H.R. 808

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112H808

.....................................................................

(Original Signature of Member)

113TH CONGRESS1ST SESSION H. R.ll

To establish a Department of Peacebuilding.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Ms. LEE of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee onllllllllllllll

A BILL

To establish a Department of Peacebuilding.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1

tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,2

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS.3

(a) SHORT TITLE.This Act may be cited as the4

Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2013.5

(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.The table of contents for6

this Act is as follows:7

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

Sec. 2. Findings.

TITLE IESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING

Sec. 101. Establishment of Department of Peacebuilding.

Sec. 102. Responsibilities and powers.

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Sec. 103. Principal officers.

Sec. 104. Office of Peace Education and Training.

Sec. 105. Office of Domestic Peace Activities.

Sec. 106. Office of International Peace Activities.

Sec. 107. Office of Technology for Peace.

Sec. 108. Office of Arms Control and Disarmament.

Sec. 109. Office of Peacebuilding Information and Research.Sec. 110. Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights.

Sec. 111. Intergovernmental Advisory Council on Peace.

Sec. 112. Federal Interagency Committee on Peace.

Sec. 113. Staff.

Sec. 114. Consultation required.

Sec. 115. Collaboration.

TITLE IIOTHER MATTERS

Sec. 201. Legislative recommendations of the Secretary.

Sec. 202. Peace Days.

Sec. 203. Definitions.

Sec. 204. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.1

Congress finds the following:2

(1) On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental3

Congress unanimously declared the independence of4

the 13 colonies, and the achievement of peace was5

recognized as one of the highest duties of the new6

organization of free and independent States by de-7

claring, We hold these truths to be self-evident,8

that all Men are created equal, that they are en-9

dowed by their Creator with certain unalienable10

rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the11

Pursuit of Happiness.12

(2) The Constitution of the United States of13

America, in its Preamble, further sets forth the in-14

surance of the cause of peace in stating: We the15

People of the United States, in Order to Form a16



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more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domes-1

tic Tranquility, provide for the common defence,2

promote the general Welfare, and secure the Bless-3

ings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity.4

(3) During the course of the 20th century,5

more than 100,000,000 people perished in wars, and6

now, at the dawn of the 21st century, violence seems7

to be an overarching theme in the world, encom-8

passing personal, group, and national as well as9

international conflict. The United States has been at10

war over the past decade, with 6,600 members of11

the Armed Forces and hundreds of thousands of ci-12

vilians estimated to have been killed in the conflicts13

in Iraq and Afghanistan. Gun violence continues to14

be a public health epidemic in the United States and15

globally. Every year 300,000 people are killed by16

gun violence around the world. In the United States,17

100,000 people are shot each year in murders, as-18

saults, suicides and suicide attempts, accidents, and19

police actions. Over 30,000 people die each year of20

gunshot wounds, 12,000 of whom are murdered.21

Every day, 50 children are shot, and 8 of those chil-22

dren die. We must address the multiple causes of23

this public health epidemic by reinstating the ban on24

assault weapons, prohibiting high-capacity maga-25



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zines, improving mental health services, supporting1

comprehensive violence prevention efforts, estab-2

lishing a Federal gun buy-back program, and enforc-3

ing existing laws by investing in our law enforcement4

agencies to help get guns off the streets.5

(4) Personal violence has great human and fi-6

nancial costs. A 2004 World Health Organization re-7

port estimates that interpersonal violence within the8

United States costs approximately $300 billion an-9

nually, not including war-related costs. The Centers10

for Disease Control and Prevention states that an11

average of 16 people age 10 to 24 were murdered12

each day in the United States in 2005. The Pew13

Charitable Trust calculates that child abuse and ne-14

glect in the United States cost $103.8 billion in15

2007.16

(5) International and domestic conflict is often17

taken as a reflection of the human condition without18

questioning whether the structures of thought, word,19

and deed that the people of the United States have20

inherited are sufficient for the maintenance, growth,21

and survival of the United States and the world.22

(6) In 1999, the United Nations adopted a Pro-23

gramme of Action on a Culture of Peace, stating24

that a culture of peace is an integral approach to25



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preventing violence and violent conflicts, an alter-1

native to the culture of war and violence, and is2

based on education for peace, the promotion of sus-3

tainable economic and social development, respect4

for human rights, equality between women and men,5

democratic participation, tolerance, and the free flow6

of information and disarmament. The United Na-7

tions declared the years 2001 through 2010 an8

International Decade for a Culture of Peace and9

Non-Violence for the Children of the World and the10

United Nations supports a culture of peace going11

forward.12

(7) On April 4, 2012, the Institute for Econom-13

ics and Peace released a United States Peace Index,14

which assessed peacefulness at the State and city15

levels and analyzed the costs associated with violence16

and the socio-economic measures associated with17

peace. While violence within the United States had18

declined over the year 2011, violence and violence19

containment still cost the average taxpayer $3,257.20

The total cost of violence to the United Statesin-21

cluding lost productivity from violencewas conserv-22

atively calculated to be over $460 billion.23

(8) A study by the Institute for Economics and24

Peace released September 20, 2012, reports conserv-25



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ative estimates for 2010, that 15 percent of the1

