By Nancy Merritt
\n_____________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
Twenty-two<\/strong> members of Congress signed on as cosponsors of two key Peace Alliance backed bills during the Season for Nonviolence (SNV) 2014, with other possible co-sponsorships pending.<\/p>\n A small task force of determined Peace Alliance volunteers made a big difference when it focused on increasing the number of congressional cosponsors of the Department of Peacebuilding Act (HR 808\/ DoP) and the Youth PROMISE Act (HR 1318\/ YPA).<\/p>\n The SNV task force \u2013 14 Peace Alliance volunteers from throughout the country, working with the Peace Alliance Department of Peacebuilding legislative committee \u2013 contacted approximately 125 members of Congress and\/or their staff members.\u00a0 In a concerted and persistent campaign to increase co-sponsorship of both DoP and YPA, the SNV task force made multiple contacts \u2013 by letter, phone, email, phone again, follow-up email, and sometimes in person \u2013 with former DoP cosponsors, CA Democratic members of Congress, members of the Congressional Progressive caucus and select other members of Congress.<\/p>\n During the SNV, the task force, working with constituents when possible, made approximately 500 contacts with Congressional staffers and members of Congress.\u00a0 In addition to seeking new cosponsors, volunteers contacted all current DoP cosponsors to thank them.<\/p>\n The Season for Nonviolence is the 64-day period from January 30th to April 4th memorializing the dates Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. were assassinated by focusing on their legacy of nonviolence.\u00a0 During the Season, the United Nations, citizen groups and churches in more than 900 cities, all 50 states and 67 countries host programs designed to increase the understanding and use of nonviolent principles to heal, transform, and empower our lives and communities.<\/p>\n To commemorate the SNV, the Peace Alliance task force not only reflected on nonviolence, but also acted to build peace by expanding awareness and Congressional support of peacebuilding legislation<\/strong>.\u00a0 All 8 Congress members who signed on as DoP cosponsors during the SNV were on the task force\u2019s contact list, as were 9 of 14 Congress members cosponsored YPA during this period.\u00a0 Some signed on within days of our contacts.\u00a0 For others, it took longer or we are continuing to follow-up.\u00a0 During SNV, cosponsors signed on from coast to coast, including from CA, CT, FL, IL, MA, ME, MN, MO, OR, PA, RI, TX, WA and WI.<\/p>\n The SNV task force, 14 volunteers from 8 states, includes:\u00a0 Betty Cooper (MO), Anne Creter (NJ), Patty Duncan (NM), Jo Ann Gaines (CA), Brian Gibbs (CA), Peggy Hanna (OH), Dan Kahn (FL), Maggi Koren (CA), Lily Marie (CA), Nancy Merritt (CA), Kendra Mon (CA), Lorrie Norby (CA), Debra Poss (GA), and Pat Simon (MA).<\/p>\n As of 4\/18\/14, the DoP legislation, which is sponsored by CA Congresswoman Barbara Lee, has 26 cosponsors, including the following 8 who signed on leading up to and during the SNV<\/strong>:\u00a0 William Lacy Clay (MO), Emanuel Cleaver (MO), Peter DeFazio (OR), Keith Ellison (NM), Alcee Hastings (FL), Sheila Lee Jackson (TX), Jim McDermott (WA), and Janice Schkowsky (IL).<\/p>\n Other current DoP cosponsors<\/strong>, some of whom signed on as initial cosponsors in 02\/13, and some who signed on later in 2013, are:\u00a0 Robert Andrews (NJ), Yvette Clarke (NY), John Conyers (MI), Donna Edwards (MD), Sam Farr (CA), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Janice Hahn (CA), Rush Holt (NJ), Mike Honda (CA), Hank Johnson JR. (GA), John Lewis (GA), Edward Markey (MA), James McGovern (MA), George Miller (CA), Gwen Moore (WI), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Chellie Pingree (ME), and Jared Polis (CO).<\/p>\n As of 4\/18\/14, the YPA legislation, which is sponsored by VA Congressman Bobby Scott, has 112 cosponsors, including the following 14 who signed on leading up to and during the SNV<\/strong>:\u00a0 David Cicilline (RI), Kathrine Clark (MA), Joe Courtney (CT), Michael Doyle (PA), Hakeen Jeffries (NY), Zoe Lofgren (CA), Chellie Pingree (ME), Thomas Petri (WI), Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA), Raul Ruiz (CA), Linda Sanchez (CA), Loretta Sanchez (CA), Kurt Schrader (OR), and Steve Stockman (TX).<\/p>\n To read the legislation and to see a complete list of current cosponsors of both DoP and YPA, go to www.thomas.gov.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Sometimes the task force\u2019s efforts were encouraging, some days it was hard work with little encouragement.\u00a0 Sometimes things seemed to stall, other times there were bursts of enthusiasm and good news.\u00a0 On the list of almost every task force volunteer, there were \u2018veteran\u2019 and new cosponsors to thank.<\/p>\n Some Congressional offices did not accept calls or emails from non-constituents.\u00a0 Some recognized that violence is a national problem and that peacebuilding needs to be a national priority, and readily accepted the task force\u2019s messages.\u00a0 Some staffers were polite and non-committal.\u00a0 Some were conversant and happy to hear about DoP and YPA.\u00a0 Prior to our contacts, some knew about these bills.\u00a0 Others did not.<\/p>\n In connecting with Congress members, the task force tied the SNV to the importance of DoP and YPA, and forwarded key highlights of DoP and YPA, news about inclusion of DoP and peacebuilding principles in CA Democratic Party resolutions and platform planks, and announcements about the 10th anniversary of the Peace Alliance.<\/p>\n With each contact, the task force educated itself and members of Congress.\u00a0 Every letter, every email, every call made a difference and planted another seed for peacebuilding.<\/p>\n Please urge your member of Congress to cosponsor DoP and YPA<\/strong>.\u00a0 Call the member\u2019s DC office, get the name and email address of the legislative aide, email or write that person, send them information about the two bills.\u00a0 Check www.peacealliance.org for flyers and other information.\u00a0 Send that information to your member of Congress.\u00a0 Call again to make sure he\/ she received the information.\u00a0 Connect violence situations in your area with the importance of establishing a U. S. Department of Peacebuilding and with the need for YPA and PROMISE councils to promote violence reduction and prevention.<\/p>\n If you connect with your member of Congress or if you want to be a part of the SNV task force<\/strong> now or in the future, please contact Nancy at sunmntain@aol.com<\/p>\n Thank you to the SNV task force, to constituent helpers on this project, and to those who make future contacts with members of Congress about cosponsoring DoP and YPA.<\/p>\n Nancy Merritt, Kendra Mon, Pat Simon, and Jerilyn Stapleton Twenty-two members of Congress signed on as cosponsors of two key Peace Alliance backed bills during the Season for Nonviolence (SNV) 2014, with other possible co-sponsorships pending. A small task force of determined Peace Alliance volunteers made a big difference when it focused on increasing the number of congressional cosponsors of the Department of Peacebuilding Act (HR 808\/ DoP) and the Youth PROMISE Act (HR 1318\/ YPA).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2761","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nI.\u00a0 Season for Nonviolence<\/strong><\/h3>\n
II.\u00a0 The SNV Task Force<\/strong><\/h3>\n
III.\u00a0 Cosponsors of the Department of Peacebuilding Act (HR 808)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
IV.\u00a0 Cosponsors of the Youth PROMISE Act (HR 1318)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
V.\u00a0 The Work<\/strong><\/h3>\n
VI. Make a Difference<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\nOn behalf of the Peace Alliance\/
\nDepartment of Peacebuilding Legislative Committee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"