http://greenasheville.blogspot.com
by Relix
A little history about the origins of the idea for a Department of Peace:
The Department of Peace and Non-violence is a proposed cabinet-level department of the executive branch of the U.S. government. Founding father Benjamin Rush proposed a Peace Department for the first U.S. cabinet, under George Washington, but a more recent proposal came from Rep. Dennis Kucinich in 2001 and formed a part of Kucinich’s Presidential campaign platform in 2004 and 2008. A bill for this purpose, H.R. 3760, was introduced in the House of Representatives on September 14, 2005. It was re-introduced as H.R. 808 on February 5, 2007 and 65 co-sponsors quickly signed on. In July, 2008, the first Republican Co-sponsor, Congressman Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD) signed on.
The Peace Alliance and the Student Peace Alliance organization supports the creation of a U.S. Department of Peace and Non-violence. It is an independent grassroots political movement that operates autonomously. The ongoing movement is supported by Kucinich and the author and popular motivational speaker Marianne Williamson, as well as an increasing list of celebrities such as Walter Cronkite, Joaquin Phoenix, Frances Fisher and Willie Nelson. This movement actively lobbies for the endorsements of congressional leaders and is active in soliciting and receiving a growing list of bipartisan endorsements from city councils such as Atlanta, Chicago and Los Angeles. It has local grassroots chapters in over 264 congressional districts.