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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-1021 Documents Submitted at Mtg ~j Culture of Peace Initiative - Ashland Box 524 Ashland, OR 97520 info acpi-ashland.orq www.cl2i-ashland.org Dear Mayor Stromberg and Ashland City Councilors: Ashland has a unique culture that needs to be celebrated, nurtured and expanded. We are writing to you to ask you to schedule a formal agenda item to create a city Culture of Peace Commission (CPC). It is our deep belief that this formal on-going recognition of such an effort serves the City's outreach and tourist efforts, as well as enhances the operation of city government and the community for us all. It has become well-established that the pathway to a peace culture is through local efforts in business, education, community and environment that come together to better understand each other and share activities in a way that enables deeper connections and wider collaboration in challenging times. A culture of peace requires a new mindset and way of thinking, bringing the lens of peacebuilding to all relationships. Last year after 175 community members gathered for our International Day of Peace, Feast for Peace, we decided to move beyond dinners, words and proclamations to practical ideas for formalizing a culture of peace in Ashland. After a year of meetings and dialogue with more community members we find there is overwhelming support for such a measure. Clearly if it is brought forward as an election initiative, as some are suggesting, it would receive substantial majority support. However, before taking such action we are asking that the council to demonstrate creative leadership, work with us to create the parameters of such a Commission and avoid the costs of the election campaign. Enclosed you will find a number of documents that support this action, including the Powers and Duties of a proposed CPC in Ashland from our draft ordinance. The objective is to bring together a formal Commission whose members are skilled in non-violent communication, compassionate listening, mediation, and other peacebuilding disciplines. While a few other cities around the country have taken steps to create peace commissions, Ashland would be the first in the world to break new ground by creating a 21' century commission founded on a culture of peace. Through this significant action we would be helping further change the way our cities, states and world identify themselves and function. This aligns with the courageous, visionary steps taken by earlier city leaders resulting in Ashland's recent Oregon's "eCity" award. Creation of a formal city Culture of Peace Commission demonstrates leadership by the Council to set a tone and direction for the City, a step toward being proactive, rather than reactive to the challenges ahead, and holding a vision for new ways of functioning. We look forward to working with you in moving us forward. 2 Toward a Culture of Peace, Kathleen Gamer, Jeff Gol en SOU UN Club Immense Possibilities 1 Dave Hyde Iren Kai UU Social Action Committee Pathways to Peace Her D Rothschild Patnmp~a°+14e1F1 C~ Ashland Peace House Communications Company Eric Sirotkin David Wick Ubuntuworks Peace Education Project Pathways to Peace David Adams Global Mov*m*nt for a Cukwe of Peace September 13, 2014 Mayor John Stromberg City of Ashland 20 East Main Street Ashland, OR 97520 Dear Mayor Stromberg and Members of the City Council, I am writing to you to support the development of a City Peace Commission in your city. I am a member of the New Haven City Peace Commission, and have extensive experience in this regard, having been the Director of the United Nations International Year for the Culture of Peace in 2000 and coordinator of the Culture of Peace News Network (http://cpnn-world.org ) at the present time. The New Haven Commission was established during the 1980s to support citizen involvement with the Nuclear Freeze and people-to-people contacts with the former Soviet Union, as well as to deal with the considerable problems of violence in our city. It serves in an advisory capacity to the Mayor and the Board of Alders, and includes Alders among its members. Among our activities is an annual report on the state of the culture of peace in New Haven, derived from interviews with community activists, and providing recognition of gains and deficits in our city's culture of peace- Although we have not yet fully exploited the possibilities, we believe that we can help the city establish itself as a "peace city" to make us more attractive to tourism. In that regard, I will be representing the Commission at the congress next year of the International Institute of Peace through Tourism, that will take place in South Africa. Through the Commission, the city has long been linked to international networks of peace cities. We would like to see the growth of peace cities and networking around the world, and are ready to provide you with any help we can to become a peace city and take part in this growing movement. Sincerely your David Adams 95 Lyon Street, New Haven, CT 06511 - 203-772-6672 david@cpnn-world.org websites: http://cpnn-world.org and http://culture-of-peace.info Culture of Peace Commission - Proposal to Ashland Mayor and City Council When: Tuesday, October 21St 6:30pm Supporters Rally, 7:00pm Presentation Where: Goals of Culture of Peace Initiative - Ashland Our goal is an Ashland that identifies itself as a culture of peace, both as a commitment to itself and a self-presentation to the world. Integral to achieving that goal are: • Official guidance of this enterprise by the City of Ashland through a peace commission. • A commitment by the Ashland School District to promote peace education throughout the schools, including the use of nonviolent communication and conflict resolution at all grade levels. • On-going, inclusive explorations of what it means to be a culture of peace, identification of ways to more completely realize that culture, and frequent publicizing of Peacebuilding work. • The awareness by all segments of Ashland of how they are already building a culture of peace, and their commitment to develop further that dimension of their activities. • Widespread use of Peacebuilding tools that emphasize mutual respect and restoration of right relationships. What is a Culture of Peace? "A culture of peace is a set of values, attitudes, traditions and modes of behavior and ways of life... Ashland thoughts: "Redefine our societal definitions of success that is based on our interdependence that we all prosper in a culture that respects and values the contribution of all parts of the community." "Conscious of the rights and well-being of each other and to live to support that well-being in all actions and decisions at all levels." "Becoming more conscious of the human dynamic." "Awakening to what is the essence of being human." "Living together in a community on all levels - local, state national international." "Respect for people with different views and ideas." "Society where we value each other. It takes a village so what does that look like? Work in harmony with each other." "Understanding of our interdependence - a bright future depends on a bright future for us all. A shared human identity and common destiny. Opposite of violence and prejudice." A culture of peace has been a dream and hope for human beings for thousands of years, even though different words