This Mother’s Day We Declare That It’s Time for Our Nation To Make Violence Prevention a Priority

Mother’s Day was originally a call for a day of peace after she experienced the horrors of war while tending the wounded during the American civil war. 

Make this Mother’s Day a call for our nation to prioritize peacebuilding by establishing a U.S. Department of Peacebuilding, by seeking solutions to prevent gun violence and by practicing peace in our personal lives, the community, schools, a more humane justice system and internationally. 

You can do this by completing one or both of these actions and sharing this email:

1) Scheduling a “Mother’s Day Pie” meeting with your member of Congress and your Senators (and/or their staff members) to tell them peace wants a piece of our federal budget pie and urging them to cosponsor Congresswoman Barbara Lee’s Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2017 (HR 1111) (Congressperson’s office can contact [email protected] to sign on).

• Schedule your meetings in May or June if possible.
• Find your member of Congress here. 
• Read tips on setting up and conducting a meeting.
• Take a pie to leave for the staff & explain the meaning of Mother’s Day & that peace wants a piece of the federal budget pie.
• Read this literature and give copies to legislators or staff at your meetings.
  • Mother’s Day Call for Peace & Legislative Priorities
  • Resources about the Department of Peacebuilding including key highlights, city endorsers, organization endorsers
  • Talking Points for Department of Peacebuilding Legislation
  • Facts About Gun Violence Prevention
  • Five Cornerstones of Peacebuilding –  https://peacealliance.org/peace-cornerstones
• Send photographs of your meeting, identifying the office you visited and attendees, to [email protected] and report your meeting here.  

2) Signing this petition to your member of Congress and Senators.  

Violence manifests in many ways.  It endangers, impacts or takes the lives of those who are shot or violated in our homes, our neighborhoods, our churches, our schools, our theaters and clubs, our work places.  It is inequality, militarism, racism and poverty.  It is preventable.  Peacebuilding includes violence-prevention policies and programs that work.  Peacebuilding saves lives and money. For every dollar invested now, the cost of conflict could be reduced by $16 over the long run.  We cannot afford to neglect peacebuilding.  Even dedicating as little as 1% of the federal discretionary budget to peacebuilding will make a huge difference.

A DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING MATTERS

Peacebuilding is multi-faceted. Legislation calling for a cabinet-level Department of Peacebuilding (HR 1111) includes the following offices:  1)  Peace & Education Training; 2) Domestic Peacebuilding Activities; 3) International Peacebuilding Activities; 4) Technology for Peace; 5) Arms Control & Disarmament; 6) Information & Research; 7) Human Rights & Economic Rights; 8) Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace; and 9)  Federal Interagency Committee on Peace.

Ask your member of Congress to co-sponsor 
The Act to Establish a U.S. Department of Peacebuilding

Nancy Merritt

On Behalf of the Department of Peacebuilding Committee
Anne Creter, Karen Johnson, Nancy Merritt, Kendra Mon, Debra Poss, Pat Simon & Jerilyn Stapleton

MOTHERS DAY & PEACE In the 1800’s, Julia Ward Howe, original advocate for “Mother’s Day” and writer of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” nursed and tended the wounded during the civil war. She worked with the widows and orphans of soldiers on both sides of the war, and realized that the effects of the war go beyond the killing of soldiers in battle. The devastation she witnessed called her to “rise up through the ashes and devastation” calling out for a day dedicated to peace: Mother’s Day. In her various social capacities Julia tirelessly worked for justice throughout her life. Read more about the history of Mother’s Day including the full Mother’s Day proclamation Julia wrote.