The national objective is to establish a Cabinet-level Department of Peace within the U.S. federal government. A Bill (H.R. 808) to establish a U.S. cabinet-level Department of Peace (DoP) is currently in Congress.

This bill establishes non-violence as an organizing principle of American society, providing the President with an array of peace-building policy options for domestic and international use.

Domestically, the DoP will be responsible for addressing gang and drug violence, child abuse, prison reform, domestic abuse and other issues of conflict.

Internationally, the DoP will gather research, analyze foreign policy with a focus on non-military peaceful conflict resolution. Similar campaigns to establish a government-level peace department also exist in 30 other countries.

The Bill also asks for establishment of a Peace Academy modeled after the military academies with training in conflict resolution and peace-building strategies.

Locally we are a group of people working to encourage our 6th District congressperson to vote for legislation to establish a Department of Peace. The 6th Congressional District of Michigan includes all of Berrien, Cass, St. Joseph, Van Buren and Kalamazoo counties as well as most of Allegan county and part of Calhoun county.

Our district co-leades are:
Janice Lakers and Luana VanDam, Kalamazoo

Janice: janicelakers@yahoo.com
Luana: wildwoman@sbcglobal.net