Garine and the Department of Peace Campaign

New Bill

2009-03-28T09:09:00.004-04:00

There was a PEACE Alliance convention this past weekend in Washington DC. I went. The people who speak and attend these things always impress me. They really are a bunch of brainiacs, with a ton of professional letters behind their names - MS, PhD, MSSW, MA MFT, JD, etc.

I think I'm going to just put some random letters behind my name to show my education in the school of life. My bachelors just seems shallow by comparison. How about Garine Isassi, M.O.M. (Masters of Motherhood), R'n'Rer (life degree in rock n roll), D.O. (Doctorate of Organization)??

At any rate, I learned a lot from the speakers there and especially admire those who are working "in the trenches" against violence and hate. Organizations like battered women's shelters and Barios Unidos (an anti gang group). The founders of Challenge Day did a presentation and I think that every High school in America should have this program for the students AND the parents. So much of the stereotyping comes from the parents too. I'm going to talk to our school board about getting them in our district.

The biggest item to report, though, is that the Dept of Peace bill was changed to reflect more specifically where money would go. Now the bill asks for $10 billion a yr, with 85% of that to support domestic programs that prevent violence. Considering that we spend about $300 billion a year dealing with the AFTERMATH of violence within the borders of the United States,$10 billion seems like a bargain to prevent it from happening in the first place.

tii -iiime is on my side . . . yes, it is

2008-10-03T13:21:00.001-04:00

While I was driving back from a kids music concert last month, with a bunch of wailing kidlets in the back of my mini-van, I had a mini revelation - the roads are mine. Yes, that is where I spend my time. Even in the gas crunch, I am a chauffer enslaved to karate classes, visits to Aunties, and my freelance clients.

What I mean is, there are millions of people driving up and down the federal roads in New Jersey everyday and, since they are FEDERAL highways, I am allowed to put up any political statement that I want to on said roads - freedom of speech and all that stuff.

So, I thought in my big brain extraviganza, that I can put up signs at every overpass that reads "Ask for a Federal Dept of Peace and Non-Violence" in 3 ft high letters.

Only problem is, in an anti-mick jaggerism, time is NOT on my side. So I put it out there to others who might have more time . . . .

SoapBox

2008-10-03T11:48:00.002-04:00

I just discovered that there is a section on the congressional website -- congress.org -- called "SoapBox." It's something you pay $9 a month for a space on the website and outgoing alerts. I sent the link to the Peace Alliance organizers. I don't know if they know about it, but it seems like something pretty easy to get your grassroots efforts out there to people active on the Internet.

Congress.org is a great website because you can look up your representatives, both federal and state, and send them emails or letters right then.

I was on there about the bailout vote this morning.

Talk the Talk, Walk the walk

2008-10-02T16:06:00.003-04:00

I went to a Women in Communications Seminar about the internet and they went on and on about how the only way to get people to read your blog was to write in it every day.

Obviously, I am failing miserably in that department.

So, anyway, The Dept of Peace and NonViolence Campaign for New Jersey had a Walk for Peace on Saturday. There were a few people there - about 15. Not a stellar turnout, but we did get a district leader out of the deal. A slavic woman who is retired and lives in West Paterson.

This brought me to a little bit of a problem that I am having with this "campaign." Lack of ACTION. Right now, I think that the national campaign is kind of holding it's breath while we wait for the presidential election to finish.

Frankly, the winner will have a HUGE influence on our chances for passage of the bill in the next session. If Obama wins, we have a better chance of making this thing fly. That is the bottom line. If McCain gets in, it's four more years of the war machine that has been going on the past 8 years. How sad is that???

the DoP people had a booth at the Democratic convention. They gave a party and were included in the legitimate lobbying non-profit section of the convention. At the Republican Convention, they were not allowed in the hall. They had to be in the "protest" area outside with the radicals.

So, there is our problem in a nutshell. Here is a group, lobbying for a legitimate BILL that is already in Congress - stuck in with the protestors just because of the word "Peace" as if the simple idea of Peace and NonViolence is against government and/or the Republican party.

That is just WRONG.

Pasta for Peace

2008-01-28T19:43:00.000-05:00

We went to an event organized at a church in Wayside NJ. Tricia and Anne both spoke, as well as one of the main organizers. They also had a singer, Spook Handy (?). He was a riot.