gross domestic product of the United States, or2

$15,000 per taxpayer, was spent on containing vio-3

lence. The study included government, corporate,4

and individual expenditure, regardless of whether it5

was related to international affairs such as offshore6

military activities, or domestic spending such as7

dealing with crime and the consequences of crime.8

(9) Violence prevention is cost effective. For9

every dollar spent in violence prevention and10

peacebuilding, many lives and many dollars are11

saved. The philosophy and techniques of nonviolence12

and the science of peacebuilding provide tools and13

techniques that can be applied not only at the levels14

of individual and community growth, but also within15

the Federal Government and at national and inter-16

national levels. Peacebuilding is systemic and is an17

issue of health, human rights, justice, and national18

security.19

(10) It is a new millennium, and the time has20

come to review age-old challenges with new thinking21

wherein peace is conceived of as not simply being the22

absence of violence, but the active presence of the23

capacity for a higher evolution of the human aware-24

ness, of respect, trust, and integrity; wherein the25



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people of the United States may tap the infinite ca-1

pabilities of humanity to transform consciousness2

and conditions that impel or compel violence at a3

personal, group, or national level through research4

into the root causes of violence in the United States5

and the world, through promotion and promulgation6

of effective policies and programs that ameliorate7

those root causes of violence, and through providing8

all citizens, organizations, and governmental bodies9

with opportunities to learn about and practice the10

essential tools of nonviolent conflict resolution and11

peacebuilding.12

(11) The Earth Charter calls upon all people to13

live in the right relationship to the Earth and all14

beings. The preamble of the Earth Charter provides,15

To move forward we must recognize that in the16

midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life17

forms we are one human family and one Earth com-18

munity with a common destiny. We must join to-19

gether to bring forth a sustainable global society20

founded on respect for nature, universal human21

rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace.22

Peacebuilding is working together with all nations to23

protect both life and land and hold the Earth in bal-24

ance.25



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TITLE IESTABLISHMENT OF1

DEPARTMENT OF2

PEACEBUILDING3

SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF4

PEACEBUILDING.5

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.There is hereby established a6

Department of Peacebuilding, that shall7

(1) be a department in the executive branch of8

the Federal Government; and9

(2) be dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking,10

and the study and promotion of conditions conducive11

to both domestic and international peace and a cul-12

ture of peace.13

(b) SECRETARY OF PEACEBUILDING.There shall be14

at the head of the Department a Secretary of15

Peacebuilding, who shall be appointed by the President,16

by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.17

(c) MISSION.The Department shall18

(1) hold the cultivation of peace and19

peacebuilding as a strategic national policy objective;20

(2) reduce and prevent violence in the United21

States and internationally through peacebuilding and22

effective nonviolent conflict resolution;23

(3) strengthen nonmilitary means of peace-24

making;25



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(4) work to create peace, prevent violence, pre-1

vent armed conflict, use field-tested programs, and2

promote best practices in nonviolent dispute resolu-3

tion;4

(5) take a proactive, strategic approach in the5

development of policies that promote national and6

international conflict prevention, nonviolent interven-7

tion, mediation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and8

structured mediation of conflict;9

(6) address matters both domestic and inter-10

national in scope;11

(7) provide an institutional platform for the12

growing wealth of expertise in peacebuilding to dra-13

matically reduce the national and global epidemic of14

violence;15

(8) support local communities in finding, fund-16

ing, replicating, and expanding programs to reduce17

and prevent violence;18

(9) invest in nongovernmental organizations19

that have implemented successful initiatives to re-20

duce and prevent violence, both internationally and21

domestically; and22

(10) consult with other Federal agencies to23

apply and practice the science of peacebuilding in24

their respective fields of responsibility.25



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SEC. 102. RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS.1

(a) IN GENERAL.The Secretary shall2

(1) work proactively and interactively with each3

branch of the Federal Government on all policy mat-4

ters relating to conditions of peace;5

(2) call on the experience and expertise of the6

people of the United States and seek participation in7

the development of policy from private, public, and8

nongovernmental organizations;9

(3) monitor and analyze causative principles of10

conflict and make policy recommendations for devel-11

oping and maintaining peaceful conduct;12

(4) research effective violence reduction pro-13

grams and promote and promulgate such programs14

within Government and society; and15

(5) consult with private, public, and nongovern-16

mental organizations to develop a metric model that17

provides the means to measure and report progress18

toward peace in the United States to the President,19

Congress, and the people of the United States, and20

issue reports on such progress annually.21

(b) DOMESTIC RESPONSIBILITIES.The Secretary22

shall collaborate with governmental and nongovernmental23

entities and citizens to promote personal and community24

security and peace by25



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(1) developing new policies and supporting ex-1

