CONCEPT PAPER

America can be a courageous leader in a world coalition for Peace in support of those impacted by ISIS

Joseph O. Prewitt Diaz, PhD

When one looks at the world from the safety of the United States, one sees chaos, turbulence, crisis, incivility and lack of leadership. Last week the President faced the United Nations and plainly spelled out his agenda “we have to face violence with violence because they (ISIS) doesn’t understand any other way”.  He gave into the challenge of a small group, without considering the implications of heightening conflict. How many women, children, the elderly and the differently abled will be impacted by the new coalition of confrontation through bombs.

There may be another way to excerpt leadership: a coalition of peace builders. America has done this before in Europe and Asia, as well as within during the great depression and over coming the grief and fear that captured America after September 11 terrorist attacks. Many of the current international partners subscribe to the Holiest Books of their religious affiliation and acknowledge that “Blessed are the peace makers because they will be called children of God Almighty/Allah the Merciful/ Yahweh the Father of Abraham.

The problem:  How do we engage a core group of American people in a dialogue that utilizes creative problem solving to develop a world coalition that will alleviate the impact of displacement, destruction, and despair resulting in a stronger more resilient population?

Participants: Representatives from Department of Homeland Security, the military, volunteer organizations, the Red Cross, Interaction, faith based groups, and other members of the civil society that have a history of involvement during and post humanitarian crisis

Method:
1. A meeting sponsored by the U.S. Institute of Peace that focuses on: (1) the problem and the geography impacted (the Middle East is too broad, the refuges population too narrow); (2) Emergency health, public health, protection of the survivors of conflict, development of a national and regional framework; (3) Develop a protocol that will impact the affected people, the mechanics to be developed by each group, and the courageous leadership steps necessary in the immediate short term and during (while thee military intervention is taking place), and the immediate reconstruction.

2. The President of the United States on behalf of the American people commits to the recommendations of this group, actively seeks funding from Congress, and participation from other nations. Thus creating a broad coalition for peaceful response to ISIS actions.

Monitoring:

1. The President approves the plan and commits to advocacy and funding.

2. The U.S. Crisis Corps is generated and deployed to the immediate conflict areas and serve in conjunction to the UN and the International Red Cross.

3. Immediate support is visible in the impacted areas, and the concerned agencies will conduct the necessary community assessments, engagement, training, and support to the population.

4. Each group will develop its own recovery plan, and determine the physical, emotional and spiritual needs to move forward.

5. The impacted population with assistance from the U.S. Crisis Corps and other international parties, move back to their countries to fill the vacuum left by the impact of hostile actions between the warring parties.