It was basically a successful event, but, again, I start getting ansy whenever I go to these things and come across the one speaker who starts talking about things like conspiracy theories and the "evil government" thing. That is what the organizer did. It is such a turn off and I wish that there was some way avoid that.

We need some great speakers as part of this movement in NJ and I am electing myself as one. Of course, I don't really know if I could be great speaker, but, hey, I was in the drama club! I was a singer with my own band for 12 years, for crying out loud. I think I can inspire people without the foray into "big brother is watching you."

WE are big brother. WE need to tell our government what to do. We don't. We ignore our responsibility and then blame the politicians.

Fairleigh Dickinson University PSA shoot

2007-11-09T11:05:00.001-05:00

So, a professor at FDU here in New Jersey heard about and came to our May 27th event and got into it. She approached the Nat'l Peace Alliance to have her graduate media class produce a PSA!!!

Last week, they brought in people from Ceasefire NJ and the Tariq Khamisa Foundation to "star" in it, filmed it, and then had a gathering. Both Wendy Green and Patty Kurderer from the Peace Alliance were there, too.

Boo Hoo for ME!!! Hooray for DoP!!

2007-05-31T19:20:00.001-04:00

After all of the excitement of going into the city and meeting Brian Lehrer and being in the WNYC studios, I get a call from Nuala McGovern, the producer, telling me that they are not airing me!

Whaa.

They decided that Brian sounded better on the Cable TV show with Marianne Perez (the NY Media Coordinator) - an interview that I set up!!! They said that he was more informed and energetic. Well, gee whiz, who was the one that informed him earlier that day??? ME!

So sad for me, but the Department of Peace was covered and I made it happen.

If that was not enough excitement for one week, we had our fundraiser on Sunday. I was in charge of the "young people," a term that Anne Creter, one of our state coordinators kept using. Which meant I drove into Manhattan and picked up the country singer, Carly Goodwin, her guitar player, Scott, and the Student Peace Alliance coordinator, Aaron. It felt like the good old days when I worked for Epic Records and was accompanying rock stars all over New York. I did feel kind of like an old fogy, though. They were all under 25 yrs old. Not that I am in the senior set, yet, but still. I am old enough, technically to be their mother.

The fundraiser was a success. We had more people that I expected and we made some $$$!! Can't beat that!

On top of that, I was able to talk to Dot Maver, the executive director of the Peace Alliance, about media coverage in the New York area.

2007-05-25T20:08:00.000-04:00

Ok, here is the cool part:
I went into the city last wednesday and taped the Brian Lehrer show for WNYC!!! We went in thinking that there would be a congressional rep in on the conversation, but it turned out that it was JUST ME. Brian Lehrer and his producer, Jim Colgan, were very friendly and professional. They seemed supportive of the legislation, but were not overly kind during the interview.

Brian interviewed me for 18 minutes, grilling on the concept of the US Department of Peace. He asked all the hard questions and I managed to hold my own. Claudia Cohen, another NJ volunteer and my entourage for the day, said that I did well in answering and sounded competent. I also pitched for them to do another show on it in the future and we are always available.

Here is the not as cool part:
The segment will NOT air on Friday as originally planned. It will air on Monday - Memorial Day - sometime during his show, 10am to 12noon (which is not as great, since there will be fewer listeners on a holiday). So, while you are preparing your hamburgers for grilling, please tune into WNYC, 93.9FM, in the New York area.

You can also listen online at WNYC.org or download the podcast after the show.
Hooray!!!

Me on WNYC

2007-05-22T20:48:00.000-04:00

Well this is cool! I am going into New York City to be a guest on the Brian Lehrer show tomorrow!!

This is a show on WNYC radio - the most listened to public radio station in the country!! I queried them about being on to talk about this bill and the whole grass roots movement that is happening. And they invited me on!

So, now, I have been getting ready and making notes and hope I don't stick my foot in my mouth!!

Visiting

2007-05-11T08:28:00.000-04:00

This afternoon, I am visiting the offices of my House Representative, Rodney Frelinghuysen, in Morristown. My kids and I are going with other nouveau peaceniks to deliver Mother's Day PIES. I have a feeling the Congressman will not be there, but we've started to get things going with them. He is on the conservative side, so he really has to be convinced. When we were in Washington, we visited with his policy advisor, Steven Wilson.