isting policies that effectively address personal and2

family violence, including suicide, domestic violence,3

spousal abuse, child abuse, and mistreatment of the4

elderly;5

(2) creating new policies and programs and ex-6

panding existing policies and programs that effec-7

tively reduce drug and alcohol abuse;8

(3) developing new policies and programs and9

expanding existing policies and programs that effec-10

tively address crime, punishment, and rehabilitation,11

including12

(A) working to reduce prison recidivism13

rates;14

(B) supporting the implementation of non-15

violent conflict resolution education and train-16

ing for victims, perpetrators, and those who17

work with them; and18

(C) supporting effective police and commu-19

nity relations;20

(4) analyzing existing policies, employing suc-21

cessful, field-tested programs, and developing new22

approaches for dealing with the tools of violence, in-23

cluding handguns, especially among youth;24



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(5) analyzing existing policies and developing1

new policies to address violence against animals;2

(6) developing new and expanding effective pro-3

grams that relate to the societal challenges of school4

violence, gangs, racial or ethnic violence, violence5

against gays and lesbians, and police-community re-6

lations disputes;7

(7) making policy recommendations to the At-8

torney General regarding civil rights and labor law;9

(8) assisting in the establishment and funding10

of community-based violence prevention programs,11

including violence prevention counseling and peer12

mediation in schools and unarmed civilian peace-13

keeping at a local level;14

(9) providing counseling and advocating on be-15

half of individuals victimized by violence;16

(10) providing for public education programs17

and counseling strategies that promote tolerance and18

respect for the diversity of the people of the United19

States with regard to race, religion, creed, gender20

and gender identification, sexual orientation, age,21

ethnicity, and other perceived difference; and22

(11) supporting local community initiatives that23

draw on neighborhood resources to create peace24

projects that facilitate the development of conflict25



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resolution and thereby inform and inspire national1

policy.2

(c) INTERNATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.The Sec-3

retary shall4

(1) advise the Secretary of Defense and the5

Secretary of State on matters relating to national6

security, including the protection of human rights7

and the prevention of, amelioration of, and de-esca-8

lation of unarmed and armed international conflict;9

(2) contribute to and participate in the develop-10

ment of training of all United States personnel who11

administer post-conflict reconstruction and demobili-12

zation in war-torn societies;13

(3) sponsor country and regional conflict-pre-14

vention and dispute-resolution initiatives, create spe-15

cial task forces, and draw on local, regional, and na-16

tional expertise to develop plans and programs for17

addressing the root sources of conflict in troubled18

areas;19

(4) counsel and advocate on behalf of women20

victimized by violence, including rape, during conflict21

and post-conflict situations;22

(5) provide for exchanges between the United23

States and other nations of individuals who endeavor24



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to develop domestic and international peace-based1

initiatives;2

(6) encourage the development of international3

sister city programs, pairing United States cities4

with cities around the globe for artistic, cultural,5

economic, educational, and faith-based exchanges;6

(7) establish and administer a budget des-7

ignated for the training and deployment of unarmed8

civilian peacekeepers to participate in multinational9

nonviolent peacekeeping forces that may be con-10

ducted by civilian, governmental, or multilateral or-11

ganizations;12

(8) jointly with the Secretary of the Treasury,13

strengthen peace enforcement through hiring and14

training monitors and investigators to help with the15

enforcement of international arms embargoes;16

(9) facilitate the development of peace summits17

at which parties to a conflict, including all stake-18

holders who are impacted by the conflict, may gather19

under carefully prepared conditions to promote non-20

violent communication and mutually beneficial solu-21

tions;22

(10) submit to the President recommendations23

for reductions in weapons of mass destruction, and24

make annual reports to the President on the sale of25



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arms from the United States to other nations, with1

analysis of the impact of such sales on the defense2

of the United States and how such sales affect3

peace;4

(11) in consultation with the Secretary of State,5

develop strategies for sustainability and management6

of the distribution of international funds;7

(12) advise the Permanent Representative of8

the United States to the United Nations on matters9

pertaining to the United Nations Security Council;10

and11

(13) support the implementation of inter-12

national peacebuilding strategies through a balanced13

use of peacebuilding, diplomacy, development, and14

defense.15

(d) MEMBERSHIP OF THE SECRETARY OF16

PEACEBUILDING ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUN-17

CIL.Section 101(a) of the National Security Act of 194718

(50 U.S.C. 402(a)) is amended19

(1) in paragraph (6), by striking Director for20

Mutual Security; and inserting Secretary of21

Peacebuilding; and;22

(2) by striking paragraph (7);23

(3) by redesignating paragraph (8) as para-24

graph (7); and25



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(4) in paragraph (7) (as redesignated by para-1