may have been used. In the last half of the 20th Century a more precise focus and language has emerged which serves as a guideline for those seeking and leading in this quest. "...my experience and research have convinced me that the world is on the verge of the greatest change in human history. the transition from the culture of war that we have had for tens of thousands ofyears to anew culture, a culture of peace." David Adams, Director, UNESCO This is about shifting mindset and behavior in all aspects of our societies as we move from force to reason, from conflict and violence to dialogue and Peacebuilding and embrace humanity's interconnectedness and inner oneness. It has become well-established that the pathway to a peace culture is through local efforts in NGOs, education, government, business, and environment that come together to better understand each other and create new possibilities. Education, and specifically peace education, is an essential ingredient. Cities are the real societal structural level where the Culture of Peace rubber meets the road. The individual person is always the bottom line in Peace and Peacebuilding daily choices, but it is the city that has the reach, authority, responsibility and influence to set the positive tone and direction for so many people. This can be done by beginning to use the Culture of Peace as a compass for guidance and a lens to see and understand differently. This is relatively new territory in the early stages and where we are co-creating together. The growing Culture of Peace is actually alive and well in many cities, but is often invisible and not identified or nourished directly. The results and benefits of embracing and living in a Culture of Peace are enormous and pervasive in health, happiness, prosperity, sustainability and a legacy for future generations! As defined by the United Nations, the Culture of Peace is a set of values, attitudes, modes of behavior and ways of life that reject violence and prevent conflicts by tackling their root causes to solve problems through dialogue and negotiation among individuals, groups and nations (UN Resolutions A/RES/52/13). * United Nations Declaration and Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace (A/RES/53/243). www.cpi-ashland.org Ashland's Deer - Appreciate from a Distance! Education - Increasing Public Awareness Common Sense Change perception of deer as harmless to potentially dangerous. Emphasize need to consider deer as unpredictable wildlife. Provide details about attacks so that readers understand the danger - offer suggestions to increase safety. Attacks have resulted in serious injuries requiring emergency medical attention - be careful! Attacks have happened in yards and while walking in residential neighborhoods - be aware! Deer may attack a dog, even while on a leash, if the dog barks or lunges at deer - control your dog! Deer have chased dogs and people up steps and onto house porches - if chased, get inside! Carry a walking stick. REPEAT, REPEAT, REPEAT... Do NOT approach deer - especially fawns Do NOT feed deer - EVER BE ALERT - avoid does with young fawns - avoid larger bucks , e- U Tamsin Taylor and I live at 594 Great Oaks Drive, Ashland. The Resolution in Support of Fossil Fuel Divestment that you will consider tonight provides an opportunity for the City Council of Ashland to request that the Oregon Short Term Fund Board and the Public Employee Retirement System Board "review and consider divestment." I would like to stress that this resolution only makes a recommendation to the Oregon Short Term Fund Board and the Public Employee Retirement System Board. Ultimately, the Boards make the decisions about investments that are consistent with their legal responsibilities and professional judgment regarding best choices. There is evidence that divestment does not result in lower returns, but the members of these Boards bear the fiduciary responsibility to make appropriate decisions, Ashland's City Council does not bear that responsibility. At the study session, members of the City Council asked whether it is difficult to find funds that do not invest in fossil fuels. Because this is a growing area of investment interest such funds are both available and being developed. For example, Blackrock, the largest investment firm in the nation, is forming a fossil free fund with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Several money managers are now offering separate accounts that track stock indexes that exclude the Carbon Underground 200 (the world's largest publicly traded carbon emitters). Furthermore, with the rapidly increasing participation in divestment efforts, the State investments, if not redirected, could become stranded assets. In order to protect our investments, we need to be proactive in the movement to divest from fossil fuels, However, let me stress that it is the responsibility of the Boards of LGIP and PERS to use due diligence in identifying how to divest. The City of Ashland is only requesting that they "review and consider divestment." 4A Jnnc( My name is Diana O'Farrell and I live at 929 Mountain Meadows s'►~` Circle, Ashland It is hard to ignore the consequences of the atypical reduced snow packs, extended wildfire seasons, drought, and extreme cold that we are now experiencing. These are all clearly consistent with global warming models agreed on by 90% of world scientists. If the economic plans of fossil fuel corporations continue unabated, it is conclusively projected that these severe conditions will only get worse. While the actions of one small municipality may not contribute much to addressing the problem, each of us should do what we can to divert the inevitable consequences that a "business as usual" approach would cause. We ask that the City of Ashland join with individuals, faith based groups (such as the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalists, and the World Council of Churches), universities and colleges, and foundations (like the Rockefeller Foundation) in taking a stand to support divestment and make a statement encouraging fossil fuel corporations to adjust their practices. We should join Eugene's City Council in asking the Boards of the LGIP and PERS to consider divestment and also support our governor who is focused on moving the State of Oregon away from investments in fossil fuels. By so doing, Ashland is not acting alone, but is becoming a leader among national and international voices asking for divestment from fossil fuels. I encourage you to take a stand and provide the leadership for this city in acting as a model for addressing climate change on the local level. Page 2 Oh Tom Buechele, 829 Boulder Creek Lane, Ashland Currently, under the influence of strong corporate voices promoting maximization of short term profits, governments at all levels are failing to act. Our descendants meanwhile, have no voice in this discussion. We speak for, and ask the City Council to consider an action that serves those without a voice: namely future generations of our children, grandchildren and beyond. Intergenerational justice, we argue, demands that individually and collectively we take whatever actions possible at this time, to assure, to the best of our ability, that future generations are able to enjoy a livable planet. On behalf of ourselves and the generations yet to come we urge the City Council to vote YES on the Resolution in Support of Fossil Fuel Divestment.