Empowering civic activism toward a culture of peace.

Exciting Update on International Peacebuilding! Foreign Assistance Act Reform

After years of advocacy, our efforts are helping to change the conversation!

Advocating for peacebuilding in Washington D.C. has never been an easy task, as many of you know. Last week at the Dirksen Senate building, I found myself overwhelmed with emotion. But for once the emotion stemmed from deep appreciation rather than frustration.

Recently, Washington D.C. has seen a breakthrough for the field of international peacebuilding. As part of the Foreign Assistance Act Reform (the legislation that put USAID into place), there is a brand new section on peacebuilding and conflict mitigation. Members of Congress, specifically House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), now recognize the integral relationship between development and peacebuilding, as violence can be considered development in reverse. As such, Rep. Berman requested that leaders of the international peacebuilding community, led by Chic Dambach of Alliance for Peacebuilding and Lisa Schirch of 3D Security, draft a concept paper on what the peacebuilding section of the bill should include. Aaron Voldman and myself, representing The Peace Alliance and Student Peace Alliance in D.C., were asked to contribute to the concept paper.

This concept paper provided the opportunity to place a peacebuilding framework into our foreign affairs policy and gain recognition of peacebuilding as a national priority. An opportunity brought about in many ways by your continued persistence and commitment to furthering peacebuilding within our federal government.

Last month the concept paper was handed to the House Foreign Affairs Committee who used it in developing a joint discussion paper with the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee on peacebuilding. This discussion paper's first page reads like our messaging of the last five years. I have never seen a document from the government so clearly lay out the problems of our current foreign policy approach and also offer solutions that are aligned with what we have advocated for since the beginning of our work. Here are some important highlights:

1) A joint USAID-State Council with the mandate to foster a unified and clear peacebuilding approach within the State Department and USAID that will enable these agencies to assume meaningful responsibility for peacebuilding policy and programming, including crisis management, contingency operations and conflict prevention, and provide the capacity to effectively mobilize and target resources. There exists a strong contingent of advocates calling for this Council to be named the Peacebuilding Council.

2) The Director of the Council would be nominated by the President

3) The new council would conduct conflict and risk assessments on an annual basis

4) Training in conflict prevention and mitigation would be required of certain Foreign Service Officers.

5) The President would be directed to establish a standing interagency coordination mechanism specifically to address early action and preventive measures.

Last week the Committees held an open meeting for feedback on the discussion paper and over 75 representatives from the peacebuilding field attended! The staffers answered questions, provided some insight and most importantly of all, listened. It was clear by the end that they really get it. When I went up to shake the hand of the main drafter of the discussion paper I nearly cried as I shared with her my appreciation for all that she has done and all that she continues to do to move this forward.

These changes represent the growing commitment of our government to peacebuilding. The staffers, and those in the peacebuilding field, also recognize the need for the Administration to come forward with a mission and strategy for security that will provide a framework for these possible changes. We still have questions and some concerns about the discussion paper (such as the lack of coordination with civil society) and many organizations (including Alliance for Peacebuilding and 3D Security) have submitted response papers to the Committees to help strengthen it.

We have been honored that The Peace Alliance and Student Peace Alliance have been a part of this process. We are excited to see what makes it into the final bill. Regardless, the bottom line is that the peacebuilding conversation is happening in Washington D.C. The conversation we have been working for, of how to make peacebuilding a true federal priority and central to our policy-making, is actually occurring at the highest levels of government, even more than we know. There remain a lot of questions as we work to come to consensus on the solutions to the problems articulated in the discussion paper. These discussions, and the proposed new structures, represent a huge step for the field of international peacebuilding.

We will keep you updated about the progress of the legislation and possible opportunities for support. Be proud of the impact The Peace Alliance and Student Peace Alliance has had on the role of peacebuilding in our federal government. We continue to have a measurable impact in the nation's capital.

I am proud to represent The Peace Alliance and Student Peace Alliance in Washington D.C. Now is finally our time!

Thank you for your continued commitment to this cause,

Julia Simon-Mishel
D.C. Staff of The Peace Alliance
Student Peace Alliance Managing Director

Please feel free to ask questions or make comments below! Both papers are attached below.

Attachments:

SFRC-HCFA Discussion Paper on Peacebuilding 4-8-10.pdf, 448 KB
Advancing_Peace_and_Mitigating_Crisis2[1].pdf, 122 KB

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wendy Greene on April 28, 2010 at 11:22am

Whoo Hoo!!!

Yes, Julia, this is an amazing and satisfying result of years and years of effort by thousands of peacebuilding advocates nationwide. I, too, was near tears during the Peacebuilding Lobbying Days when the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee's joint discussion paper was first shared with those advocates present. And then to meet with one of the staffers actually responsible--in my five years of lobbying Congress on the Department of Peace, I'd never heard staffers express such a level of understanding of and commitment to peacebuilding--and to see it in writing...WOW!

I even got to hear the need for peacebuilding capacity mentioned in the House Armed Services Committee hearing where they received the results of the independent review of the Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR). It was incredible to hear the independent reviewers--former high-level staffers from both Republican and Democratic administrations--saying that what we do militarily will have no meaning without full funding and support of civilian capacity to partner with it (i.e., State Dept and USAID). In the ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE!

Big, BIG kudos to the volunteers from California's 28th District for all those pies and trips to DC and talks with staffers over these years. No, Congressman Berman didn't come onto HR 808, but he obviously totally got the message! Just another reminder that we never know where or how our efforts will take root.

I can't wait for these reform bills to get to the House and Senate floors (unless, of course, they pass by unanimous consent and don't need any debate--I wouldn't really complain about that)! I look forward to lobbying my members of Congress to ensure they're on board 100%.

Thanks for representing all of us in DC, Julia. This is GREAT news!!

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Permalink Reply by Matthew Albracht on April 28, 2010 at 11:50am

Thanks for adding your insights Wendy! It's great to hear how it landed for you as well. So glad you are also a continued force in the DC area. Loved hearing about the comments made regarding the armed services committee. That would add so much more depth to the potential impact the work could make. Very encouraging. Our vigilance needs to kick into an even higher gear now. Game on!

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Permalink Reply by Cynthia Handlen on April 28, 2010 at 12:01pm

This is amazing! I am so happy! Thank you for all your hard work Julia, Wendy, Ted and all the supporters working for peace!

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Permalink Reply by Patricia Simon on April 28, 2010 at 12:09pm

It is thrilling to see our Student Peace Alliance leaders contributing to the establishment of a peacebuilding framework into foreign affairs policy, and recognition of peacebuilding as a national priority! Imagine a buzz about peace in the Congress!

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Permalink Reply by Lois Foster on April 28, 2010 at 2:34pm

CONGRATULATIONS, Julia! How exciting for you, the Peace Alliance, and everyone else committed to peace-building!!!!

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Permalink Reply by Annette Schmidt on April 28, 2010 at 3:40pm

This is so incredibly exciting. Well done and congratulations to all of us!! Thank you, thank you. :)

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Permalink Reply by Ted Nunn on April 28, 2010 at 3:42pm

Thanks for sharing the story, Julia! It is really incredible to see this happening at this level!

For those who want to express their support for including peacebuilding language in the rewrite of the Foreign Assistance Act, please visit the House Committee on Foreign Affairs site, fill out the form and let them know!

You can also visit the Senate Foreign Relations committee site, see who's on the committee and send notes encouraging them to include peacebuilding language in the State Department authorization.