graph (3) of this subsection), by striking the Chair-2

man of the Munitions Board, and the Chairman of3

the Research and Development Board,.4

(e) HUMAN SECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES.The Sec-5

retary shall address and offer nonviolent conflict resolu-6

tion strategies and suggest resources for unarmed civilian7

peacekeepers to the appropriate relevant parties on issues8

of human security if such security is threatened by con-9

flict, whether such conflict is geographic, religious, ethnic,10

racial, or class-based in its origin, derives from economic11

concerns, or is initiated through disputes concerning scar-12

city of natural resources (such as water and energy re-13

sources), food, trade, or climate and environmental con-14

cerns.15

(f) MEDIA-RELATED RESPONSIBILITIES.Respect-16

ing the First Amendment to the Constitution of the17

United States and the requirement for free and inde-18

pendent media, the Secretary shall19

(1) seek assistance in the design and implemen-20

tation of nonviolent policies from media profes-21

sionals;22

(2) study the role of the media in the escalation23

and de-escalation of conflict at domestic and inter-24

national levels, including the role of fear-inducing25



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and hate-inducing speech and actions, and making1

the findings of such study public; and2

(3) make recommendations to professional3

media organizations in order to provide opportuni-4

ties to increase media awareness of peace-building5

initiatives.6

(g) EDUCATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.The Sec-7

retary shall8

(1) with the support of, and in consultation9

with, the United States Institute of Peace, develop10

a peace education curriculum that includes studies11

of12

(A) the civil rights movement in the United13

States and throughout the world, with special14

emphasis on the role of nonviolence and how in-15

dividual endeavor and involvement have contrib-16

uted to advancements in peace and justice;17

(B) peace agreements and circumstances18

in which peaceful intervention has worked to19

stop conflict; and20

(C) the patriarchal structure of society and21

the inherent violence of such structure in the22

shaping of relationships and institutions;23

(2) in consultation with the Secretary of Edu-24

cation25



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(A) commission the development of such1

curriculum and make such curriculum available2

to local school districts to enable the use of3

peace education objectives at elementary schools4

and secondary schools in the United States;5

(B) support in early childhood, elementary6

schools, secondary schools, and institutions of7

higher education a well-resourced, balanced8

education that includes math, science, English,9

history, ethnic studies, social studies, health,10

physical education, foreign languages, the arts,11

and music that will prepare students for success12

in a globally interconnected world; and13

(C) offer incentives in the form of grants14

and training to encourage the development of15

State peace curricula and assist schools in ap-16

plying for such curricula;17

(3) work with educators to equip students to18

become skilled in achieving peace through reflection,19

and facilitate instruction in the ways of peaceful20

conflict resolution;21

(4) ensure that schools are nonviolence zones22

that provide a peaceful educational environment;23

(5) create school and community cultures where24

students and staff do not feel threatened and are25



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free from bullying and harassment by developing1

and implementing curricula in nonviolent conflict2

resolution education for teachers, students, parents,3

the school community, and the community at large;4

(6) maintain a public website to solicit and re-5

ceive ideas for the development of peace from the6

wealth of the politically, socially, and culturally di-7

verse public;8

(7) proactively engage the critical thinking ca-9

pabilities of students and teachers of elementary10

schools, secondary schools, and institutions of higher11

education through the Internet and other media and12

issue periodic reports concerning any submissions13

from such students and teachers;14

(8) create and establish a Peace Academy that15

shall16

(A) be modeled after the military service17

academies; and18

(B) provide a 4-year course of instruction19

in peace education, after which graduates will20

be required to serve 5 years in public service in21

programs dedicated to domestic or international22

nonviolent conflict resolution; and23



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(9) provide grants for peace studies depart-1

ments in institutions of higher education throughout2

the United States.3

SEC. 103. PRINCIPAL OFFICERS.4

(a) UNDER SECRETARY OF PEACEBUILDING.The5

President shall appoint an Under Secretary of6

Peacebuilding in the Department, by and with the advice7

and consent of the Senate. During the absence or dis-8

ability of the Secretary, or in the event of a vacancy in9

the office of the Secretary, the Under Secretary shall act10

as Secretary. The Secretary shall designate the order in11

which other officials of the Department shall act and per-12

form the functions of the Secretary during the absence13

or disability of both the Secretary and Under Secretary14

or in the event of vacancies in both offices.15

(b) ADDITIONAL POSITIONS.16

(1) IN GENERAL.The President shall appoint17

in the Department, by and with the advice and con-18

sent of the Senate19

(A) an Assistant Secretary for Peace Edu-20

cation and Training;21

(B) an Assistant Secretary for Domestic22

Peace Activities;23

(C) an Assistant Secretary for Inter-24

national Peace Activities;25



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(D) an Assistant Secretary for Technology1

for Peace;2

(E) an Assistant Secretary for Arms Con-3

trol and Disarmament;4

(F) an Assistant Secretary for5

Peacebuilding Information and Research;6

(G) an Assistant Secretary for Human and7

Economic Rights; and8

(H) a General Counsel.9

(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF INSPECTOR GENERAL10

OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING.Section11

12 of the Inspector General Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C.12