While we were there, I remember how Steven's face changed during our conversation. At first, he had that look on his face that was, like, "OK, I'll politely endure the nutty nuts from the constituency because it's my job." He, too, had the hippy-dippy stereotype in his mind. But once we started talking, and showed that there were real plans and strategies behind the bill, I could SEE his whole demeanor changing before my eyes. It was really something! By the end, he was asking questions like, "When will this be going into committee?" and "You may actually have a chance with this." This was coming from a republican!!!

But, we still have not been able to get a meeting with the Rep himself! We will hit them up again this afternoon for a real scheduled meeting.

Next week, we are also visiting the offices of Rep Pascrell. I need to look him up.

A Piece of the Pie

2007-05-04T18:21:00.002-04:00

We are delivering Pies (fruit pies AND pizza pies) to our representatives next week. The Peace Alliance is coordinating it nation-wide and apparently there are over 110 congressman that will be visited. The idea is that we are asking only for a small "piece of the pie" meaning the pie chart that represents the federal budget. The Department of Peace is asking for less than 1% - about the same amount of cash we are spending on war per month today.

It's not that much when you think about it. And that little bit of prevention could mean a lot savings in the future. Violence costs $$$ and lots of it.

The world - categorized for your convenience!

2007-05-01T18:16:00.000-04:00

There are several things that get me down. One is stereotyping.

I feel stereotyped all the time. It's always wrong and it's never the same box that I get put into. For instance, I have a little plaque in my kitchen that says, "Jesus Cares." When an acquaintance of mine saw it, I thought she would actually run out of the house. when I prodded her to discuss her reaction, she said, "I was afraid you were a Jesus freak!!" By which, she meant a born-again, bible-thumper who "witnesses" to everyone and is disappointed when you don't agree and find Jesus in their kitchen....well, I am not that.

Isn't there such a thing as a person who agrees with the teachings of Jesus and wants to live by them? Period? Well, the answer is yes and here I am.

Then I also get stereotyped into the drugged-out, flake category when people find out that I used to be in rock bands and had kind of nutty hair colors all through my 20's. . . They assume that I did a lot of drugs and was wild and that now I am a resentful person because I am "held down" by children, husband, etc.. . .well, that is not me. I love music and played in bands and travelled a lot performing. Sometimes I miss it, but it was also tiring.

Now I am officially stereotyped into the "soccer mom" thing. So, people seem sure that I do not have my own opinion and my contribution will be baked cookies and a smile and not much else. Well, I am not that either. (Although I do like to bake cookies - don't tell those people who are sure that I am a punk rocker.)

So why do we have to be in the boxes? Why can't we be three dimensional? with lots of interests.

This is leading to something associated with the Department of Peace...the word "Peace."

It is so fraught with stereotypes in our culture that you cannot get around it. People react to that word with ideas of passivity, being lame, rolling over, or worse, being anti-establishment, belligerent, an anarchist. The Vietnam war era stuck this idea of protests and pot-smoking hippies into the American psyche as equal with the word "peace." Well, it's wrong.

Official Definitions in the Dictionary:
PEACE. - noun, interjection, verb,
1. the normal, non-warring condition of a nation, group of nations, or the world.
2. a state of mutual harmony between people or groups, esp. in personal relations.
3. a state of tranquillity or serenity.

Does it say anywhere there," a state of letting others walk all over you?" or "the act of doing drugs and not taking baths?" No, it does not.

Get along with each other (and with yourself).
That's it.

How to avoid this stereotyped view of that word is the main problem with getting people hear and understand what the Department of Peace is all about. Maybe we should try to get it changed to the Department of Non-Violence? Department of Don't kill each other?

I don't know what other word would fit. I'm open to suggestions.

how blogged down are you?

2007-04-27T07:51:00.000-04:00

Ok, well, I went to a Women in Communications meeting to learn about web tools and was told that my blog would be ineffective unless I updated it at least three times a week.

Uh huh, so, I guess you noticed that my previous entry was almost two months ago and it was about having TIME..... my reminder thingy is now going to remind me to write here.

There is exciting news!!!! We may be on the Brian Lehrer radio show on WNYC! We, meaning, the New Jersey Campaign for Dept of Peace volunteers and the coolest part is that I started that ball rolling.

