Tag Archives: Peace Corps

Buffett Request

People’s Lobby Inc. (501c4)

People’s Lobby Education Foundation (501c3)

www.PeoplesLobby.us

5/11/2018

Mr. Warren Buffett:

Because of my service as a Peace Corps Urban Community Development volunteer  in Mumbai, India from 1966-1968, I write hoping you will pen some supportive words for People’s Lobby’s   nontraditional funding mechanism (NTFM).  The NTFM will fund fielding 21,000,000 Americans into peaceful, healthy national service over the ensuing 27 years via enacting its American World Service Corps (AWSC) Congressional Proposal.

Peace Corps service exposed me to the engrained disparities of life and provided the “why” that has me pushing People’s Lobby’s   American World Service Corps Congressional Proposal for over 10 years.  The AWSC is a simple, effective means to involve the super-rich in funding millions of Americans to reduce ugly disparities.  Those engrained disparities remain with me, like…  Giving the few rupees I had to men scavenging through an  8’ mound of garbage piled in Bombay’s streets at midnight, watching a woman dying on the  curbside of a well-traveled bridge with only a rag covering some of her breast and a white textured substance covering her pelvic area, staring at a child a few feet away from me while lying on my backpack at the train station as the child scooped and licked its own diarrhea…

I served in an era where working as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) garnered one extra respect among a growing number of world citizens and humbled us PCVs via the enlightenment such service bestowed.  It was an era when Americans could safely roam just about anywhere.  It made me understand why John Kennedy wanted the Peace Corps to grow rapidly and robustly.

President Kennedy often expressed his visionary desire that “I would rather send the Peace Corps than the Marine Corps.”  Today’s Peace Corps, at about 7000, is less than half the size it was when it reached its peak of about 15,000 from 1966-68.

Today the world Increasingly sees the United States as the world’s preeminent War Corps.  Kennedy envisioned creating the world’s preeminent Peace Corps, inspiring other nations to build similar Service Corps.  Dealey Plaza bled out that vision of Camelot.

During the Vietnam War era, 9+ million served on active duty in the military.  Imagine how different the world would be if 9+ million Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) had done active duty, rather than today’s meager 225,000 RPCVs sense its 1961 inception.

With climate weirding, violence, disasters, inequities, hatreds, etc., growing, isn’t it time that an Army of Gun-free Americans:

  • implemented the vision JFK had for the Peace Corps (and later VISTA, AmeriCorps, etc.)?
  • helped those who have little to live more securely?
  • Initiated a healthy competition among fellow Americans and the rest of the world that emanated from the good their peaceful National Service programs produced?
  • got to know fellow Americans and other nations citizens better via joint Peace Corps programs, such as Congresswoman Boxer’s HR 1807 of 1989, the US-Russian Peace Corps, which People’s Lobby inspired?
  • walked the talk about “greatness” that we so often bestow on ourselves?

I write with the hope that you may lend your stature to the envisioned nontraditional funding mechanism (NTFM) as a visionary, worthy, and doable mechanism that could provide billions of donated dollars from billionaires and celebrities; which would field millions of Americans doing good at home and abroad.

If enacted as written, annually for the first seven-year ramp-up, approximately 140,000 additional Americans would voluntarily choose to serve full time for a year or two for modest pay in their choice of:

Listed below are some of the peace building platoons of AWSC that would be dramatically enlarged and invigorated by fielding a million volunteers a year to their worthwhile efforts, after the initial seven-year ramp-up of the AWSC to a million.

Peace Corps AmeriCorps Habitat
Doctors Without Borders Head Start Mercy Corps
Oxfam Americans Friends Service Committee TechnoServe
Heifer Red Cross International Rescue Committee
Mercy Ships UN Volunteer Center Fuller Center for Housing
Boys & Girls Clubs State Conservation Corps In-need Schools
Hospitals Therapy Wards Homes for the Elderly Local Do-good Non-profits
Under-staffed needs Community Health Clinics Carter Center… Etc.

By the seventh year, one million American World Service Corps volunteers of all ages, or less than four-tenths of 1% of those aged 18-70+, would annually serve for a year or two at home or abroad in existing governmental and non-governmental organizations.  Only after 20 years could Congress consider sun-setting the AWSC legislation.  Therefore, over 27 years about 21 million Americans would have peacefully served producing good and goodwill at home and abroad organizations such as those above.

