US Peace
Memorial Foundation, Inc.
FREQUENTLY
ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the FoundationÕs mission?
The US Peace Memorial Foundation,
Inc. was established to build the US Peace Memorial in Washington DC. The Foundation will also conduct
research, provide education, and publish the US Peace Registry.
The Foundation exists to demonstrate that advocating for peaceful solutions to international problems is an honorable and patriotic activity. It will focus attention on the contributions of those citizens who have opposed war(s) and who have attempted to influence US foreign policy towards peaceful solutions to international problems.
The specific goals of the US Peace
Memorial Foundation are to:
1. Recognize,
honor, and remember the millions of U.S. citizens who have advocated for peace
and written, spoken out, or taken other non-violent action against US wars;
- Design,
build, own, operate, and maintain the US Peace Memorial;
- Publish the US Peace
Registry;
- Award
an annual Peace
Prize and
5. Engage in fund-raising, research,
and education related to the above.
It is hoped that these efforts will identify U.S. role models
for peace, inspire new generations to work to end war, and demonstrate
to the world that citizens of the United States value peace and non-violence. Please read ÒWorld Peace: A
First StepÓ, published in the Journal of
Sociology & Social Welfare, June 2011 and available at www.uspeacememorial.org/WorldPeace.htm.
What is the rationale
for building the US Peace Memorial?
Please take a few
minutes to read a succinct rationale for the US Peace Memorial at www.uspeacememorial.org/article.htm. This is a short essay published in 2009
in the scholarly journal, Peace and
Conflict. We hope that you will share it with your friends, family, and
colleagues.
How can the US Peace Memorial change our culture?
Our nation has a long, but largely unrecorded, history of patriotic
citizens who have opposed U.S. aggression, violence, and war. The US Peace Memorial will display
antiwar quotations by American leaders, document U.S. antiwar role models and
activities, and make it clear to our citizens that advocating for peaceful
solutions to international problems and opposing war are honorable and socially
acceptable activities in our democracy.
A national monument to peacemakers can raise awareness of these activities
and help to change our cultural mindset so that it will no longer be acceptable
to label those who speak out against war as un-American, antimilitary,
traitorous, or unpatriotic. The
memorial and the US Peace Registry will help decrease
the social barriers that citizens must overcome before they speak out against a
war. For a more detailed discussion
read ÒHonoring Peace and Antiwar BehaviorÓ which was published in Peace Psychology at www.uspeacememorial.org/Article2.htm.
How do I make a contribution?
You
can donate by credit card or mail a check to: US Peace Memorial Foundation ¥
334 East Lake Road #405 ¥ Palm
Harbor, FL 34685. Without your-tax deductible contributions, the US Peace
Memorial may never be built. Click
here for more information. Contribute Now!
For a limited time, anyone who
donates $100.00 or more will become a Founding
Member of the Foundation and will be
recognized on the organizationÕs website: www.uspeacememorial.org/Donors.htm
and in a separate donor section of the US Peace Registry. Anonymous
donations will, of course, be respected.
Why havenÕt I heard about the Memorial from the national media?
Before making
a nationwide public announcement of its mission, the US Peace Memorial
Foundation will build a substantial grassroots organization. We hope to
avoid national media attention until one of the following criteria is met:
1. Founding
Members from all 50 states, or
2. 1000 Founding Members, or
3. 1000 listings in the US Peace Registry, or
4. $1
million in donations and grants
We maintain a low-profile approach speaking primarily to the
choir as we slowly build a national grassroots organization. Our
only semi-public activity has been three articles about our work: "World Peace: A First StepÓ Journal of
Sociology & Social Welfare http://www.uspeacememorial.org/WorldPeace.htm; ÒA
Cultural Shift toward Peace: The Need for a National SymbolÓ Peace and
Conflict www.uspeacememorial.org/article.htm; and
ÒHonoring Peace and Antiwar Behavior: The US Peace RegistryÓ Peace
Psychology www.uspeacememorial.org/Article2.htm.
Where will the Memorial be located?
