Project Obstacles
From WikiCODOPN
[edit] Introduction
This page will be used to document obstacles that are impeding the passage of this legislation to establish a new Department of the Federal government - the Department of Peace and Nonviolence.
[edit] "We are already doing it" (i.e. using fragmented services)
When the Department of Peace and Nonviolence is first introduced to people employed by "Partner Departments," many respond by saying "This is already being done by (fill in the blank)." They go on to provide details about the specific intervention that is being used in their local school district, or municipality, or country, or neighborhood, or ...
A quick review of the "Major Programs" within Partner Departments indicates they have NO top level programs dealing with domestic / Interpersonal violence. There are initiatives at lower levels with several Partner Departments that relate to "Peacemaking/ Peacebuilding". But programs within the Department of Education, for example, tend to operate independently from programs sponsored by the Justice Department. There is no question these segmented programs are excellent and effective for their intended objectives. However, there is not integrated approach and children (as well as adults) are being left behind, are being subjected to domestic violence, including structural violence within their community.
We also hear about how these programs struggle for funding and are often cancelled after a few years.
Despite the hundreds of good programs sponsored by Partner Departments (e.g. DoE, DoJ, DoHHS, ....) interpersonal violence in the U.S. continues to cost us over $300 Billion annually.
Despite specific laws, such as the "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001" that focuses on education and the many other fragmented programs for youth, too many young people in this country still fail to reach their potential.
The time has come to move beyond the "we are already doing it" attitude, because it isn't working for us. America needs to take a more wholistic / integrated approach - an approach that expresses concern about every child from the day they are born.
The Department of Peace and Nonviolence can and will provide that much needed integrated perspective.
[edit] "We don't need another level of government. A National Agency / Department is inefficient and costs too much..."
Domestic /interpersonal violence in the U.S. costs Americans an estimated $400B annually (this does not include the cost of dealing with international issues, the war in Iraq, etc.). This cost is non-value added to our country. The $400B cost of dealing with and repairing the damage caused by domestic violence detracts from the positive effort this country could be doing to compete in a global environment.
The cost of doing nothing to address domestic violence is actually unaffordable. We need to do something now.
The investment in a Department of Peace and Nonviolence is a wise investment. Proponents of a National strategy suggests the new Department have a budget of around $8B annually. IF the new Department could reduce domestic violence by just 2%, it would save Americans $8B annually and "pay for itself."
- [Editors Note for Perspective: a one-half percent (½ %) reduction in U.S. domestic violence will fund NASA’s next lunar mission called Orion / CEV estimated to cost $1-2B per year over the next 10-20 years]
Another constructive aspect about this investment in the DoPN is that taxpayer money that goes into the operation of DoPN comes back to regional offices and to local communities where trained local practitioners will implement effective intervention programs that address the root cause of violence and promote systemic change in that community. As a result the tax dollars come back home, provide jobs for local practitioners, provide new life skills for residents in need, and make the local community a safer, happier, more capable and productive community AND subsequently we have a stronger Nation. The payback doesn’t get much better than that.
[edit] "Poverty, Homelessnes, Gang Violence ... this issues are too complex to do anything"
[edit] "There will always be violence and wars"
[edit] "The Department of Peace can't stop a Hitler or Terrorists"
[edit] "We already spend too much money on National Defense and Homeland Security and I don't feel any safer"
[edit] "The DoPN wants to 'integrate' specific efforts of other Departments - Good Luck!"
[edit] "Just another organization to try to take away my rights to own a gun"
The Secretary of the Department of Peace and Nonviolence will be appointed by the President, approved by Congress, and sworn in to uphold the U.S. Constitution - including the Second Amendment.
The Department of Peace and Nonviolence will focus on the root cause of domestic / interpersonal violence. The availability of a weapon is not considered a "root cause."
[edit] Hypothetical Scenario 1:
A person is in a long running dispute with a neighbor. This interpersonal conflict continues and escalates. Bad feelings turn into anger. Anger turns into rage. Neither party has been given any skills or tools to constructively manage their conflict.
Option A: In a "fit of rage" one of the parties goes inside his house, retrieves a weapon (e.g. knife, gun, explosives, crossbow, battery acid, - whatever is readily available...) and uses it against the other party to "settle" the argument once and for all. Someone calls 911 to send out Law Enforcement, paramedics and the coroner. With this option, one life is lost and another is forever compromised so neither party will reach their potential.
Option B: Before it is necessary to call 911, someone (e.g. one of the parties involved, a family member, a neighbor, a passer by) calls 912 to report this "unmanaged conflict" to a Department of Peace official. Help arrives on the scene. The person that arrives may be in uniform indicating they are part of the local Peace & Nonviolence Department. Depending on the details of the reported conflict, the DoPN Officer may be accompanied by a local Public Safety/Police Officer with a firearm and nonlethal tools(even though no laws have yet been broken) to assure the safety of all involved. The DoPN Officer has been trained on how to de-escalate a conflict situation, how to establish a dialog with both parties (individually or together), how to draw out the underlying circumstances/history of this conflict, how to assess the relationship between the people involved , and will be able to separate the problem from people - all standard operating procedure for skilled mediators, negotiators.
The parties involved in the dispute will be given choices and alternative tools - tools that are non-violent weapons used to attack problems not people. If the disputing parties are unable (or unwilling) to use these new tools, they can request a "third party" intervention in the form of a counselor, mediator, negotiator, or litigator if necessary. Using Option B, there is a high probability that no lives will be lost, the conflict management process & dialog between the neighbors will allow them to better understand each other's perspective and underlying reasons for the conflict. There is a good probabilty that the dispute can be resolved (resulting in a win-win outcome), or at least managed so it will not escalate to violence in the future. Both parties are then able to pursue their lives as they see fit (and continue toward their potential).
OR
After learning about their nonviolent alternatives, the parties can still choose to grab a gun and shoot each other. The DoPN does not prevent anyone from using a gun - it just provides other tools and alternatives.
Conclusion: The public cost of "mediation" will always be less than the cost of the "arrest / investigation/ jury selection & trial / sentencing /incarceration / rehabilitation / parole" process.
The "root cause" for why this conflict was initially unmanaged was the lack of nonviolent tools for managing conflict. The parties involved did not have tools needed to attack their problem. They did have tools to attack each other.
The "root cause" of the conflict itself was discovered only in Option B during the constructive conflict management process.
In Option B, all parties were allowed to keep their weapons - including their firearms because that is their right as guaranteed by the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Advocates for "gun rights" should be advocates for establishing a Department of Peace and Nonviolence. The DoPN will give(sell) people nonviolent tools for managing disputes so they are then less inclined to think about using a gun (or other available weapon) to settle their disputes. Unfortunately, any shooting tends to erroneously give all gun owners a bad reputation.
[edit] Scenario 2
[add your example here]