As media coordinator for the NJ campaign, I started sending out story pitches to radio and TV. My personal goal is to get into all those New York national shows (obviously a long-term goal - see my previous post about 'time') One of the producers of the show replied to my query. Not sure when it will be or the exact angle, but will keep you posted!!

Time Management - don't have time to promote world peace?

2007-02-28T15:41:00.000-05:00

February 28, 2007

So, I am trying to talk to people about this bill. I look for the opening, which most often comes in the form of them complaining about a form of violence in the news or talking about a person they know who has a son/husband/father/cousin serving in Iraq. I ask them if they’ve heard of the bill in congress that would establish a US Department of Peace. Almost every one of the people I talked to so far DO NOT know about it. They don’t know that it exists. And they are all interested in it.

When I tell them that I have become involved in the campaign, they look at me like I’m nuts and ask in disbelief, “How do you have TIME to do that?”

My basic life – one overworked husband, soon, I’ll have a part-time job plus freelance writing jobs, three – count ‘em, 3 – kids, all under that age of 10 years old, a cat, a house w/handyman issues, and a habit of spiritual searching. I like to read, play music, and dine out (which I don’t get to do too much). I am thrilled to find pretty dresses at half price and have some kind of strange attraction to overstock stores.

It’s one thing to say, “Well, I can’t run the PTA bake sale because I don’t have time.” Or to get my nails done, or do the laundry twice a week instead of just once, but we all know it’s really code for, “I don’t WANT to make time. I’d rather do something else. There is something in that activity that I don’t like.” There is nothing wrong with that. I mean, really, we all have our preferences.

I could not make that excuse here, though. For years and years I would feel helpless about issues of violence and war. I’m not strong enough to work directly in those non-profit programs. I would not last half a minute as a social worker dealing directly with child abuse or gang members. I am way too emotional. I would be crying every hour.

But, I do want to give something to our society. I want to be a part of something positive. I want to be FOR something instead of against something. I want to stop complaining about the problems and be part of the solution.

When I found out about this, I had to ask myself, “How can I tell myself that I don’t have time to promote world Peace? Can’t I spare some time here and there to prevent violence?”

It’s really more about incorporating it into my already existing time. What time does it take to have a conversation while waiting for my daughter’s gymnastics practice to end? I’d be there anyway, talking. I could spend that time griping about my hair dresser or I could talk about the Department of Peace. Which is more important?

I could sit at home and watch a movie on a Saturday afternoon, or I could sit at a table at a public event and hand out pamphlets on Peace.
My choice.

Let's put on a show in the barn!!!

2007-02-19T14:04:00.000-05:00

Well, the NJ Campaign for the establishment of a United States Depart of Peace, hereafter referred to as the “NJ DoP,” has been asked by the Peace Alliance to do a fundraiser. When we were at the conference, they asked people who would do a fundraiser that entailed more than 200 people. We as NJ DoP did not volunteer. As far as I know, we are just starting and we have about 30 people in all of New Jersey involved here.

For some reason that I hope to find out soon, Dot Maver, the executive director of the Peace Alliance, asked Tricia Idrobo, our state coordinator, directly to do a concert fundraiser. There is a country singer named Carly Goodwin - nice voice, pretty songs – who has become involved in the Peace Alliance. She wants to donate herself as a draw. She travels a lot and I have no idea just how popular she might be in NJ. I’m a bit out of touch in the Country Music scene, especially since I don’t exactly listen to it. My current musical tastes tend toward the more post-grunge type.

So, it seems we are doing a concert fundraiser in May.

I have that Mickey Rooney feeling of, “Hey kids, let’s put on a show in the barn!!!” except we are not kids and we don’t have a barn . . .

This is what it looks like from the field: There are only two people among us involved NJ DoPers who have experience “putting on a show.” And one of them is me. I spent 15 years in rock bands and traveling as an acoustic guitar-playing singer. Granted, it was a past life a thousand years ago, but I bet the logistics have not changed much. Get a location, get a P.A. system, get an audience. The last one is the hard part.

I do not believe that Tricia has specific experience in this area, but she is about to learn about it...

Garine Joins a Peace Movement

2007-02-15T11:15:00.000-05:00

My weekend at the Peace Alliance Conference
By Garine Isassi
Livingston, NJ

February 2007

When I signed up for this conference, I was not exactly sure of what to expect. The US Department of Peace seemed like a great idea to me from my reading of the bill and the hopes for what it could do. But, I also had my own pre-conceived notions of what a “PEACE Movement” looked like.