Written in a mix of legalese and laymanese, the American World Service Corps National Service (AWSCNS) Congressional Proposal  is at http://peopleslobby.us/awsc-congressional-proposal

To regain, retain, and rebuild our nation’s strength and stature, we need a robust AWSC to augment our proud military early in the 21st century.  The AWSCNS will:

  • Help keep us out of future trillion-dollar wars.
  • Make service less dangerous for our military.
  • Cost only a fraction of what the Iraq War has cost us.
  • Recycle most of its investment into the American economy by rewarding volunteers with their choice of four years of college tuition or equivalent investment in IRA and Medical Savings Accounts, home down payments, or tax credits.
  • Begin rebuilding our character, world image, and public policy IQ.
  • Respond more quickly and competently to climate weirding and natural disasters with an AWSC that can more quickly help rebuild after disasters.
  • Re-knit America’ s fraying unity by having Americans from different parts of the country address problems throughout the country and world. Serving together addressing needs provides a true picture of the world that peacefully educates and binds us together, making us saner and healthier.

Nontraditional funding mechanisms

The proposed legislation has traditional and non-traditional funding mechanisms.  If visionary leadership pushed and educated the nation on our nontraditional revenue streams, they could potentially eliminate any reliance on traditional tax revenue funding.

Funding raised by the non-traditional and voluntary funding streams would go directly into an escrow account dedicated to funding the AWSC, as outlined here http://peopleslobby.us/awsc/financing-awsc and depicted via power point here http://peopleslobby.us/coverage/powerpoints/forbes006funds.

With individuals like yourself, Gates, Turner, Nader, et al., calling on billionaires to give more, now is the time to offer the AWSCNS as a perfect place to invest their money in a safer, more prosperous future. If just the Forbes 400 annually donated between 1– 2.5% of their wealth to an escrowed account to fund the AWSCNS, no taxpayer dollars would be needed to fund 21 million serving at home and abroad over 27 years.

Including AWSCNS public spreadsheets for the Forbes Top Jocks, Top Celebs, Top CEOs, non-tax paying corporations, etc. in this voluntary donated funding mechanism, further reduces this (1-2.5%) minuscule voluntary donation percentage from American billionaires, whose number is now around 600.

Escrowed donations would be tracked via a publicly-viewable spread sheet, which may inspire billionaires to donate and common citizens to notate who donates.

Many of us see this as just a small step that supports your Giving Pledge.  It would be a wonderful way for the super-rich to provide a healthier and safer tomorrow by donating a minuscule portion of their wealth to a fund that involves millions of peaceful Americans in building a better today.  Such wise but minimal investment today would be good for healthy business tomorrow.

Joint Peace Corps

Included in the AWSCNS Congressional Proposal are calls for other nations to emulate our AWSC National Service program, as well as to form joint Peace Corps programs with other nations, such as the legislation People’s Lobby influenced Congresswoman Boxer ( http://peopleslobby.us/awsc/aspc/ ) to introduce as House Resolution 1807 of 1989.   (http://peopleslobby.us/hr-1807/ )

People’s Lobby would like to see the Joint US-USSR (Russia) Peace Corps pushed via the AWSCNS Congressional Proposal, and/or introduced as separate legislation. [An op-ed view here: (https://www.opednews.com/articles/Trump–Putin-buiild-army-by-Dwayne-Hunn-American-World-Service-Corps_American-World-Service-Corps-Congressional-Proposa_Americorps_Congress-170123-576.html&series=679 ).

The world could benefit greatly if U.S. and Russian relationships grew from a few astronauts working together in space to tens of thousands of Russian and American Peace Corps volunteers peacefully living, working, and serving together on earth.

Imagine what today’s world be like if 40,000 Russians and Americans had served together over the decades since HR1807 of 1989.

Info links

The top-row and drop-down links at the http://peopleslobby.us/ web site provide substantial information.  Videos, power points, and audios are included in the drop-downs.

Video feeds are available at http://peopleslobby.us/coverage/video

Some YouTubes are at  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRbaWfRantA

Some audio at http://peopleslobby.us/coverage/audio/

About 80+ related op-eds appear at http://www.opednews.com/author/author6270.html.

Joint U.S.-Russian Peace Corps links at http://peopleslobby.us/hr-1807/                                      http://peopleslobby.us/awsc/aspc/

Supportive words from a man as respected as you could help our efforts with either/or/and the AWSCNS proposal and Joint Country Peace Corps Proposals.

In summary, we hope you will provide supportive words for:

  • Our nontraditional funding mechanisms that will encourage tentative congresspersons to think outside the funding box during this age of growing wealth inequities.
  • The AWSC proposal itself.
  • The reintroduction of HR 1807, the joint U.S.-Russian Peace Corps.

Thanks for considering.

Please contact me at any time for additional information, Dwayne Hunn, 415-383-7880, dh@peopleslobby.us, Facebook (Dwayne Hunn, People’s Lobby, and American World Service Corps Pages).

