Mother's Day is approaching!

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.

This Mother’s Day We Declare That It’s Time for Our Nation 

To Make Violence Prevention a Priority

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Mother’s Day was originally a call for a day of peace by Julia Ward Howe after she nursed and tended 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 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 mariaelena.pino@mail.house.gov 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.
• Read this literature and take it to your meetings.
  • Federal budget pie
  • One or more resources about the Department of Peacebuilding
  • Five Cornerstones of Peace/Be the Movement 
• Send photographs of your meeting to nancy@peacealliance.org and report your meeting here.  

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

Peacebuilding matters because war and nuclear weapons are not viable options, the deaths and injuries of so many young people on the streets of America are not acceptable and domestic violence is not tolerable. Peacebuilding includes violence-prevention policies and programs that work. 

Peacebuilding also saves lives and money. For every dollar invested now, the cost of conflict could be reduced by $16 over the long run. 

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

Department of Peacebuilding Lead

The Peace Alliance Leadership Council