Voldman, Williamson talk peace
by Lital Shair
News | 4/24/07
Posted online at 11:01 PM EST on 4/23/07
/ Last updated at 6:03 AM EST on 4/23/07
Marianne Williamson, the founder of The Peace Alliance, an advocacy group lobbying Congress to pass legislation in support of a federal Department of Peace, spoke Wednesday in Sherman Function Hall about innovative ways to deal with conflict, including creating a federal Department of Peace.
The event, sponsored by the Student Peace Alliance, also included a speech from Aaron Voldman '09, Democracy for America's national co-coordinator, about the possibilities for such a department. Around 100 people, most whom were not from Brandeis, attended the event.
Supporters of a cabinet-level Department of Peace argue that such an institution would help support non-violent solutions to domestic and international conflicts. A bill in support of establishing the Department is currently before the House of Representatives. The budget requested is equivalent to two percent of the defense budget, around $440 billion.
"We as a generation have a moral challenge regarding war that no other generation before us had," Williamson said.
According to Williamson, a Department of Peace would join together different programs and institute a platform with institutional heft. There are lots of different programs at schools that promote non-violent conflict-resolution, and the goal with the Department of Peace is to help provide them with funding and governmental support, and have them share techniques that are working.
According to Voldman, the Department of Peace would, among other things, establish a National Peace Academy, and help fund domestic programs that promote conflict-resolution.
"This is a movement that has seen incredible results" both in the U.S. and abroad, Voldman said. "The question is, what are we going to do to make sure our federal government" endorses this on a national level?
Dan Miodovnik '10, a member of the Alliance, said Voldman generally draws crowds from the area. "It's amazing to see the support [Voldman] got locally" and nationally, he said.
Outbreaks of violence, such as the shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, are symptoms of larger problems in society, Williamson said. "The breakdown was in systems that did not take note."
Viewing society as a sort of "social immune system," Williamson said a Department of Peace could help society deal with problems that arise in a more preventative method, and to promote conflict-resolution earlier on so that instances of violence are less likely to occur.
Comparing invasive measures in surgery to warfare, she says that though surgery is sometimes appropriate to deal with the problem, a person would want to know about non-invasive alternatives (like non-violent conflict resolution) that might yield better results.
The event, sponsored by the Student Peace Alliance, also included a speech from Aaron Voldman '09, Democracy for America's national co-coordinator, about the possibilities for such a department. Around 100 people, most whom were not from Brandeis, attended the event.
Supporters of a cabinet-level Department of Peace argue that such an institution would help support non-violent solutions to domestic and international conflicts. A bill in support of establishing the Department is currently before the House of Representatives. The budget requested is equivalent to two percent of the defense budget, around $440 billion.
"We as a generation have a moral challenge regarding war that no other generation before us had," Williamson said.
According to Williamson, a Department of Peace would join together different programs and institute a platform with institutional heft. There are lots of different programs at schools that promote non-violent conflict-resolution, and the goal with the Department of Peace is to help provide them with funding and governmental support, and have them share techniques that are working.
According to Voldman, the Department of Peace would, among other things, establish a National Peace Academy, and help fund domestic programs that promote conflict-resolution.
"This is a movement that has seen incredible results" both in the U.S. and abroad, Voldman said. "The question is, what are we going to do to make sure our federal government" endorses this on a national level?
Dan Miodovnik '10, a member of the Alliance, said Voldman generally draws crowds from the area. "It's amazing to see the support [Voldman] got locally" and nationally, he said.
Outbreaks of violence, such as the shooting at Virginia Tech on April 16, are symptoms of larger problems in society, Williamson said. "The breakdown was in systems that did not take note."
Viewing society as a sort of "social immune system," Williamson said a Department of Peace could help society deal with problems that arise in a more preventative method, and to promote conflict-resolution earlier on so that instances of violence are less likely to occur.
Comparing invasive measures in surgery to warfare, she says that though surgery is sometimes appropriate to deal with the problem, a person would want to know about non-invasive alternatives (like non-violent conflict resolution) that might yield better results.
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