Sincerely,

Dwayne Hunn Ph.D. Executive Director, People’s Lobby

415-383-7880

Push Russia

How  to push Russia…

Recently National Public Radio commented that congressional candidates were debating about whether to campaign on the issues surrounding “Russia” in their upcoming elections

Why not “leapfrog” the typical Russian issues and press Russia, the U.S., and the world to do what world affairs and an angry Mother Nature is inconveniently demanding we do — dramatically expand our peaceful national service programs,  like Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat, Doctors Without Borders, Head Start, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Americans Friends Service Committee, TechnoServe, Heifer, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, State Conservation Corps, In-Need Schools, Hospitals Therapy Wards, Homes For The Elderly, etc.?

Then challenge Russia to create their own “Russian Peace Corps.”

In front of the world, urge Russia and the US to serve together doing Joint Peace Corps projects throughout the world, especially in those parts of the world where our sabers rattle too closely to theirs. Think Russian-US peaceful cooperation unlikely?  Look at our Space Station work.

We were once close to implementing a joint U.S.-Russian Peace Corps.  Let the visionary in Congress reintroduce an updated version of visionary  Congresswoman Boxer’s HR1807 of 1989.

John Kennedy would smile on those with the vision and insight to challenge the Russians to join us in peaceful development endeavors.  In addition, it would do wonders for improving our politics, public policy IQ, and standing in the world, while avoiding trillions of warfare dollars over the decades.

This wise talk about Russia would be a smart addition to any congressional campaign.

This…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Or this?

DCStaffMet9-16

DC staff met 9-2016

Contact Title E-mail Company Phone Web Site Address
Ami Bera Leg Correspondent/Staff Assistant Shaefer.Bagwell@mail.house.gov House of Representative 202-225-5716 bera.house.gov 1535 Longworth House Office
James McGovern Legislative Asistant Russell.Halliday@mail.house.gov House of Representatives 202-225-6101 www.mcgovern.house.gov 438 Cannon HOB
Marcy Kaptur Legislative Director jenny.perrino@mail.house.gov House of Representatives 202-225-4146 2186 Rayburn Building
Tulsi Gabbard HillVets Fellow Daniel.snedden@mail.house.gov House of Representatives 202-225-4906 1609 Longworth House Office Building
Seth Moulton Policy Advisor margo.brown@mail.house.gov House of Representatives 202-225-8020 1408 Longworth Building
Chris Van Hollen Senior Legislative Assistant ken.cummings@mail.house.gov House of Representatives 202-225-5341 1707 Longworth H.O.B.
Krysten Sinema Leg Asst. Michael.Wong@mail.house.gov House of Representatives 202-225-9888 sinema.house.gov 1530 Longworth House Office Building
Raul Grijalva Leg director Kelsey.Mishkin@mail.house.gov House of Representatives 202-225-2435 http://grijalva.house.gov 1511 Longworth HOB
Xaviera Becerra Schedule/Education Emilio.Mendez@mail.house.gov House of Representatives 202-225-6235 1226 Longworth House Office Building
Louise Slaughter Legislative Assistant Jack.Spasiano@mail.house.gov House of Representatives  NY 28cd 585-697-0840 http://www.votelouise.com/ 2469 Rayburn HOB
Suzan DelBene Legislative Director ben.barasky@mail.house.gov House of Representatives (WA) 202-225-6311 delbene.house.gov 318 Cannon House Office Building
Scott Peters Chief of Staff Michelle.Dorothy@mail.house.gov House of Representatives Ca 202-225-0508 1122 Longworth House Office Building
Charles Rangel Pearson Fellow benjamin.garcia@mail.house.gov House of Representatives NY 202-225-4365 2354 Rayburn House Office Building
Adam Smith Legislative Assistant christy.hayek@mail.house.gov House of Representatives WA 202-225-8901 http://www.electadamsmith.com/Contact 2264 Rayburn HOB,
Jared Huffman Legislative Assistant Nicholas.Hromalik@mail.house.gov House of Representatives, CA 202-225-5161 1630 Longworth House Office Building
Chellie Pingree Legislative Assistant joe.marro@mail.house.gov House of Representatives, ME (202) 225-6116 www.pingree.house.gov 2162 Rayburn
Morgan Griffith Legislative Counsel kristin.seum@mail.house.gov House of Representatives, VA 202-225-3861 1108 Longworth House Office Building
Mike Thompson Leg Director Stephanie.Newman@mail.house.gov House of Represetnatives Leg Dir 202-225-3311 http://mikethompson.house.gov/Biography/index.asp 231 Cannon Office Building
Tulsi Gabbard Manager Front Desk Katherina.Deery@mail.house.gov House Representative Vt (202)225-4906 1609 Longworth Building
Bernie Sanders Leg Aide ian.rockwell@@sanders.senate.gov US Senate – Scheduler 202-224-5141 2233 Rayburn
Barbara Boxer Foreign Relations Senator US Senate Leg  Aide Boxer 202-224-3553 www.Boxer.senate.gov 112 Hart Building
Alan Lowenthal Legislative Assistant anne.nguyen@mail.house.gov Washington, DC Office 202-225-7924 www.lowenthal.house.gov 108 Cannon House Office Bldg
Tulsi Gabbard Manager Front Desk Daniel.Snedden@mail.house.gov House Representative Vt (202)225-4906 1609 Longworth Building

 

The American World Service Corps National Service  (AWSCNS) Congressional Proposal  opens up filled jobs, provides new jobs, trains and educates for the environmentally beneficial jobs and needs of the future, makes stronger friends and neighbors with enhanced civic IQs.

