Dennis Kucinich

Mr. Alan Moore
1563 Solano Ave. #477
Berkeley California 94707

Congress of the United States
House of Representatives

June 4, 2001

Dear Mr. Moore:

I am writing to support the efforts of Musicians and Fine Artists for World Peace to create a more peaceful world. I am especially appreciative of your interest in discussing my proposal for the establishment of a Cabinet-level Department of Peace. Please feel free to contact me with any suggestions or comments from group members.

I am pleased to learn that people are working hard to promote nonviolence. I am aware that you have the skill, the experience and the commitment to work towards improving the human condition. I believe that working cooperatively as a community of peace-seekers we can look forward to developing creative and innovative ways to increase the impact of peace building at all levels of society, nationally and internationally In the finest example of Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr., we can learn to confront our enemies with ahimsa, unconditional love. We can make a difference, of this I am sure!

Based on these beliefs, I have called for the establishment of a Cabinet-level Department of Peace, which shall maintain nonviolence as an organizing principle. Working at both national and international levels, it will resolve conflict in any form with a peaceful, nonviolent philosophy. It will be orientated toward the development of human potential, and will endeavor to promote justice and democratic principles to expand universal human rights.

Domestically, it will analyze present policies. The Department will expand successful existing programs and develop new approaches to deal with the implements of violence.

The Department of Peace shall be empowered domestically to address all forms of violence within our communities. It will advocate on behalf of women victimized by violence, as well as address the problems of domestic violence, spousal abuse, child abuse, and mistreatment of the elderly. In collaboration with community and neighborhood organizations, including the schools in our communities, the Department of Peace shall assist in the establishment of community based violence prevention programs. It shall endeavor to create new policies which are responsive to the challenges of drug and alcohol abuse, and of crime.

The escalation of hate crimes in our society is undeniable. The reports of racial and ethnic violence, violence against gays and lesbians, and religiously motivated crimes are consistently increasing. I believe that working together we can create hate-free communities. The Department of Peace will provide for counseling strategies concerning hate crimes.

We must call upon America's youth for the purpose of creative peacemaking. The critical thinking capabilities of grade school, high school and college students can result in proactive solutions to the overwhelming presence of violence in our schools, including the presence of handguns, gang related violence, racial or ethnic violence and police-community relations disputes.

You may also be interested to know that the Peace Day I introduced passed Congress, making January 1, 2001 a day of peace and sharing. The resolution was introduced in the Senate by Senator Wellstone. The resolution expresses the sense of Congress that a day of peace and sharing should be established at the beginning of each year and that:

(1) each year should begin with a day of peace and sharing during which;

(A) people around the world should gather with family, friends, neighbors, their faith community, or people of another culture to pledge nonviolence in the new year and to share in a celebratory new year meal, and

(B) Americans who are able should match or multiply the cost of their new year meal with a timely gift to the hungry at home or abroad in a tangible demonstration of a desire for increased friendship and sharing among people around the world, and

(2) the President should issue a proclamation each year calling on the people of the United States and interested organizations to observe such a day with appropriate programs and activities.


Peace is an achievable goal! Let us continue to work together to initiate a dialogue on creating a culture of peace.

Sincerely,

Dennis Kucinich
Member of Congress

Check out Dennis' proposal for the Department of PEACE

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