App.) is amended13

(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting14

Peacebuilding, after Homeland Security,;15

and16

(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting17

Peacebuilding, after Homeland Security,.18

(3) ADDITIONAL OFFICERS.The President19

shall appoint 4 additional officers in the Depart-20

ment, by and with the advice and consent of the21

Senate. The officers appointed under this paragraph22

shall perform such functions as the Secretary shall23

prescribe, including24

(A) congressional relations functions;25



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(B) public information functions, including1

providing, through the use of the latest tech-2

nologies, useful information about peace and3

the work of the Department;4

(C) management and budget functions;5

and6

(D) planning, evaluation, and policy devel-7

opment functions, including development of8

policies to promote the efficient and coordinated9

administration of the Department and its pro-10

grams and encourage improvements in conflict11

resolution and violence prevention.12

(4) DESCRIPTION OF FUNCTIONS.In any case13

in which the President submits the name of an indi-14

vidual to the Senate for confirmation as an officer15

of the Department under this subsection, the Presi-16

dent shall state the particular functions such indi-17

vidual will exercise upon taking office.18

(c) AUTHORITY OF SECRETARY.Each officer de-19

scribed in this section shall report directly to the Secretary20

and shall, in addition to any functions vested in or re-21

quired to be delegated to such officer, perform such addi-22

tional functions as the Secretary may prescribe.23



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SEC. 104. OFFICE OF PEACE EDUCATION AND TRAINING.1

(a) IN GENERAL.There shall be in the Department2

an Office of Peace Education and Training, the head of3

which shall be the Assistant Secretary for Peace Edu-4

cation and Training. The Assistant Secretary for Peace5

Education and Training shall carry out those functions6

of the Department relating to the creation, encourage-7

ment, and impact of peace education and training at the8

elementary, secondary, university, and postgraduate levels,9

including the development of a Peace Academy, and dis-10

seminate applicable policies and research in consultation11

with entities of the Department of Health and Human12

Services, including13

(1) the Administration for Children and Fami-14

lies;15

(2) the Administration on Aging;16

(3) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;17

and18

(4) the National Institutes of Health.19

(b) PEACE CURRICULUM.The Assistant Secretary20

of Peace Education and Training, in consultation with the21

Secretary of Education, the United States Institute of22

Peace, nongovernmental groups, public institutions, peace23

and conflict studies programs of institutions of higher edu-24

cation, and Federal agencies that provide effective peace25

training materials and curricula, shall support the devel-26



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opment and dissemination of effective peace curricula and1

supporting materials for distribution to departments of2

education in each State and territory of the United States.3

The peace curriculum shall include4

(1) building communicative peace skills and5

nonviolent conflict resolution skills;6

(2) teaching and fostering compassion, empa-7

thy, tolerance, respect, inclusion, and forgiveness;8

and9

(3) promoting other objectives to increase the10

knowledge of peace processes.11

(c) GRANTS.The Assistant Secretary of Peace Edu-12

cation and Training shall13

(1) provide peace education grants to institu-14

tions of higher education for the creation and expan-15

sion of peace studies departments and the education16

and training of teachers in peace studies; and17

(2) create a Community Peace Block Grant18

program under which the Secretary shall make19

grants to nonprofit organizations and nongovern-20

mental organizations for the purposes of developing21

innovative neighborhood programs for nonviolent22

conflict resolution and creating local peacebuilding23

initiatives.24



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SEC. 105. OFFICE OF DOMESTIC PEACE ACTIVITIES.1


an Office of Domestic Peace Activities, the head of which3

shall be the Assistant Secretary for Domestic Peace Ac-4

tivities. The Assistant Secretary for Domestic Peace Ac-5

tivities shall carry out those functions in the Department6

affecting domestic peace activities, including the develop-7

ment of policies that increase awareness about interven-8

tion and counseling on domestic violence and conflict.9

(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.The Assistant Secretary for10

Domestic Peace Activities shall11

(1) develop policy and disseminate best prac-12

tices from the field for the treatment of drug and al-13

cohol abuse;14

(2) develop community-based strategies for cele-15

brating diversity and promoting tolerance;16

(3) develop new policies and build on existing17

proven programs18

(A) to assist in the prevention of crime, in-19

cluding the development of community policing20

strategies and peaceful settlement skills among21

police and other public safety officers;22

(B) to assist in the re-entry into the com-23

munity by individuals who have been incarcer-24

ated, including training in anger management25



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and peacebuilding skills, life skills, and edu-1