Over ten years ago, People’s Lobby started working on the AWSCNS Congressional Proposal with a unanimous endorsement from the 2006 California State Democratic Convention.

This Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV) did not think that a decade later I’d still be pushing to enact this needed, overwhelmingly good, and cost effective piece of legislation.

The AWSCNS would ramp up over seven years by adding about 150,000 paid volunteers per year.  In the seventh year, one million volunteers would serve annually through already effective do-good organizations, such as the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat, Doctors Without Borders, Head Start, Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Americans Friends Service Committee, TechnoServe, Heifer, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, State Conservation Corps, In-Need Schools, Hospitals Therapy Wards, Homes for the Elderly, etc.  After 20 years of one million serving annually, directly addressing needs, and building sustainability, Congress would consider the AWSCNS for sun-setting after its 27th year.

In 2009 Congress implemented the Ted Kennedy Serve America Act.  Nonetheless, even at its proposed unmet largest, the Kennedy Serve America Act is 1/4th the size of what is called for in the AWSCNS Proposal,  and, as we warned, its budget was whittled on soon after memories of Senator Ted Kennedy faded.

Could you set up a time to meet with the Senato/Congressman, Chief of Staff, Legislative Director, or appropriate senior staffer during the week of September 18th-24th in hopes of building additional support for the AWSCNS Proposal?

The AWSC National Service Proposal would stimulate and strengthen America’s ability to peacefully and economically solve problems.  With its proposed coming-of-age non-traditional funding mechanisms moved further along by Gates and Buffet pushing their Giving Pledge, enacting teh proposed AWSCNS  could cost effectively involve the richest .1% in voluntarily building worldwide sustainability.  A summary of some of these benefits is here.

For a PowerPoint overview of the essence of the AWSCNS Proposal, view the first 12 slides at this link.

When I discuss the details of the AWSCNS Proposal to large audiences, they overwhelmingly support it.  It would do the same among the constituent audiences of those visionary congresspersons who push, introduce, and support it.

Included in the AWSCNS Proposal is a call for other nations to deploy their own similar armies peacefully on the battlefields of need.  In 1989 People’s Lobby was instrumental in moving visionary Congresswoman Boxer to introduce HR 1807, calling for the creation of a US-USSR Peace Corps.  Recently, we have asked her to do it again before she retires, but her ride into the sunset may be too close.

Therefore, we’d like to see whether you would be interested in resurrecting this visionary piece of HR1807 legislation.  Imagine how much more beneficial Bear and Eagle relations would be today if 20,000+ Americans, Soviet Unioners, and Russians had served together by 2016. View 8 slides on the US-Russian Peace Corps here.

It is never too late to start something that could do a lot of good. Investing in volunteers in do-good groups in turbulent political and climate challenged environments often returns the most good, especially in communities with needs.

We look forward to meeting with you or appropriate DC staff in September.  Thanks.

Dwayne Hunn Ph.D.

People’s Lobby Executive Director

415-383-7880

Represented by Congressman Huffman, California’s 2nd

Xmas 2015

santa sleighHello friend!

May you and yours have good health well beyond this Holiday Season.

Although she still mails Christmas cards, my sister now has a computer thanks to Lighthouse for the Blind.  She also has volunteer Spencer, the solar guy, who brings some levity and sunshine into her life as he reads her internet stuff, emails, and wonders about her weird friends…

She recently beat back a cancer scare, as she continues being the trooper pushing her walker and tipping the army of taxicab drivers (sorry Uber) that shuttle her to University of San Francisco lectures, medical checkups, and meetings with her friends in town.

For me, there may not be a Habitat build on this year’s list thanks to bone on bone right shoulder and a rotator cuff tear, which I always thought belonged to those Moby-ized pitchers who flung hard from the starboard..

Most of you who are reading this have been exposed to Christian traditions, especially during this Holiday Season.  You know that Jesus was raised by an adopted father, Joseph, a ”Teckton,” or builder.  Joseph was a stonemason, carpenter, or likely combination of the two.  He built stuff, likely housing, perhaps so future families would not have to be born in mangers.

