Department of Peace

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) and Sen. Mark Dayton (D-MN) introduced legislation (awhile back) to create a Cabinet-level department of the federal government, dubbed the Department of Peace. I don't know the viability of the idea, but the proposed responsibilities of the department would include:

• Monitoring of all domestic arms production, including non-military arms, conventional military arms, and of weapons of mass destruction,
• Making regular recommendations to the US President for various arms reductions strategies,
• Assumption of a more pro-active level of involvement in the establishment of international dialogues for international conflict resolution (as a cabinet level department),
• Establishment of a US Peace Academy, which amongst other things would train international peace-keepers,
• Development of an educational media program to promote non-violence in the domestic media,
• Monitoring of Human Rights, both domestically and abroad,
• Making regular recommendations to the President for the maintenance and improvement of these Human Rights,
• Receiving a timely mandatory advance consultation from the Secretaries of State, and of Defense, prior to any engagement of US troops in any armed conflict with any other nation,
• Establishment of a national Peace Day,
• Participation by the Secretary of Peace as a member of the National Security Council,
• Expansion of the national Sister City program,
• Significant expansion of current Institute of Peace program involvement in educational affairs, in areas such as:

1. Drug rehabilitation,
2. Policy reviews concerning crime prevention, punishment and rehabilitation,
3. Implementation of violence prevention counseling programs and peer mediation programs in schools,

• Also Making recommendations regarding:

1. Battered women's rights,
2. Animal rights,

• Various other peace related areas of responsibility.