments that a Department of Peace would be duplicative and expensive. Undoubtedly, there might be some duplication, but careful planning can help to minimize or eliminate many of the duplicative functions. In terms of the expense, I would argue that at a time when our Department of Defense expenditures are pushing $500 billion annually, that the comparative costs of setting up and running a Department of Peace and Non-Violence would be relatively miniscule. In fact, in the long run a Department of Peace would very possibly save billions of dollars – one overseas conflict mitigated or prevented could pay the costs of a Department of Peace for a decade. I would argue that when all aspects of a Department of Peace are considered and given the nature of the world today, impacted by globalization, competition for resources, terrorism, well-armed national military forces, the growing spread of nuclear capabilities, and many other factors, that we can’t afford to be without a Department of Peace.
I’ve served in many hostile environments during my time with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Department of State, the U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) and the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help (IFESH), a Phoenix-based NGO focusing on development in sub-Saharan Africa. I’ve spent 22 years living overseas and 12 additional years working from.................
more....
posted by gr8fuldaniel | 12:40 PM
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