Christ in the House of His Parents (‘The Carpenter’s Shop’) 1849-50 Sir John Everett Millais, Bt 1829-1896 Purchased with assistance from the Art Fund and various subscribers 1921 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N03584
Christ in the House of His Parents ('The Carpenter's Shop') 1849-50 Sir John Everett Millais, Bt 1829-1896 Purchased with assistance from the Art Fund and various subscribers 1921 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N03584
Christ in the House of His Parents (‘The Carpenter’s Shop’) 1849-50 Sir John Everett Millais, Bt 1829-1896 Purchased with assistance from the Art Fund and various subscribers 1921 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N03584

When Jesus Christ was born about 2,000 years ago, about 300 million roamed the earth. According to the Bible, the Lord ARMED a sandal wearing gang of 12 with not only the words of brotherhood but supposedly the power to perform miracles.  They were sent out to spread peace and build things that would make life more comfortable for innocent babies and children, in the hopes that they would grow up with innocence and goodwill.

Jesus did not build an army of soldiers and drones.  He didn’t encourage the Roman Empire to expand its war making abilities.  He pushed people to do unto others as they would have done unto themselves.

Today there are about seven billion people, who, in many ways are ravaging the earth.  Shouldn’t America, the Roman Empire of its time, field an army of one million sandaled Americans to spread peace and build healthy things for the innocents?

It cost us over $1 million per active military volunteer per year to be engaged in battles, without calculating PTSD related costs.

Instead of building a new, big bureaucracy, the  AWSC Congressionnal Proposal  would send  A LOT more paid volunteers to  Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat, Doctors Without Borders, Head Start, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Mercy Corps, State Conservation Corps, effective local non-profits, in-need schools, hospital therapy centers, homes for the aged, etc.     Fielding a million Americans a year under this AWSC umbrella would cost about $40,000 per year.

It’s a gift to the world that keeps giving all year long.  It cultivates compassion, raises our public policy IQ, responds  to devastations, helps refugees, wins hearts and minds, and thereby stunts terrorist recruitment.

AWSC global ask not220x289

Imagine how much different today’s world would be had we been doing such a robust NATIONAL SERVICE CORPS for 30, 40, 50 years…

One of the few times Jesus expressed anger was at the money changers in the Temple.

jesusMoneyChangers

https://openclipart.org/detail/225861/jesus-casting-out-money-changers

Under the AWSC Proposal The Forbes 400 could fund the fielding of 21,000,000 doing good, paid American volunteers for 27 years by donating 1.1% of their wealth to the cause of protecting innocents.  What would Jesus say?

Would you support such voluntary funding by America’s uber-rich?

Want to help make the AWSC Proposal become  law, spreading gifts and little miracles all year long?

Pester Congress.  Spread the word via media.  Use any of People’s Lobby’s Opeds that express something akin to your feelings and put them out in social media, forward them to Congress and candidates.  Ask candidates where they stand.

Want to fund a People’s Lobby’s (PLI) intern, who could help with spreading the word?

Prayers accepted, but we are pretty sure God, as busy as he is, is pushing us humans to do more than kneeling to deliver some good amidst the myriad of problems clanging around down here.

Neither Santa nor Jesus delivers what the world needs without a lot more of us being involved.

jesusvsSantaLifts

volunteerDevelopesSkills

deedsPrayersMcAfee

Pope Francis

“We are close to Christmas,” he said. “There will be lights, there will be parties, bright trees, even Nativity scenes – all decked out – while the world continues to wage war.”

“What shall remain in the wake of this war, in the midst of which we are living now?” the pontiff asked. “Ruins, thousands of children without education, so many innocent victims, and lots of money in the pockets of arms dealers.”

Christmas festivities are “all a charade. The world has not understood the way of peace. The whole world is at war.”

“War can be justified, so to speak, with many, many reasons, but when all the world as it is today, at war, piecemeal though that war may be — a little here, a little there — there is no justification.”

“God weeps,” the pope concluded, “Jesus weeps,” for those whose sole purpose on this planet is to wage war, but who cynically deny that that’s their intent.

May you and yours have peace and good health.

Gifts received:

Fr. Nelson’s boys. NorCal video “Breaking bread.” Dec. 2015

Or paste  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTu1DNoASSo&list=PLHcV3zsz2X9wKNj8s97pY6yPiYir9Pv19&index=5

Hiding from Mom.  “Too idealistic.”  August 2015

Or paste https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAH-vPSSY8w&index=2&list=PLHcV3zsz2X9xHndBb26AyPRpVGkKNb-dX

Want to sign the AWSC petition? http://www.change.org/petitions/view/field_21_million_american_world_service_corps_volunteers_over_the_next_27_years

Change.org will forward a note to your Congressperson.