I admit it. I was afraid that I might be sitting in a room full of gauze covered, crystal wearing, hippy-dippy flakes. Is it going to be a bunch of yoga instructors and massage therapist with pie in the sky dreams and no ideas to back it up? Well, the answer is a resounding “NO.”

There were people of all ages – from 12 to 80 years old - all ethnicities, all backgrounds, all styles of dress, from 47 states and a few foreign countries, at this conference – 700 people in all. Among the 15 people who traveled there from New Jersey, we had the following people:
a middle-aged father who had served as a Marine for 10 years
a retired social worker who dealt with family violence her entire career
a business woman who worked for a pharmaceutical company in Manhattan
a woman whose profession was conflict resolution in business settings
a former teacher who currently is a stay-at-home-mom
yes, OK, there was a massage therapist
And me – a former rocker turned suburban housewife with a freelance writing habit

The Peace Alliance (a non-profit, grassroots organization) ran the conference specifically to jump-start the legislation’s support in the halls of congress. The sessions were a combination of lectures on the “spiritual underpinnings of peace” and civics lessons. They prepared all 700 of us to effectively visit our representatives, and then spread the word back home, continuing to work on getting this bill passed.

This legislation will create a cabinet-level Secretary of Peace, elevating the message to our own citizens as well as to the world that promoting Peace and preventing violence is a priority in the United States. This department would expand the ”best practices” conversation on violence to include creative and nonviolent options to resolving conflicts and preventing future violence. The Department of Peace would develop strategies and policies to address the root causes of violence both domestically and internationally.

Now, I’ve always considered myself somewhat apolitical. I’ve often been met with sarcastic remarks for my “I’m just for peace and love” routine. I’m one of those sensitive, artistic types. Although I have not experienced much physical violence in my own life (and thank God for that), I’ve always been very affected by how people get caught up into cycles of violence. I would stop watching TV for months at a time because I just could not deal with the news I saw there every single day. It pained me even more because I felt that there was absolutely nothing I could possibly do to help prevent it, which, in a way, made me another victim.

Well, now, there is something I can do.

I used to watch the news about school shootings, and bullying and violence going on among teenagers and say to myself, somebody should do something about that. This is “something.”

I would hear about a horrible child abuse case or about a husband who murdered his wife, and ask, why can’t something be done about this??? This IS “something.”

I could not believe that after the lessons of the 20th century wars, there was more genocide or “ethnic cleansing,” going on in Somalia, then in Croatia and then in Darfur. This especially affected me due to my Armenian heritage and the genocides against my own people in the early 1900’s. The whole reason I am here in the USA is because my grandparents lived that horror and came here as refugees. I ask myself, hasn’t mankind advanced at all? Can’t our country do something? THIS is “something.”

After 9/11, we cried and were so afraid of the “unseen enemy” that we groped for someone to blame. Now our allies view us with disdain as a violent nation. We live in a state of paranoia within our own borders, and we have fewer friends internationally. This scenario makes the war on terror is even scarier. We tell each other that we have to do something! THIS IS “SOMETHING!!!”

THIS IS SOMETHING!!!!

This is something that can work!

A Department of Peace in the United States of America can consolidate the programs that work, help develop conflict resolution technologies, work with communities to deliver more and better options for change. It can help internationally to deliver support for our military on the ground. It will give them more training and avenues for conflict resolution, mediation between warring tribes, and understanding of the needs of the people there.

Yes, it is a creation of a bit more bureaucracy, but, to me, it’s worth it to advance the cause of non-violence. These programs will be given an institutional infrastructure and a platform on which to stand that will show the world we really DO want PEACE ON EARTH.

In the coming months, I will volunteer by doing NJ media relations and public speaking to community groups (and probably to every person I meet). I will also be lobbying my congressmen until this important bill is passed.

So, if you actually read this whole email and made it all the way here, to this sentence - thank you. Thank you for supporting me in this quest and hopefully, you will have a chance to visit the website, thepeacealliance.org.

If you agree, but don’t have the time to get involved, please send a simple postcard to your congressmen/women stating your support. And if you are interested in becoming involved, let me know. They need district leaders in many parts of the country and in New Jersey as well.

Love,
And Peace to you,
-Garine