Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1111 To establish a Department of Peacebuilding, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FEBRUARY 18, 2021 Ms. LEE of California introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform A BILL To establish a Department of Peacebuilding, and for other purposes. 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 the 4 ‘‘Department of Peacebuilding Act of 2021’’. 5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 6 this Act is as follows: 7 Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Findings. TITLE I—ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF PEACEBUILDING Sec. 101. Establishment of Department of Peacebuilding. Sec. 102. Responsibilities and powers. Sec. 103. Principal officers. Sec. 104. Office of Peace Education and Training. VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1111 IH Sec. 105. Office of Domestic Peacebuilding Activities. Sec. 106. Office of International Peacebuilding 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 II—OTHER 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 Continental 3 Congress unanimously declared the independence of 4 the 13 colonies, and the achievement of peace was 5 recognized as one of the highest duties of the new 6 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 unalienable 10 Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the 11 pursuit of Happiness.’’. 12 (2) The Constitution of the United States, in 13 its preamble, further sets forth the insurance of the 14 cause of peace in stating, ‘‘We the People of the 15 United States, in Order to form a more perfect 16 Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tran- 17 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1111 IH quility, provide for the common defence, promote the 1 general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty 2 to ourselves and our Posterity’’. 3 (3) The United States has been at peace for 4 only 21 entire years since its birth during the Revo- 5 lutionary War. During the course of the 20th cen- 6 tury, more than 100,000,000 people perished in 7 wars. Many of our citizens today have never known 8 a peaceful year in their lifetimes. 9 (4) Thus far in the 21st century, nearly 10 1,000,000 people have died in conflict and war. The 11 United Nations reports that as of 2019 over 79.6 12 million people have fled their homes due to war, per- 13 secution and conflict. Since late 2001, the United 14 States appropriated and was obligated to spend an 15 estimated $6.4 trillion through Fiscal Year 2020 in 16 budgetary costs related to and caused by post 9/11 17 wars and an additional minimum of $1 trillion to 18 care for veterans of these wars for several decades. 19 (5) The physical, emotional, monetary, and 20 other costs of violence are enormous, cut across all 21 sectors of society in the United States, dispropor- 22 tionately impact people of color, and are inter- 23 related. A World Health Organization report esti- 24 mates that interpersonal violence within the United 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 1111 IH States costs approximately $300 billion annually, not 1 including war-related costs. The Centers for Disease 2 Control and Prevention reports one in four children 3 experience some form of child abuse or neglect in 4 their lifetimes; nearly one in four women report hav- 5 ing experienced severe physical violence from an inti- 6 mate partner; Native American women are sexually 7 assaulted, murdered and disappeared at higher rates 8 than other American women. There are 3.3 million 9 reports of violence against children that result in 10 foster care placements every year; 25 percent of kids 11 in foster care experience PTSD, fewer than 3 per- 12 cent earn a college degree; 20 percent become home- 13 less after the age of 18; and only 50 percent will be 14 employed by the age of 24. One in five high school 15 students reported being bullied at school during 16 2017 and cyberbullying impacts many young people. 17 Criminalization disproportionately impacts African 18 Americans and other people of color, including high 19 rates of school suspensions and expulsions and in- 20 carceration. African Americans are incarcerated at 21 more than five times the rate of Whites. Suicide im- 22 pacts young people in both affluent and non-affluent 23 communities. In 2015, 17 percent of students con- 24 sidered attempting suicide. Suicide is the second 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 1111 IH leading cause of death among American Indian and 1 Alaska Natives aged 10 to 34. Approximately 20 2 veterans a day commit suicide nationwide. About 14 3 young people die from homicides each day. Research 4 shows victims of one form of violence are more likely 5 to experience other forms of violence. A past history 6 of violence, including domestic violence; use of alco- 7 hol or illegal drugs; being young and male; or a per- 8 sonal history of physical or sexual abuse or trauma, 9 increases the risk of more violence, obesity, high-risk 10 sexual behavior, depression, academic difficulties, 11 school dropout and suicide. 12 (6) More people have died from guns in the 13 United States since 1968 than on battlefields of all 14 the wars in United States history. Every year 15 250,000 people are killed by gun violence around the 16 world, a third of those in Brazil and the United 17 States. Firearms are the second leading cause of 18 death for American children and teens and the first 19 leading cause of death for Black children and teens. 20 Every day 47 children and teens in the United 21 States are shot and 96 Americans are killed by gun 22 violence. During 2017 and 2018, there was one mass 23 shooting almost every day in the United States. 24 Young people go to school wondering where to hide 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 1111 IH when a shooter enters their classroom. Each gun in- 1 jury and fatality results in trauma to family mem- 2 bers and loved ones. 3 (7) According to a report by the Institute of 4 Economics and Peace, which measures the economic 5 impact of violence and conflict to the global econ- 6 omy, the economic impact of violence to the global 7 economy was $14.76 trillion in 2017. The report 8 also found that the regional impact of violence in 9 North America, 99 percent of which can be attrib- 10 uted to the United States, amounted to $2.73 tril- 11 lion in 2017. If violence containment spending was 12 reduced by 15 percent, the world would save $1.4 13 trillion, which would be the funding required to 14 achieve the United Nations Millennium Development 15 Goals of halving extreme poverty rates, ensuring 16 healthy lives for all, halting the spread of HIV and 17 AIDS, providing universal primary education, decent 18 jobs, gender equality, promoting peaceful, inclusive 19 and just societies, and more. Three percent of 20 United States military spending could end starvation 21 on earth. 