Presidential candidates stance on AWSC

(Slowly rebuiding and migrating websites)

People’s Lobby is asking all presidential candidates whether they support the AWSC Proposal, (http://new.dwaynehunn.biz/awsc-congressional-proposal/ ), which places a million Americans a year into peaceful National Service for at least a generation, not by building a new bureaucracy, but through serving in already existing organizations such as: Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat, Doctors Without Borders, Head Start, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Mercy Corps, State Conservation Corps, effective local non-profits, in-need schools, homes for the elderly, therapy wards in hospitals, etc.

Please note that we’re asking for more than a minimalist response that says you support today’s minimalized Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, etc., or that “National service is a good idea…”

Thoughtful responses will include answers to the following questions.  Do you believe that?

  • Such peaceful service will increase opportunities domestically & reduce tensions internationally?
  • More than .4% of Americans (active military) should serve?
  • Peaceful, healthy change in many needy areas requires generations to develop & therefore endorse the generation long robust national service “sunset clause” in the AWSC Proposal?
  • The good accomplished by investing $40K/year in each AWSC volunteer would in time reduce the $400K attributed to each of our active military and/or the $1 million+ cost for each of our battlefield soldiers?
  • Both traditional & nontraditional funding mechanisms (in the Proposal) should be used to field 21,000,000 National Service Americans over the ensuing 27 years.

More info:

Would the world’s people and its environment be better off today if since the 1961 inception of the Peace Corps (a form of voluntary national service) 20 million had served by now (2015) rather than 200,000?

Thanks for providing your stance on the American World Service Corps Congressiona Proposal.

Peter Coyote support 9-1-2014

This is the letter that goes out tomorrow to Jared Huffman:

September 1, 2014

Congressman Jared Huffman

1630 Longworth House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

Dear Jared,

I’m writing to express my support for Dwayne Hunn’s well thought out and articulated proposal for a an American World Service volunteer job corps that would place Americans (in the) Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Teacher Corps, Doctors Sans Borders, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, OxFam, Mercy Corps, and State Conservation Corps members in vitally needed locales and offer a million Americans the opportunity to serve at home or abroad.  These organizations do exemplary work and thereby offer Americans a variety of non-military opportunities to employ and develop a variety of skill sets dedicated to problem solving, enhancing peace and prosperity.

The proposal has been outlined in legislation at: http://www.worldservicecorps.us/world%20service%20key%20proposal%202yr%20volunteer.htm  It is my hope that you might study it and find it worthy of your support. Would it not be wonderful to have a body of volunteers as large as our military dedicated to peaceful service. It could be so and you could help bring it to reality.

Here’s hoping that you find it interesting and will lend you support.

Thank you very much for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Peter Coyote

 

Congressional candidate Colleen Rowley 10-06

Colleen Rowley MN 2nd CD D

Dear Dwayne and AWSC,

Thanks for taking the time to contact our campaign. Coleen generally supports an expansion of national service very much in line with AWSC’s platform. She also shares the reasons for doing so. In particular, she supports encouraging our citizenry to participate in programs like Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Habitat for Humanity, Head Start, Doctors Without Borders, Red Cross, International Rescue Committee, and State Conservation Corps.

Raising America’s political IQ is in truly a win-win scenario. To that end, if elected, I am confident Coleen will take a particular interest in AWSC’s platform.

Thanks again.

Walter B. Winger

Coleen Rowley for U.S. Congress

10-6-06 email

An army of volunteers for peace

Thursday, January 23, 2003

Marin Independent Journal – Marin Voice

Dwayne Hunn

Dwayne Hunn, IJ

Osama, Saddam and their followers are bad actors and will get what they deserve, probably mostly from our superb military.

In the meantime, it would be healthy to hear politicians, opinion leaders and parties lay out a  long-term solution to the terror these actors breed, before we get too deeply entwined in war’s bloody human and financial costs.  The solution lies in a Sargent’s quote:

If the Pentagon’s map is more urgent, the Peace Corp’s is, perhaps, in the long run the most important… What happens in India, Africa, and South America — whether the nations where the Peace Corps works succeed or not — may well determine the balance of peace.

In the 60’s and 70’s then New York Senator Jacob Javits proposed a peace army of a million young men. Labor leaders advocated an overseas service corps of 100,000. The Peace Corps’ first Deputy Director, Warren Wiggins, said a Peace Corps of 30,000 — 100,000 was needed.

The Peace Corps mean budget from 1965-69 was $108,000,000, with its mean number of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in the field numbering 13,947 with a mean cost per volunteer of $7,743.

On the other hand, for that same period the Vietnam War Budget was $16,260,000,000. The mean number of soldiers we kept in Viet Nam was 413,300. The MEAN cost per soldier was $39,370.

If just ten percent of the Vietnam War budget, $1,626,000,000, had been put into the Peace Corps budget to get Americans to work “the toughest job you’ll ever love that REALLY does good,” then an additional 209,996 mean Peace Corps volunteers could have served during that period.