cational and job skills;2

(C) to assist in creating strong and healthy3

families, including supporting mental health4

services, domestic violence prevention, gang pre-5

vention, anti-bullying programs, substance6

abuse prevention, and parenting skills;7

(D) to provide restorative justice programs8

at all levels of the criminal justice system that9

bring together offenders, victims, and commu-10

nity members in an effort to repair the damage11

caused by criminal activity through account-12

ability and rehabilitation;13

(E) to provide for training and deployment14

into neighborhoods of nonmilitary domestic con-15

flict prevention and peacemaking personnel, in-16

cluding violence interrupters and civilian com-17

munity peacekeepers; and18

(F) to implement community-based polic-19

ing to break down barriers between law enforce-20

ment officers and the people such officers serve;21

(4) promote informal and cultural exchanges22

between individuals and groups of proximate neigh-23

borhoods and regions to encourage understanding24

and acceptance; and25



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(5) disseminate applicable policies and research1

in consultation with appropriate entities of2

(A) the Department of Justice;3

(B) the Department of Health and Human4

Services;5

(C) the Department of State; and6

(D) the Department of Education.7

(c) GRANTS.The Assistant Secretary for Domestic8

Peace Activities shall create a grant program to be known9

as the Cultural Diplomacy for Peace grant program under10

which the Secretary shall make grants to elementary11

schools, secondary schools, institutions of higher edu-12

cation, nonprofit organizations, and nongovernmental or-13

ganizations for the purpose of developing domestic cul-14

tural exchanges, including exchanges relating to the arts15

and sports, that promote diplomacy and cultural under-16

standing between neighborhoods and members of the17

neighboring communities.18

SEC. 106. OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL PEACE ACTIVITIES.19


an Office of International Peace Activities, the head of21

which shall be the Assistant Secretary for International22

Peace Activities. The Assistant Secretary for International23

Peace Activities shall carry out those functions in the De-24

partment affecting international peace activities.25



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International Peace Activities shall2

(1) develop new programs and promote existing3

proven programs to4

(A) provide for the training and deploy-5

ment of graduates of the Peace Academy estab-6

lished under section 102(f) and other non-7

military conflict prevention and peacemaking8

personnel;9

(B) support country and regional conflict10

prevention and dispute resolution initiatives in11

countries experiencing social, political, or eco-12

nomic strife;13

(C) provide training for the administration14

of post-conflict reconstruction and demobiliza-15

tion in war-torn societies;16

(D) address root causes of violence;17

(E) eradicate extreme hunger and poverty;18

(F) achieve universal primary education;19

and20

(G) empower women;21

(2) advocate for the creation of a multinational22

nonviolent peace force;23

(3) provide for the exchanges between individ-24

uals of the United States and other nations who are25



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endeavoring to develop domestic and international1

peace-based initiatives; and2


in consultation with appropriate entities of4

(A) the Department of State;5

(B) the Department of Labor;6

(C) the Peace Corps; and7

(D) the United States Institute of Peace.8

(c) GRANTS.The Assistant Secretary for Inter-9

national Peace Activities shall create a grant program to10

be known as the International Cultural Diplomacy for11

Peace grant program under which the Secretary shall12

make grants to elementary schools, secondary schools, in-13

stitutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations,14

and nongovernmental organizations for the purpose of de-15

veloping international cultural exchanges, including ex-16

changes related to the arts and sports, that promote diplo-17

macy and cultural understanding between the United18

States and members of the international community.19

SEC. 107. OFFICE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR PEACE.20


an Office of Technology for Peace, the head of which shall22

be the Assistant Secretary for Technology for Peace. The23

Assistant Secretary for Technology for Peace shall carry24

out those functions in the Department affecting the25



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awareness, study, and impact of developing new tech-1

nologies on the creation and maintenance of domestic and2

international peace, and disseminate applicable policies3

and research in consultation with appropriate entities of4

the Department of State.5

(b) GRANTS.The Assistant Secretary for Tech-6

nology for Peace shall make grants for the research and7

development of technologies in transportation, commu-8

nications, agriculture, and energy that9

(1) are nonviolent in application; and10

(2) encourage the conservation and sustain-11

ability of natural resources in order to prevent fu-12

ture conflicts regarding scarce resources.13

SEC. 108. OFFICE OF ARMS CONTROL AND DISARMAMENT.14


an Office of Arms Control and Disarmament, the head16

of which shall be the Assistant Secretary for Arms Control17

and Disarmament. The Assistant Secretary for Arms Con-18

trol and Disarmament shall carry out those functions in19

the Department affecting arms control programs and20

arms limitation agreements.21


Arms Control and Disarmament shall23

(1) advise the Secretary on interagency discus-24

sions and international negotiations, including dis-25



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cussions involving the Secretary of State, the Atomic1