Once
sufficient resources are available, the foundation will petition Congress to
support setting aside public land on the Washington Mall for construction of
the US Peace Memorial. If efforts
to secure a location on the Mall fail, other sites and private land will be
considered. A highly visible site in the nationÕs capital is deemed to be most
desirable.
When will the Memorial be completed?
Realization of the physical
memorial will depend on how quickly sufficient donations are received. Until then, the memorial will exist on
the World Wide Web.
What is the target date for construction to begin?
The
target date to begin construction is arbitrarily set as July 4, 2016. This is a very ambitious goal since
progress is dependent on many factors. The Foundation must raise at least $20
million to develop and build the monument and guarantee perpetual
maintenance. If the Peace Memorial
is to be built on the mall, the Foundation will need to secure approvals from
the National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the
National Capital Memorial Commission.
This process will not begin until sufficient funds are in hand. We need donors and volunteers to make
the public aware of the project and to meet our fundraising goals.
What are the phases of the project?
The project has several distinct phases including research, establishing the not for profit organizational structure, website design, initiation of the US Peace Registry, initial fund raising ($1 million), marketing, major fund raising ($19 million), planning, approvals, building, and ongoing operations.
The Foundation is in the initial fund raising phase. At least one million dollars in
donations are needed before the Foundation's mission is announced through the
media. Many foundations reach 50%
of their total goal before announcing the fundraising project publicly. Early donations help with developing
momentum and make the goal appear more attainable. Contribute
Now!
What will the Memorial look
like?
Our Founding Members www.uspeacememorial.org/Donors.htm
will be consulted about the design.
Two
artistsÕ conceptions have been completed based on the preliminary
description at www.uspeacememorial.org/Design.htm.
Alice YeagerÕs illustration is at www.uspeacememorial.org/Drawing1
and Beth
BrookfieldÕs work is at www.uspeacememorial.org/Drawing2.
These are early conceptions that may or may not resemble the
final structure. We encourage other
artists to create their own vision, based on the preliminary
description at http://www.uspeacememorial.org/Design.htm,
and send it to Knox@USPeaceMemorial.org.
No final decisions are likely until we have successfully
completed our fundraising campaign – so there is still time to become a
Founding Member and give us your opinion!
How much money will be
needed?
The Foundation is actively seeking
to raise $20 million from the general public.
If I donate, what will it help to support?
The project has several distinct phases including fund
raising, planning, approvals, building, and ongoing operations. Individual donations help to support
on-going activities at each phase of the project. Your donation will fund research, printing,
mailings, education, phone, government fees, marketing, accounting, supplies,
and website and listserv maintenance.
Later donations will help to support
site identification, design development, core foundation staff salaries,
expenses and office rental.
Planning will require coordination with the National Capital Planning
Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Memorial
Commission. Building will include
the purchase of land (if necessary), permit acquisition, construction costs,
and landscaping the surrounding area.
An endowment for perpetual care and maintenance will be required after
construction is complete. Contribute Now!
Florida
registration #: CH20094. A COPY OF
THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE
FLORIDA DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352)
WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR
RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
ArenÕt there other peace memorials?
Before beginning this project in 2005 we conducted an exhaustive online
search for peace memorials and monuments. The results were disappointing.
In many U.S. cities you will find "peace monuments" that are
actually memorial to a war or to war
dead. One of the more prominent is the Perry's Victory &
International Peace Memorial in Ohio. Another is the Peace Monument on the grounds of the Capital
that commemorates naval deaths during the Civil War. The
concept appears to be that you earn the peace by winning a war.
Although several other countries have peace memorials that could serve
as a model for one here, none are focused on the U.S. peace movement. The
U.S. has some as well, but all are local, not national. These include the
Peace Memorial Park, Portland, OR; Peace Garden at Fresno State University, CA;
the Lyndale Park Peace Garden in Minneapolis, MN; the Peace Plaza in Salem, OR;
Peace Garden in Harrisburg, PA; Prairie Peace Park in Lincoln, NE, and the
Pacifist Memorial at Peace Abbey, Sherborn, MA.