Imagine if we had continued inspiring 55,000 American volunteers each year to serve in countries where clean water doesn’t run easily, chalk boards are luxuries, people house themselves in mud, clay and cow dung padded walls, education is treasured, health and food is too often wanting.

Instead, since its 1961 inception only slightly over 150,000 PCVs have served in over 130 nations.

Had our Army of over two million PCVs already served in the field, do you think international newspapers would be lambasting America on its pages?  Would readers buy it? Would Osama bin Laden and his cells have risen in such a world?

Maybe.  But having been a Peace Corps volunteer as well as a Global Village Habitat for Humanity homebuilder working near the struggling masses, I think not. Even most ivory towered policy wonks would probably agree.

Yet, where on the political hustings, on the forums provided for perceived leaders, do you hear even some of them planting visions of common sense, of marshalling good-doers to address the sufferings of the world.

The lines drawn between long suffering masses and terrorists and comfortable, arrogant Americans are short, and getting shorter.

The line eraser is not a stealth bomber or more technically armed Special Forces.  The eraser cleans when you build what an American Peace Army does – builds relationships, schools, sanitation systems, small farms and businesses.

Sarge Shriver was right, in the long run the Peace Corps map of the world is more important.  Today’s world reminds us how much more his words needed heeding.

Edwin Markham was one of John Kennedy’s favorite poets.  One of Kennedy’s favorite Markham poems was:

Why build these cities beautiful,

If man unbuilded goes.

In vain we build the world,

Unless the builder also grows.

Some brother-in-laws think alike.  Their vision of a vastly expanded Peace Corps is what today’s unbuilded global village needs.  Building a life for one’s loved ones forges a sense of pride, and that builds villages and cities beautiful.

It’s what two visionary leaders preached.  It’s what isn’t pushed enough today.

 

Mill Valley resident, Dwayne Hunn, is field director for the National Initiative for Democracy Campaign, a proposed process to empower all Americans with law making capabilities. Hunn served in the Peace Corps Mumbai, India.

 

Enlarged Peace Corps could change map

Peacefully changing the map for decades?
Peacefully changing the map for decades?

Portland Press Herald    Tuesday, November 5, 2002

Maine Voices                               Forum

A Different Army

Enlarged Peace Corps could change the map

  • See what 10 percent of the Vietnam budget could have accomplished.

By Dwayne Hunn

Osama, Saddam and their followers are bad actors and will get what they deserve, probably mostly from our superb military. In the meantime, it would be healthy to hear candidates, politicians and parties lay out a long-term solution to the terror these actors              breed, before we get too deeply entwined in war’s bloody human and  financial costs. The solution lies in a quote from Sargent Shriver:

“If the Pentagon’s map is more urgent, the Peace Corps’ is, perhaps, the long run the most important. . . . What happens in India, and South America – whether the nations where the Peace Corps works succeed or not – may well determine the balance of        peace.”

In the 1960s and ’70s, then-New York Sen. Jacob Javits proposed a peace army of 1 million young men. Labor leaders advocated an overseas service corps of 100,000. The Peace Corps’ first deputy director, Warren Wiggins, said a Peace Corps of 30,000 to 100,000  volunteers was needed.

The Peace Corps’ mean yearly budget from 1965-69 was $108 million, with its mean number of Peace Corps volunteers in the field    numbering 13,947, with a cost per volunteer of $7,743.

On the other hand, for that same period the Vietnam War budget was $16.3 billion. The mean number of soldiers we kept in Vietnam was 413,300. The cost per soldier was $39,370.

If just 10 percent of the Vietnam War budget, $1.6 billion, had been   put into the Peace Corps budget to advertise “the toughest job              you’ll ever love that really does good,” then an additional 210,000        Peace Corps volunteers could have served during that period.

Imagine if we had continued inspiring 55,000 American volunteers     each year to serve in countries where clean water doesn’t run              easily, chalkboards are luxuries, people house themselves in mud-        clay and cow-dung-padded walls, education is treasured and health    and food too often wanting. Instead, since its 1961 inception only        slightly over 150,000 volunteers have served in about 130 nations.

Had our army of over 2 million Peace Corps volunteers already served in the field, do you think international newspapers would be   lambasting America on their pages? Would readers buy them? Would Osama bin Laden and his cells have risen in such a world?

Maybe. But having been a Peace Corps volunteer as well as a Global  Village Habitat for Humanity home builder working near the struggling  masses, I think not. Even most ivory-towered policy wonks would probably agree.

Yet, where on the political hustings, on the forums provided for             perceived leaders, do you hear even some of them planting visions of  common sense, of marshaling good-doers to address the sufferings of the world?  The lines drawn between long-suffering masses and  terrorists and comfortable Americans are short and getting shorter.

The line eraser is not a stealth bomber or more technically armed        Special Forces. The eraser cleans when you build what an American Peace Army does – relationships, schools, sanitation systems, small      farms and businesses. Shriver was right: In the long run the Peace       Corps map of the world is more important.

