The Working group for a Federal Department of Peace was a co-sponsor of the First International People’s Summit for Departments of Peace, in London, UK, on October 18–19, 2005. The two-day Summit was preceded by two days of training (October 16–17), conducted by Kai Brand-Jacobsen of TRANSCEND on the latest developments on the expanding frontier of knowledge and practice in peacebuilding and conflict transformation around the world.

Forty people from twelve countries invested their energy, creativity and resources to attend. The countries represented included Australia, Canada, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Netherlands, Palestine, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. In addition, written support was received from Australia, Nepal, Nigeria, and Uganda, including:

• Senator Lyn Allison, Leader of the Australian Democrats
• Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, Foreign Affairs Spokesperson for the Australian Democrats
• Hon. Dr. Arthur Chesterfield-Evans MP, MLC State Leader of the Australian Democrats
• Hon. Oryem Henry Okello, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs/International Affairs of Uganda
• Hon. Lloyd Axworthy, former Minister of Foreign Affairs Canada

Presently, five of these countries have working groups conducting campaigns for Departments of Peace or Ministries for Peace: Australia, Canada, Japan, United Kingdom, and the United States.

Throughout the four days it was evident that ‘we the people’ are ready, willing, and able to be together and communicate with one another in ways that demonstrate the change we wish to see. We have returned home with renewed vigor and a deepened commitment to help create an infrastructure for peace by working for a Department of Peace in Canada. Our report to the conference and our overall participation was very well-received.

Dr. Paz Buttedahl presented a workshop and engaged us all in a visioning process of what a Department of Peace would like and how it would change the way that governments operate.

On the final day of the Summit, the participants launched an on-going partnership for global action, called the People’s Initiative for Departments of Peace. The London Summit then concluded with a public meeting in the Grand Committee Room in the Houses of Parliament, hosted by John McDonnell MP and emceed by Diana Basterfield, co-founder of UK ministry for peace. The event opened with video greetings from Congressman Dennis Kucinich and Marianne Williamson, and Dot Maver spoke on behalf of The Peace Alliance. Saul then presented the proposal and current status of the Canadian campaign. John McDonnell MP then articulated clearly the urgent need for departments and ministries of peace in order to provide a governmental infrastructure — an institutional space — for dialogue on peaceful resolution of conflict to take place.

Dot, Saul and John McDonnell answered questions from the audience about the role of Departments of Peace. Saul gave an example for the British audience showing how the British government’s pending decision on renewing its Trident Missile system, at a cost of billions of dollars, might be influenced by the input of a Minister of Peace, especially as to how true security might be achieved for the British people and the world. Dot spoke of reframing the global situation by creating infrastructures for peace based on peacebuilding and conflict transformation models already tested and in use around the world.

Other speakers included Yumi Kikuchi from Japan, Kai Brand-Jacobsen from Transcend in Romania (who provided the training and facilitated the Summit), Paul van Tongeren from the Netherlands, and Jo Berry, whose father (a former Tory MP) was killed by terrorists 20 years ago at a Tory Party meeting. Following the speakers, Summit participants representing each country stood in the front of the room, and Zoughbi Zoughbi from Palestine and Shiri Barr from Israel stood side by side and spoke on behalf of the international initiative, both asking us to not give up hope and expressing their gratitude and joy to be standing together calling for peace.

Dot then read aloud the Summit’s Declaration launching the People’s Initiative for Departments of Peace and presented it to John McDonnell MP, who then said he would read it into the official record of the House of Commons at the earliest opportunity. This event marks the beginning of a new, expanding movement throughout the world for governments to organize around principles of nonviolent conflict transformation. The next Summit is planned for June 20–21, 2006, in Victoria, Canada, preceding the first World Peace Forum in Vancouver, where the People’s Initiative for Departments of Peace will offer a presentation.

Peace-building and conflict transformation technology and skills already exist and there are people and organizations (such as Transcend) in countries around the world who, like us, are demanding a dialogue to find a way together to create a world that works for everyone. In July, for example, the United Nations hosted the largest ever gathering of Civil Society where a Global Action Agenda for the Prevention of Violent Conflict was presented to the Secretary-General. Also, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict is calling on governments to work with civil society in building a safer, more peaceful world (www.gppac.net).

The Summit moved all of our agendas forward in a highly siginificant way and brought in some new countries who share our objective to create Departments of Peace in all nations.