Energy Commission, and the Secretary of Defense,2

regarding the reduction and elimination of weapons3

of mass destruction throughout the world, including4

the dismantling of such weapons and the safe and5

secure storage of materials related thereto;6

(2) assist nations, international agencies, and7

nongovernmental organizations in assessing the loca-8

tions of the buildup of nuclear arms and other weap-9

ons of mass destruction;10

(3) develop nonviolent strategies to deter test-11

ing or use of offensive or defensive nuclear weapons12

and other weapons of mass destruction, whether13

based on land, air, sea, or in space;14

(4) serve as a depository for copies of all con-15

tracts, agreements, and treaties that address the re-16

duction and elimination of nuclear weapons and17

other weapons of mass destruction or the protection18

of space from militarization;19

(5) provide technical support and legal assist-20

ance for the implementation of such agreements; and21


in consultation with appropriate entities of the De-23

partment of State and the Department of Com-24

merce.25



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SEC. 109. OFFICE OF PEACEBUILDING INFORMATION AND1

RESEARCH.2


an Office of Peacebuilding Information and Research, the4

head of which shall be the Assistant Secretary for5

Peacebuilding Information and Research. The Assistant6

Secretary for Peacebuilding Information and Research7

shall carry out those functions in the Department affect-8

ing research and analysis relating to creating, initiating,9

and modeling approaches to peaceful coexistence and non-10

violent conflict resolution.11


Peacebuilding Information and Research shall13

(1) commission or compile studies on the im-14

pact of war, especially on the physical and mental15

condition of children (using the 10-point anti-war16

agenda in the United Nations Childrens Fund re-17

port, State of the Worlds Children 1996, as a18

guide) that shall include the study of the effect of19

war on the environment and public health;20

(2) compile information on effective community21

peacebuilding activities and disseminate such infor-22

mation to local governments and nongovernmental23

organizations in the United States and abroad;24



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(3) commission or compile research on the ef-1

fect of violence in the media and make such reports2

available to the Congress annually;3

(4) publish a monthly journal of the activities4

of the Department and encourage scholarly partici-5

pation;6

(5) sponsor conferences throughout the United7

States to create awareness of the work of the De-8

partment; and9

(6) where applicable, work to carry out the re-10

sponsibilities under this subsection in consultation11

with the United States Institute of Peace and other12

governmental and nongovernmental entities, includ-13

ing14

(A) the Department of Health and Human15

Services;16

(B) the Department of Justice; and17

(C) the Department of State.18

SEC. 110. OFFICE OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND ECONOMIC19

RIGHTS.20


an Office of Human Rights and Economic Rights, the22

head of which shall be the Assistant Secretary for Human23

Rights and Economic Rights. The Assistant Secretary for24

Human Rights and Economic Rights shall carry out those25



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functions in the Department that support the principles1

of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by2

the General Assembly of the United Nations on December3

10, 1948.4


Human Rights and Economic Rights shall6

(1) assist the Secretary, in consultation with7

the Secretary of State, in furthering the incorpora-8

tion of the principles of human rights, as enunciated9

in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,10

United Nations General Assembly Resolution 217A11

(III) of December 10, 1948, into all agreements be-12

tween the United States and other nations to help13

reduce the causes of violence;14

(2) consult with the Secretary of State, the15

Atrocities Prevention Board of the White House,16

and other similarly-concerned governmental and17

nongovernmental agencies to gather information on18

and document domestic and international human19

rights abuses, including genocide, torture, human20

trafficking, child soldiers, and child labor, and rec-21

ommend to the Secretary nonviolent responses to22

promote awareness, understanding, and correction of23

abuses;24



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(3) make such information available to other1

governmental and nongovernmental agencies in2

order to facilitate nonviolent conflict resolution;3

(4) provide trained observers to work with non-4

governmental organizations for purposes of creating5

a climate conducive to the respect for human rights;6

(5) conduct economic analyses of the scarcity of7

human and natural resources as a source of conflict8

and make recommendations to the Secretary for9

nonviolent prevention of such scarcity, nonviolent10

intervention in case of such scarcity, and the devel-11

opment of programs to assist people facing such12

scarcity, whether due to armed conflict,13

misdistribution of resources, or natural causes;14


the Secretary of State and the Secretary of the16

Treasury, in developing strategies regarding the sus-17

tainability and the management of the distribution18

of funds from international agencies, the conditions19

regarding the receipt of such funds, and the impact20

of those conditions on the peace and stability of the21

recipient nations;22


the Secretary of State and the Secretary of Labor,24



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in developing strategies to promote full compliance1

with domestic and international labor rights law;2

(8) conduct policy analysis to ensure that the3

international development investments of the United4

States positively impact the peace and stability of5

the recipient nation; and6

(9) disseminate policies and research in con-7

sultation with appropriate entities of the Depart-8

ment of State.9

SEC. 111. INTERGOVERNMENTAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ON10

PEACE.11


an advisory committee known as the Intergovernmental13

Advisory Council on Peace (in this section referred to as14

the Council). The Council shall provide assistance and15

make recommendations to the President and the Secretary16

concerning intergovernmental policies relating to peace17

and nonviolent conflict resolution.18

(b) RESPONSIBILITIES.The Council shall19

(1) provide a forum for representatives of Fed-20

eral, State, and local governments to discuss peace21

issues;22

(2) promote better intergovernmental relations23

and offer professional mediation services to resolve24

intergovernmental conflict as needed; and25



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(3) submit biennially, or more frequently if de-1

termined necessary by the Council, a report to the2

President, the Secretary, and Congress reviewing the3

impact of Federal peace activities on the Federal4

Government and on State and local governments.5

(c) MEMBERSHIP.The Secretary shall appoint the6

members of the Council.7

SEC. 112. FEDERAL INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON PEACE.8

