{"id":4848,"date":"2015-09-17T11:52:24","date_gmt":"2015-09-17T15:52:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peacealliance.org\/?p=4848"},"modified":"2017-05-22T00:10:40","modified_gmt":"2017-05-22T04:10:40","slug":"ca-democratic-party-endorses-2015-dop-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peacealliance.org\/ca-democratic-party-endorses-2015-dop-act\/","title":{"rendered":"CA Democratic Party Endorses 2015 DoP Act"},"content":{"rendered":"

& ADOPTS UNITED NATIONS PEACEBUILDING RESOLUTION<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Nancy Merritt<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

___________________________________________________________________<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is one of the most important testimonies I have ever given<\/strong>,\u201d said Captain Shawn Terris after urging the California Democratic Party (CDP) Legislation Committee to endorse the 2015 Department of Peacebuilding Act (DoP\/ HR1111), sponsored by Congresswoman Barbara Lee\u2019s (CA-13).<\/p>\n

On August 16, 2015, at its statewide Executive Board meeting, the CDP endorsed the 2015 U.S. Department of Peacebuilding <\/strong>(DoP\/ HR1111) legislation<\/strong> and<\/u> adopted a “Resolution Urging the United Nations and All Member States to Support Infrastructures for Peacebuilding Within and Among Nations.” \u00a0<\/strong>The CA Peace Alliance\/ Department of Peacebuilding Campaign submitted both items for CDP consideration. Attendees also signed over 500 letters asking members of Congress to cosponsor HR1111<\/strong>. \u00a0And, we made many valuable connections, including with Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), who co-sponsored DoP legislation<\/strong> four days after the Executive Board meeting in Burlingame, CA.<\/p>\n

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9 Fans of Peacebuilding – Nancy Merritt and CA Democratic Party Supporters of DoP Legislation<\/p><\/div>\n

OVERVIEW OF THE CDP EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Equality, inclusion, and violence prevention — key components of peacebuilding — were prominent themes at the CDP Executive Board meeting. Creating a cabinet-level U.S. Department of Peacebuilding will address root cause of violence and conflict and will make violence prevention a national priority. The United States incarcerates 2.3 million individuals, including a disproportionate number of people of color. One in 3 American women is a victim of domestic violence. Children are subjected to bullying at alarming rates. Twenty-two American veterans commit suicide every day. Thousands and thousands in this world are refugees from war and violence in their countries.<\/p>\n

During her testimony, Captain Terris said, \u201cThe Veterans Caucus unanimously supports the Department of Peacebuilding Act. As veterans, we have a unique perspective because the President of the United States only<\/u> calls on us to go to war when he and Congress want to \u201cresolve\u201d conflict. We believe our country is way too quick to address conflict or violence with more violence and more conflict<\/u>.<\/strong> This is America\u2019s culture. It\u2019s the way we think. We need to change that<\/strong>. We need to change the way<\/u> we think about conflict and resolve it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust creating the Department of Peacebuilding would automatically give legislators and the public the option of giving<\/p>\n

\"CA

CA Peace Alliance Group (Kendra Mon, Jerilyn Stapleton, Nancy Merritt, Doug Merritt) with CA Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom & his daughter Montana<\/p><\/div>\n

priority<\/u> to resolving conflict without using force and without causing more violence and conflict. Wouldn\u2019t that be great if our legislators thought first<\/u> of asking the Department of Peacebuilding to reduce conflict and violence instead of the Department of Defense?<\/strong> Do we really want to continue to militarize our police departments across the U.S. to resolve violence? Because we have proven that doesn\u2019t work. Why don\u2019t we try something else? Let\u2019s try Peacebuilding!\u201d<\/p>\n

The CDP endorsed the DoP legislation and adopted the resolution after CDP Chair John Burton paid tribute to Julian Bond<\/strong>, for his many years of work on civil rights, peace, justice and equality issues. Burton said Bond was always there — he always supported the many struggles to make this a better world. Bond, who passed away while the Executive Board met, helped start the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1960, served in the Georgia House and the Georgia Senate, and was Chairman of the NAACP for ten years. Morris Dees, co-founder of the Southern Poverty Law Center said the nation had lost one of its most passionate voices for justice. \u201cHe advocated not just for African Americans, but for every group, indeed every person subject to oppression and discrimination, because he recognized the common humanity in us all<\/strong>.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2013, the CDP, as a statewide party, endorsed DoP 2013 legislation. With the new 114th<\/sup> Congress the slate was wiped clean. New Congress. New bills. New legislation requests to the CDP. Renewed efforts to build CDP support for a DoP. Congresswoman Barbara Lee re-introduced legislation to create a cabinet-level Department of Peacebuilding on February 26, 2015. DoP supporters have been and continue to lobby members of Congress to cosponsor HR1111 and are building support among other groups and organizations, including the CDP.<\/p>\n

