Corvallis, OR in Support of Establishing a U.S. Department of Peace and Non-Violence

Corvallis, OR, US

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Type: Resolution

Status: Adopted on 7/7/08

Vote: In Favor - 5 Opposed - 3

Source File: http://archive.ci.corvallis.or.us/DocView.aspx?id=232819

Text:

RESOLUTION 2008-17
A Resolution in Support of Establishing a U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence

WHEREAS, House Resolution 808 to create a United States Department of Peace and Nonviolence is currently pending before the 2007-2008 U.S. House of Representatives; which has the co-sponsorship of 70 members of the House; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Department of Peace and Nonviolence, H.R. 808, will be a cabinet-level department in the executive branch of the U.S. government dedicated to peace making and the study of conditions that are conducive to both domestic and international peace, and headed by a Secretary of Peace, an advisor to the President on issues both international and domestic in scope; and

WHEREAS, it is recognized that the cost of violence prevention is significantly less than the cost of recovering from any one act of violence in a community, and

WHEREAS, promoting a culture of peace has been recognized by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) with a resolution declaring an International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World , 2001-2010; and

WHEREAS, 55 international and national human rights, peace and environmental organizations and 36 city and other government councils have endorsed legislation to establish a U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence, as indicated on the Peace Alliance website, www.thepeacealliance.org ; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Department of Peace and Nonviolence will benefit the City of Corvallis by supporting existing programs and encouraging development of new programs that relate to the societal challenges of domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, gang violence, school violence, racial violence, and police-community relations; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Department of Peace and Nonviolence will benefit the City of Corvallis by encouraging the development of initiatives from the community, its religious and non-governmental organizations through Community Peace Block Grants, thereby creating funding for community-based violence programs in peer mediation and counseling, school peace education curriculums, thereby strengthening the health of our community and reducing the cost of recovering from violent acts in our city; and

WHEREAS, the proposed Department of Peace and Nonviolence, when funded the first year, could potentially bring 10 million dollars to the state of Oregon for peace and conflict resolution initiatives; and

WHEREAS, the City of Corvallis is a strong supporter of Cities for Peace, the Mayors for Peace Initiative, and International Sister Cities Programs, as well as the celebration of the International Day of Peace on September 21 and a commemoration of Hiroshima-Nagasaki every year, and holds peace as an organizing principle within our city structure, especially for children and youth; and

WHEREAS, the Assistant Secretary of Technology for Peace may provide grants for research and development of technologies in transportation, communication and energy that are nonviolent in application and encourage the conservation and sustainability of natural resources in order to prevent future conflicts regarding scarce resources, which could help the city reach its goal of becoming a sustainable city; and

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Corvallis supports and adopts this Resolution in support of federal legislation to create the U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence (H.R. 808, 2007-2008)); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council of Corvallis appreciates the co-sponsorship of Oregon Representatives Peter DeFazio and David Wu of this proposed legislation to create a U.S. Department of Peace and Nonviolence, noting that Peter DeFazio, who represents a large portion of Corvallis, has been a co-sponsor of this legislation since 2001; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City Council of Corvallis directs the Mayor to forward a copy of this Resolution to Oregon’s Congressional Delegation and to the White House of the United States.