How will U.S. peace efforts
be recognized?
Personal and organizational peace and antiwar activities by U.S. citizens/organizations are recognized in the US Peace Registry. The Registry is published on the US Peace Memorial website and will be printed as a formal publication and made available as a reference book in 2011.
Potential registrants provide
behaviorally specific biographical information, with supporting documentation,
which is reviewed by Foundation staff. Those vetted and verified are recommended
to the Board of Directors for approval.
An electronic edition of the US Peace Registry will
eventually be accessible at the memorial.
Some seemingly
undeserving people are listed in
the US Peace Registry because... (a variety of reasons listed).
We do not judge the entire life of those listed in the US Peace Registry,
or the consistency of their behavior.
We just accept and applaud any antiwar/peace contribution that they have
had the courage to make. For example, many registrants have participated
in or supported US invasions, but at some point they decided to publicly oppose
a particular war.
Many citizens are reluctant to speak out against a US war
because those who do so are often labeled Òun-AmericanÓ, ÒantimilitaryÓ, and
ÒunpatrioticÓ, and can suffer reprisals. Our goal is to demonstrate that
advocating for peaceful solutions to international problems, or taking action
against one or more wars, is an honorable and socially acceptable activity.
If we can change the culture in this small way, more people will feel
comfortable speaking out and the government will be challenged more frequently
when it threatens, invades, or occupies other countries.
Although we are anxious to honor consistent and significant peace leadership, the US Peace Registry
will
help achieve the desired cultural change by honoring the millions of
thoughtful and committed Americans who have taken a public antiwar stand at
some point in their life. We are identifying a broad range of peace
and antiwar activities and a continuum from participating in a single action to
devoting one's entire adult life to peace and opposing war. We recognize
a person who, for example, simply wrote a letter to the editor of their
hometown newspaper opposing the invasion of Panama, even if they didn't speak
out against the 20+ other US invasions since the end of WW II.
Any public antiwar act is important enough to recognize,
because it demonstrates some level of courage and establishes that citizens are
capable of attempting to stop the bloodshed. We will be successful if we
increase the number of citizens willing to engage in such behavior.
How
does one update or revise their entry in US Peace Registry?
If there are just
a few additions, send them to Info@USPeaceMemorial.org. If there are revisions, go to US Peace Registry and copy your current entry. Paste it
into a new Word document and do track changes. Send the document to Info@USPeaceMemorial.org
and a volunteer assistant editor will make
it consistent with our style. We'll let you know when the revised listing
is ready for your review.
How will financial contributions be recognized?
Levels of support have been
established and, for a limited time, all persons/organizations who contribute
$100.00 or more will become Founding Members of the Foundation and be recognized
in the donor section of the US
Peace Registry and on the FoundationÕs website. Anonymous
donations will be respected. Contribute Now!
Be assured that the
Foundation will not sell or rent your name and personal information to any
other organization.
Braggadocio is a big turn off to most antiwar people. Convince me that the US Peace Registry isnÕt about self-promotion.
Braggadocio
and self-promotion couldn't be farther from our motivation. The intent of the US Peace Registry is to write a living history,
document human behavior, and identify role models for US peace activities. The US Peace Registry will help Americans understand
some options for action against war.
The specific behaviors listed in each record are intended to provide
ideas and guidance. Role models are
listed to inspire Americans to speak out for peace and to work to end the
hatred, ignorance, greed, and intolerance that lead to war. We are documenting specific actions that
Americans have used to oppose war.
I suspect that in the final analysis we will have listed several hundred
discreet antiwar behaviors. The
people and organizations included in the US Peace Registry are not braggarts or
self-promoters, but role models for other Americans. Their activities are behaviors that
others can use as models for action, now and in the future.
The US
Peace Memorial will make it clear to Americans that opposing war is honorable
and socially acceptable, and that our nation has a long history of patriotic
citizens who have opposed wars. A
national monument to peacemakers can change our cultural mindset so that it
will no longer be acceptable to label those who speak out against war as
un-American, antimilitary, traitorous, or unpatriotic. We hope the memorial will decrease the
barriers that citizens must overcome before they speak out against a war.