CDP endorsement of the 2015 DoP legislation, and the related resolution, is a story of determination, cooperation and collaboration to make peacebuilding a national priority. Kudos to CA Peace Alliance and CDP supporters of DoP legislation and to those who are working to make ours a more peaceful world.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

BUILDING SUPPORT \u2013 OUR ROAD TO THE EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

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CA Peace Alliance Volunteers – Jerilyn Stapleton, Josh Roebuck, Nancy Montier<\/p><\/div>\n

Leading up to the Executive Board meeting, the CA Peace Alliance Democratic Endorsement team, others from the CA Peace Alliance and allies in the CDP covered the state, by email\/ phone calls and\/or by attending meetings to seek support and endorsements from CDP clubs, the 58 CA county central committees (DCCs), the 21 CDP regions and others, including the San Fernando Valley Democrats and the CDP Veterans Caucus.<\/p>\n

We spoke at meetings throughout California\u2019s 163,696 square miles \u2013 from the far northern part of the state in Red Bluff to the far southern area in Escondido and places in between such as Nevada City, Windsor, San Rafael, Davis, Hayward, Burlingame, Monterey, Newhall, San Bernardino, and Los Angeles.\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you to at least<\/u><\/em> the following who advocated for DoP legislation at these CDP meetings: Bobbi Jo Chavarria (San Bernardino), Marilee Eusabio (Davis), Brian Gibbs (San Diego), CJ Jawahar (Placer), Daniel Kenney (Santa Clara), Maggi Koren (Sonoma), Dotty LeMieux (Marin), Richard Matthews (Chatsworth), Lily Marie (Nevada County), Nancy Merritt (San Francisco\/ East Bay Area), Steve Preminger (Santa Clara), David Sonneborn (Orange), Jerilyn Stapleton (Los Angeles), and Igor Tregub (Berkeley).<\/p>\n

By the time of the Executive Board meeting, DoP supporters\/ endorsers included at least 12 regions, 14 DCCs, 19 clubs, the Democratic Party of San Fernando Valley, the CDP Veterans Caucus, and many individual Democratic Party delegates and office holders. The 25-member CDP Legislation Committee from all parts of the state unanimously endorsed DoP 2015. Others have supported since the Executive Board meeting. For a detailed list, see the Endorser\/ Supporter Sidebar.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

LEGISLATION COMMITTEE \u2013 DoP and Other Legislation<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Prior to the final CDP vote on its endorsed legislation, the Legislation Committee makes recommendations on state legislation and on a handful of federal bills. Going in to the Legislative Committee hearing on 8\/15\/15, DoP had broad support. Darren Parker (Chair of the CDP African<\/p>\n

\"Congresswoman

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA) (Center) Cosponsored DoP Legislation Shortly After Executive Board Meeting<\/p><\/div>\n

American Caucus), Captain Shawn Terris (Chair of the CDP Veterans Caucus), and others were ready to testify in support of the DoP legislation.<\/p>\n

As it is became apparent the Legislation Committee would recommend DoP endorsement, the Committee asked us to limit testimony to one individual. Captain Terris spoke eloquently on behalf of the CA Peace Alliance and the many supporting CDP regions, DCCs, clubs and individuals. Margie Joehnck, a long-time supporter and representative from the Nevada County DCC, attended the hearing, as did CA Peace Alliance volunteers Nancy Merritt, Jerilyn Stapleton and Stephanie Thomas.<\/p>\n

The Legislation Committee also endorsed bills relating to money\/taxes, violence and the environment \u2013 for example: Limiting Solitary Confinement in Juvenile Facilities (SB124 Leno), Firearms: Gun-free School Zone (SB707 Wolk), Crisis Care for Youth (AB741 Williams), Our Children\u2019s Success \u2013 the Early Intervention Attendance Pilot Grant (AB1014 Thurmond), Second Chance Program for Community Re-entry (AB 1056 Atkins), and Building Homes and Jobs Act (AB1335 Atkins).<\/p>\n

The most controversial issue in both the Legislation Committee hearing and in the general session was End of Life legislation (SB128 Wolk), relating to making California a \u201cright to die in dignity\u201d state, similar to Oregon law, where this has been a right for 20 years. There was heartfelt testimony on both sides of this issue. The Party endorsed.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

RESOLUTIONS COMMITTEE \u2013 UN Peacebuilding & Black Lives Matter<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The CDP adopted a number of resolutions, including our UN peacebuilding resolution and a \u2018Black Lives Matter\u2019 resolution.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n