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.There is established a Fed-9

eral Interagency Committee on Peace (in this section re-10

ferred to as the Committee). The Committee shall11

(1) assist the Secretary in providing a mecha-12

nism to assure that the procedures and actions of13

the Department and other Federal agencies are fully14

coordinated; and15

(2) study and make recommendations for assur-16

ing effective coordination of Federal programs, poli-17

cies, and administrative practices affecting peace.18

(b) MEMBERSHIP.The Secretary shall appoint the19

members of the Committee.20

SEC. 113. STAFF.21

The Secretary may appoint and fix the compensation22

of such employees as may be necessary to carry out the23

functions of the Secretary and the Department. Except24

as otherwise provided by law, such employees shall be ap-25



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pointed in accordance with applicable laws and the com-1

pensation of such employees fixed in accordance with title2

5, United States Code.3

SEC. 114. CONSULTATION REQUIRED.4

(a) CONSULTATION IN CASES OF CONFLICT ANDVIO-5

LENCE PREVENTION.6

(1) IN GENERAL.In any case in which a con-7

flict between the United States and any other gov-8

ernment or entity is imminent or occurring, the Sec-9

retary of Defense and the Secretary of State shall10

consult with the Secretary of Peacebuilding con-11

cerning violence prevention, nonviolent means of con-12

flict resolution, and peacebuilding.13

(2) DIPLOMATIC INITIATIVES.In any case in14

which a conflict described in paragraph (1) is ongo-15

ing or recently concluded, the Secretary shall con-16

duct an independent study of diplomatic initiatives17

undertaken by the United States and other parties18

to such conflict.19

(3) INITIATIVE ASSESSMENT.In any case in20

which a conflict described in paragraph (1) has re-21

cently concluded, the Secretary shall assess the ef-22

fectiveness of any initiatives in ending such conflict.23

(4) CONSULTATION PROCESS.The Secretary24

shall establish a formal process of consultation in a25



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timely manner with the Secretary of State, the Sec-1

retary of Defense, and the National Security Coun-2

cil3

(A) prior to the initiation of any armed4

conflict between the United States and any5

other nation; and6

(B) for any matter involving the use of De-7

partment of Defense personnel within the8

United States.9

(b) CONSULTATION IN DRAFTING TREATIES AND10

AGREEMENTS.The head of each appropriate Federal11

agency shall consult with the Secretary in drafting treaties12

and peace agreements.13

SEC. 115. COLLABORATION.14

The Secretary shall, for the greatest effectiveness in15

promoting peace and peacebuilding, collaborate with all re-16

lated programs in all Federal agencies.17

TITLE IIOTHER MATTERS18

SEC. 201. LEGISLATIVE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE SEC-19

RETARY.20

Not later than 1 year after the date of the appoint-21

ment of the first Secretary, the Secretary shall prepare22

and submit to Congress proposed legislation containing23

any necessary and appropriate amendments to the laws24

of the United States to carry out the purposes of this Act.25



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SEC. 202. PEACE DAYS.1

The Secretary shall encourage citizens to observe and2

celebrate the blessings of peace and endeavor to create3

peace on Peace Days. Such days shall include discussions4

of the professional activities and the achievements in the5

lives of peacemakers.6

SEC. 203. DEFINITIONS.7

In this Act:8

(1) DEPARTMENT.The term Department9

means the Department of Peacebuilding established10

under section 101(a).11

(2) ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.The term elemen-12

tary school has the meaning given that term in sec-13

tion 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-14

cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).15

(3) FEDERAL AGENCY.The term Federal16

agency has the meaning given the term agency17

in section 551(1) of title 5, United States Code.18

(4) INSTITUTION OF HIGHER EDUCATION.The19

term institution of higher education has the20

meaning given that term in section 101 of the High-21

er Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).22

(5) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.The term23

nonprofit organization means an entity that24

(A) is described in section 501(c)(3) of the25

Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and26



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(B) is exempt from tax under section1

501(a) of such Code.2

(6) SECONDARY SCHOOL.The term sec-3

ondary school has the meaning given that term in4

section 9101 of the Elementary and Secondary Edu-5

cation Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801).6

(7) SECRETARY.The term Secretary means7

the Secretary of Peacebuilding appointed under sec-8

tion 101(b).9

SEC. 204. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.10

(a) IN GENERAL.There is authorized to be appro-11

priated to carry out this Act such sums as may be nec-12

essary.13

(b) LIMITATION ON USE OF FUNDS.Of the14

amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a), at least15

85 percent shall be used for domestic peace programs, in-16

cluding administrative costs associated with such pro-17

grams.18


H.R. 808

Documents

Transcript of H.R. 808