Sept. 21 is International Peace Day. Did you know that the U.S. budget for peacemaking programs is only one-half of 1% of what we spend on defense, which totals more than $800 billion per year?

The Hawaii Advocacy Team of the Friends Committee on National Legislation is asking U.S. Sens. Mazie Hirono and Brian Schatz, and U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda to maintain the funding of three important ongoing programs designed to maintain, promote and keep the peace in our world.

They all come under the fiscal year 2024 State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs appropriations bill: the Complex Crises Fund ($66 million), the Reconciliation Program ($40 million) and the Atrocities Prevention Program ($25 million).

For example, the United States Agency for International Development is working in Sudan, providing humanitarian assistance and attempting to end armed conflict there. How successful will it be? There are no guarantees, but the attempt to create a more peaceful and humane world is always worth our best efforts. Funding for these three programs gives peace the better chance we all deserve.

Michele Shields

Kaneohe

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