Today’s world reminds us how much more his words needed heeding. Edwin Markham was one of John Kennedy’s favorite poets. One of   Kennedy’s favorite Markham poems was:

“Why build these cities beautiful,

If man unbuilded goes.

In vain we build the world,

Unless the builder also grows.”

Some brothers-in-law think alike. Their vision of a vastly expanded     Peace Corps is what today’s unbuilded global village needs. Building  a life for one’s loved ones forges a sense of pride, and that builds          villages and cities beautiful.

It’s what two visionary leaders preached. It’s what isn’t pushed              enough today.

– Special to the Press Herald

Copyright © Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

Portland Press Herald    Tuesday, November 5, 2002

 

Pitching in to help build peace

Tuesday December 4, 2001              Marin Independent Journal

Marin Voice

Pitching in to help build peace

 Dwayne Hunn

In teeming Bombay of the late 60’s, he was a somewhat radical  Malaysian student journalist.  I was an Urban Community Development Peace Corps Volunteer.

The Bombay Gymkhanna had a rugby team that needed American footballers and a swift running back. The combination took us to the All South Asian Rugby Championship, and gave a few PCVs and a Malaysian student many meals we otherwise couldn’t afford.

Recently (about ten days ago), with him carrying a gimpy rugby back’s knee, I again tasted his renowned hospitality.

This time, however, Kadir was Malaysia’s Ambassador to Germany.  It is hard to imagine a more comfortable way to glean post 911 perspectives from Europe, ambassadors and Muslims.

None of them expressed hesitancy to America getting Bin Laden… “There is no one with an ounce of brains who would choose to live under the Talliban rather than with America… But you must do it carefully and not harm civilians… And if you attack other Muslims nations now you will be doing just what Bin Laden wants.  He wants you to strike out, so that he can rally extreme fundamentalists to bring those nations against you…And America must fix the Palestinian issue…”

Over and over it came back to America fixing this or that and Palestine….

When you are the toughest kid in the neighborhood even  grown-ups expect you to settle squabbles between foolish juveniles.  It’s not as easy as the strongest nation among nations that have centuries of wonderful civilizations intermixed with tragic warrings.

Nonetheless, so many point to young America as the world’s problem handler – militarily, diplomatically, economically.

At least when you were the toughest in the hood, you had experienced grown-ups who seldom hesitated to fill the roles you were learning.

In discourse, one hopes young America’s side is being heard.

No nation gives more aid to Afghanistan.

Who helped the Mujahadeen free their nation from Russians?

Who tried to nation build Somalia, perhaps the world’s poorest nation, and watched its Rangers lose 18 as they fought their way out of a downed helicopter and killed over 500 fundamentalist inspired warlords?

Who sent force to Kosovo, stopping Milosevic from cleansing Albanian Muslims?

Who, for decades and more than any other nation, pushed Arafat to control stone throwers and Israel to withdraw settlements

Yet who is constantly vilified for meddling too much – yet not doing enough?

No nation gives more aid to Afghanistan. Who helped the Mujahadeen free their nation from Russians?… Who tried to nation build Somalia, perhaps the world’s poorest nation, and watched its Rangers lose 18 as they fought their way out of a downed helicopter.

Yes, rich, strong America must do much.  But the world’s older, grown-up nations have a huge responsibility to take bold stands and implement solutions. They must educate against irrationalism. Aid and invest in needy countries.  Send  troops, food and foreign aid.  They should start their own Peace Corps, Habitat for Humanity, Doctors Without Borders, so they too can help make the world more livable for the poor upon whom fanatics prey.

Saudi Prince Alwaleed, whose $10 million check to benefit  911’s victim’s families was returned because he said: “America has to face reality (regarding Israel) if they don’t want to fight terrorism for the next 100 years. What the Americans are doing now in Afghanistan is right. I’m with them all the way.  They have to take revenge.  And you can quote me. I – am – an – ally – of – America.  Exactly like Mr. Guiliani and the United States. I want to eradicate terrorism also.”

The Prince echoes most of the world’s embassies and capitals.  Perhaps, however, his check ought to be the down payment that eradicates terrorism’s seeds in the world’s seething cauldron while  addressing his concern that, “ Israel is doing a better job getting its message out.”

With his millions, he ought to offer to build state-of-the art UN staffed schools in a children labeled peace zone along Palestinian Israeli borders.

These peace zones would allow children from both sides to learn, play and build relationships that destroy hateful stereotypes – those too often seen in Middle Easterners’ eyes on TV.

You want a public relations coup that will win the world’s hearts?  A stealth missile to obliterate the dark caves of poverty and ignorance where terrorisms lurks?

Bring students together.

Education and its relationships are how struggles – or jihads – are overcome.