[Duchess wearing a Cape May sweatshirt at a May 25th Yankee game in NYC. It was windy and chilly that evening. I wore a tee shirt and turtleneck under that sweatshirt for added warmth, plus gloves, socks and boots. Yankees beat Detriot Tigers 4 to 2. It was also my first time in attending a baseball game. Tickets were via fellow NYC DoP board member.]

MESSAGE FROM MATTHEW ALBRACHT AT PEACE ALLIANCE - Letter to CD Team Leaders
I hope you are all doing well. We at The Peace Alliance are pleased that so many of you are singing up to join us in this work. [ie: Duchess is one of the CD Team Leaders in NY] We now have almost 190 congressional districts represented around the country. All in less than 4 months time! That is such good news for our work. We are so honored to be working with each of you. As we move through the summer, we will be gearing up for our Department of Peace conference this coming September [ie: Duchess will be attending] with excitement and anticipation. Our primary goal and the focus of our work throughout the summer will be to help get as many congressional districts represented in Washington D.C. as possible as the bill is reintroduced. As Congressional District Team leaders, we are urging each of you to do everything you can to be at this conference.

Your attendance will assure that our presence is clearly felt by the establishment in D.C. We will be working not only with members of congress through meetings and congressional briefings, but also with the local and national media through press conferences and conference coverage. The more people we have there with us, the more seriously we will be taken. But beyond the fact that we need you to be there to help us have a potent impact, it will also be a huge benefit to you. The conference will be like nothing else you have likely experienced before. I can personally attest to this, since I have had the opportunity to attend so many conferences around the country. Many have had a positive and empowering impact on my life and on my activism. The Department of Peace conference will be something quite unique. What makes this conference in our nation's Capital unique is that we are moving forward with this inspiration, training and knowledge to lobby for a piece of legislation that could literally have a positive impact on generations to come. I never would have expected to feel such a natural high as I did walking the Halls of Congress with my colleagues, working hard to raise awareness and to get support for The Department of Peace. It was truly an experience I will never forget. If you have not yet registered, we hope you will consider doing so soon. If you are still trying to decide about attending, I hope you will check out feedback and pictures [see below] from attendees of our last conference in D.C. at: http://www.thepeacealliance.org/events/conf/sept_conf_03.htm


[From left to right - Congressional Representatives Kucinich, Lee, Woolsey & Conyers]

I have also posted a letter below from Susan McPeak, one of the attendees of our last conference in D.C. It gives a very accurate taste of what these conferences are like. I hope you will read her words. Please join us. It is guaranteed to be a memorable experience.

PLEASE WATCH AND SHARE WITH OTHERS THIS TRULY WONDERFUL, INSPIRING VIDEO
"Ten Things You Can Do To Create Peace"
http://www.peacefulearth.com/toptenmovie.html

Big Brass Alliance
The Big Brass Alliance was formed in May 2005 as a collective of progressive bloggers who support "After Downing Street", a coalition of veterans' groups, peace groups, and political activist groups formed to urge that the U.S. Congress launch a formal investigation into whether President Bush has committed impeachable offenses in connection with the Iraq war. The campaign focuses on evidence that recently emerged in a British memo containing minutes of a secret July 2002 meeting with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his top national security officials. Check it out at: http://www.bigbrassblog.com/bba.html

IF YOU LIVE IN THE NYC AREA AND WISH TO HELP OUT THE DEPT OF PEACE CAMPAIGN - Read About Three Great Opportunities for Volunteers

Peace Bracelets Raise money for Peace Without Spending a Dime!
Seeking 3-5 volunteers to assist in making fundraising bracelets for Department of Peace events. Will take place in evening between 5pm and 9pm. Date and place to be determined. Contact us at http://www.nyc-dop.com

Dept of Peace Tabling - Spread the Word About Peace
A great way to meet others who love peace. We are looking for 15-20 volunteers to staff Department of Peace tables at various events and venues. It's fun and easy. We will show you the ropes. If you can spare 3-4 hours one day over a weekend, during a month for peace, please contact us. Please contact us at http://www.nyc-dop.com

March For Peace -- Erase Hate!
March for Gay Pride Sunday, June 26th
Join us for one of the largest parades in New York City. We will be marching in the Gay Pride Parade with The Matthew Shepard Foundation to help erase hate crimes and establish a U.S. Department of Peace. The parade begins at 11am through whenever. A fun time is sure to be had by all! Looking forward to seeing you there! If you are interested in helping hold banners or hand-out flyers contact us at: http://www.nyc-dop.com