22 (8) Peace is the essential prerequisite for the 23 survival of humanity as we know it in the 21st cen- 24 tury. Preventing violence and redirecting funds spent 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 7 •HR 1111 IH on the costs of violence free monies and resources to 1 create conditions that are conducive to a culture of 2 peace. 3 (9) Violence prevention is cost effective. For 4 every dollar spent on violence prevention and 5 peacebuilding, thousands of lives and dollars are 6 saved. Research indicates that investing early to pre- 7 vent conflicts from escalating into violent crises is, 8 on average, 60 times more cost effective than inter- 9 vening after violence erupts. The philosophy and 10 techniques of nonviolence and the science of 11 peacebuilding provide tools and techniques that can 12 be applied not only at the levels of individual and 13 community growth, but also within the Federal Gov- 14 ernment and at national and international levels. 15 (10) The United Nations recognizes that pro- 16 motion of peace is vital for the full enjoyment of all 17 human rights and the United Nations Declaration 18 on the Right of Peoples to Peace mandates that 19 preservation of the right to peace is a fundamental 20 obligation of each country. In 1999, the United Na- 21 tions adopted a Programme of Action on a Culture 22 of Peace, stating that a culture of peace is an inte- 23 gral approach to preventing violence and violent con- 24 flicts, an alternative to the culture of war and vio- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 8 •HR 1111 IH lence, and is based on education for peace, the pro- 1 motion of sustainable economic and social develop- 2 ment, respect for human rights, equality between 3 women and men, democratic participation, tolerance, 4 the free flow of information, and disarmament. The 5 United Nations declared the years 2001 through 6 2010 an International Decade for a Culture of Peace 7 and Non-Violence for the Children of the World, and 8 the United Nations supports a culture of peace. In 9 2015, the United Nations adopted 17 sustainable 10 development goals, including promotion of peaceful 11 and inclusive societies which recognize the link be- 12 tween justice, human rights, and government based 13 on the rule of law and peace. 14 (11) Peacebuilding is defined by the United Na- 15 tions as a range of measures targeted to reduce the 16 risk of lapsing or relapsing into conflict by strength- 17 ening national capacities at all levels for conflict 18 management and to lay the foundations for sustain- 19 able peace and development. Peacebuilding is built 20 upon research into the root causes of violence in the 21 United States and the world, through promotion and 22 promulgation of effective policies and programs that 23 ameliorate those root causes of violence, and through 24 providing all citizens, organizations, and govern- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 9 •HR 1111 IH mental bodies with opportunities to learn about and 1 practice the essential tools of nonviolent conflict res- 2 olution and peacebuilding. 3 (12) In 2000, the Earth Charter Commission 4 released the Earth Charter, an international declara- 5 tion of fundamental values and principles created to 6 build a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society. 7 The preamble of the Earth Charter provides, ‘‘To 8 move forward we must recognize that in the midst 9 of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms 10 we are one human family and one Earth community 11 with a common destiny. We must join together to 12 bring forth a sustainable global society founded on 13 respect for nature, universal human rights, economic 14 justice, and a culture of peace.’’. Peacebuilding is 15 working together with all countries to protect both 16 life and land and hold the Earth in balance. 17 (13) Systemic racism is a significant driver of 18 violence and key obstacle to peace in the United 19 States. Confronting and uprooting systemic racism 20 in America will require efforts by the Federal Gov- 21 ernment both to properly acknowledge, memorialize, 22 and be a catalyst for progress toward permanently 23 eliminating persistent racial inequities, including 24 through a United States Commission on Truth, Ra- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 10 •HR 1111 IH cial Healing, and Transformation, and to develop 1 material remedies for the institution of slavery, in- 2 cluding through a United States Commission to 3 Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for Afri- 4 can-Americans. 5 TITLE I—ESTABLISHMENT OF 6 DEPARTMENT OF 7 PEACEBUILDING 8 SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF DEPARTMENT OF 9 PEACEBUILDING. 10 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is hereby established a 11 Department of Peacebuilding, which shall— 12 (1) be within the executive branch of the Fed- 13 eral Government; and 14 (2) be dedicated to peacebuilding, peacemaking, 15 and the study and promotion of conditions conducive 16 to both domestic and international peace and a cul- 17 ture of peace. 18 (b) SECRETARY OF PEACEBUILDING.—There shall be 19 at the head of the Department a Secretary of 20 Peacebuilding, who shall be appointed by the President, 21 by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. 22 (c) MISSION.—The Department shall— 23 (1) cultivate peace and peacebuilding as a stra- 24 tegic national policy objective; 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:34 Mar 12, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1111.IH H1111 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 11 •HR 1111 IH (2) reduce and prevent violence in the United 1 States and internationally through peacebuilding and 2 effective nonviolent conflict resolution; 3 (3) strengthen nonmilitary means of peace- 4 making; 5 (4) take a proactive, strategic approach in the 6 development of field-tested best practices and poli- 7 cies that promote national and international conflict 8 prevention, nonviolent intervention, mediation, 9 peaceful resolution of conflict, and structured medi- 10 ation of conflic [Text truncated for display. 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