WONDERFUL MESSAGE FROM DOT MAVER REGARDING THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS OF THE PEACE ALLIANCE AND DEPT OF PEACE

As you know, over the past two weeks we have been in a series of intensive meetings in order to re-organize as The Peace Alliance (501.c.4), a lobbying organization, and The Peace Alliance Foundation (501.c.3), a non-profit educational organization. We have considered everything from logo, website, literature and media, to national structure, strategy and fundraising. The Peace Alliance, with the main office in Michigan, Matthew Albracht, Managing Director, advocates for the enactment of legislation supporting a culture of peace. As of now The Alliance has one major project, the Campaign to create a groundswell for a US Department of Peace. The Peace Alliance Foundation, with the main office in California, AmyVossbrinck, Managing Director, is dedicated to developing a culture ofpeace with nonviolence and cooperation as the organizing principles.

The Foundation will identify, make known and encourage cooperation among groups and individuals who are demonstrating that a culture of peace is being revealed and is something that the human family longs for and is willing to support. Cooperative partnerships will be encouraged in the areas outlined in the legislation which include domestic relations, international relations, human security, education, and media/communication. Imagine such a network! One of the major organization efforts we are undertaking with theDepartment of Peace Campaign is to create a national structure, with state coordinators and representatives in 435 congressional districts throughout the USA.

Another strategy is to emphasize that the introduction of the Department of Peace Legislation is a bi-partisan effort, to determine who in the Republican Party would consider supporting the bill, and actively pursuing those endorsements. We will be actively pursuing Democratic and Republican co-sponsors of, and endorsements for, the legislation. We plan a media strategy which we'll launch at the conference in May/June 2005 at the same time Congressman Kucinich will re-introduce the bill. Finally, thank you for your continued support as we work together, not only to build support for the passage of this historic legislation, but to help create a world that works for everyone.

[Duchess Note ... If you wish to learn more about the Dept of PeaceCampaign, go to ... http://www.dopcampaign.org OR visit the NY Chapter [of which I am a board member] at http://www.nyc-dop.com ... thank you. Peace, Justice & Solidarity!]