The
military honors its heroes and reinforces warrior behavior with medals,
promotions, ceremonies, and monuments.
This has resulted in a country that recognizes contributions to war and
the sacrifices of the military.
People who make valiant efforts to maintain global peace should also be
honored. The US Peace Memorial Foundation
is attempting to balance the picture so that more Americans will know that peace
is an equally honorable endeavor.
The
current wars won't be our last and future generations need to know how
thoughtful individuals have promoted peace. If those in the peace movement are
concerned that speaking about their actions to promote peace will be seen as
bragging, they may be missing an opportunity to document their
contributions. We at the US Peace
Memorial Foundation think it is important to catalogue these activities in
order to educate people, stimulate conversations, and lead to positive
interventions for peace. Please
help us to get that message across.
Are speakers available?
Dr. Knox regularly speaks to groups. Topics include: "A Cultural Shift toward Peace: The
Need for a National Symbol", "Honoring the Peacemakers" or "Peace
is Socially Acceptable".
Each presentation includes the importance of the US PEACE MEMORIAL www.uspeacememorial.org and the US Peace Registry. Although an honorarium is not required, travel expenses
are requested (or equivalent in donations to the Foundation) if the location of
the presentation is more than 60 miles from Tampa and/or the audience
size is expected to be less than 25 people.
If you belong to a
peaceful group that might be interested in having a speaker, please suggest that they consider
inviting Dr. Knox. He can be reached at Knox@USPeaceMemorial.org.
Are volunteers needed?
The Foundation is
heavily dependent on a community of volunteers. Please sign up today by sending your
contact information and interests to: volunteer@USPeaceMemorial.org
The following are some
potential volunteer duties:
¥ Identify potential memorial honorees
¥ Tell others about our mission and
website
¥ Serve as an Assistant Editor of the US Peace Registry
¥ Identify potential donors and provide
email addresses
¥ Organize a local fundraising event
¥ Review this website and suggest
improvements
¥ Suggest other volunteer tasks
Volunteers are not
compensated for their time or expenses. Volunteers, however, should speak with
their accountant about how to deduct expenses in support of this not for profit
foundation.
Why is the
FoundationÕs mission so limited?
While it is understood that there are many other important and related political issues, the focus of the foundation is on peace, defined as the avoidance of US aggression to solve international disputes. Related issues such as human rights, civil rights, poverty, education, healthcare, overpopulation, environmental concerns, and interference in the affairs of other countries are excluded. All of these important topics are related to peace, but to keep the mission focused and clear, the scope of the foundationÕs work will not broaden to include any other issues.
Every
issue or variable that is added to the mix makes the project more appealing to
some and less appealing to others.
Supporters of a war are often very focused on opposition to a certain
culture or belief system, gaining resources, preventing something from
happening in the future, etc. Peace
advocates often get caught up in a variety of other issues, many of them very
important, but often divisive. That
may be one reason that we aren't often successful.
The US Peace Memorial will recognize and be dedicated to US citizens who have opposed and/or resisted US military solutions including invasion, occupation, use of weapons, and threats of war – rather than diplomacy – to solve international problems. The US Peace Registry will document the activities of these role models for peace in hopes of inspiring new generations of Americans. That is the only focus of this project and, if we do it well, it should help to unite the peace movement.
How long will the Foundation be in existence?
The Foundation is a permanent institution that, after overseeing the fundraising and building of the Memorial, will maintain the monument and surrounding lands, continue to publish the US Peace Registry, and conduct peace-related research and education to further the mission of the Foundation.
US Peace Memorial Foundation, Inc. is a
tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity.
Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible to the extent
provided by law.
Florida registration #: CH20094. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND
FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE FLORIDA DIVISION OF CONSUMER
SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE.
REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.
Copyright 2005-2013, US Peace Memorial
Foundation, Inc.