This past election day was a shock to everyone’s system no matter what your political persuasion and we wanted to let you know that we are there with you. We believe it is important that we see this outcome as a call to engage with each other in a deeper and more authentic way, walking our talk of peace and reconciliation.
Some fantastic news to share today. Key parts of the Youth PROMISE Act, along with Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
The CA Peace Alliance promoted facets of peacebuilding at the CA Democratic Party (CDP) statewide Executive Board meeting in Long Beach. They gathered letters and signatures and, following the Executive Board meeting, they took peacebuilding messages and thousands of signatures to legislators in Sacramento, CA and Washington, DC that it is time to stop the violence and make peacebuilding a national priority.
The Peace Alliance is connected with an international organization in existence for over 10 years now that promotes departments of peace internationally – currently known as the Global Alliance for Ministries and Infrastructures for Peace – or GAMIP. With members representing 50 countries, 6 countries actually have operational governmental peace infrastructures – Costa Rica, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, South Sudan and East Timor.
Listen to the third Peace Alliance Call in our “Call to Calm Series” with Rita Marie Johnson. Rita Marie was instrumental in the eventual inclusion of peacebuilding in the federal government through Costa Rica’s Ministry of Justice and Peace. In 2004, Rita Marie also began offering what she coined the “Connection Practice” in Costa Rican public schools.
Please join us on July 11th for part two of our Call to Calm election series dialogues with leading American thinkers. We will be joined by Stephen Dinan, a social entrepreneur and political strategist, and the CEO of The Shift Network. Stephen will be talking about how we can bring peace and civility to the Political season, as well as sharing about his new book, Sacred America, Sacred World: Fulfilling our Mission in Service to All.