ASSOCIATED PRESS Rep. Barbara Lee, California Democrat, disputed dubbing the measure a ... more >California Rep. Barbara Lee and other House Democrats have introduced a bill that would establish a Department of Peacebuilding, which would be responsible for tasks from scaling back U.S. military actions to gang violence to school bullying.
The new department would be led by a Cabinet-level Secretary of Peacebuilding, who would have a seat on the National Security Council, The Hill reports. The department would be "dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking, and the study and promotion of conditions conducive to both domestic and international peace and a culture of peace."
The legislation would have the department create a "peace academy," and the secretary would create "Peace Days," encouraging people to "observe and celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create peace on Peace Days."
"We invest hundreds of billions each year in the Pentagon, in war colleges, military academies, and our national defense universities all to develop war tactics and strategies," Ms. Lee said in a press release this month. "Now we need that kind of investment in peace and nonviolence here at home."
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Jessica Chasmar is a continuous news writer for The Washington Times. Previously, she was part of the start-up team for The Washington Times’ digital aggregation product, Times247. She can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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