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Resources compiled by Linda K. Williams lindawms@sdcoe.k12.ca.us
A ministry affiliated with the Church of the Brethren
PREVENT YOUTH VIOLENCE!---AVENUES FOR ACTION
L.O.V.E.3 our Children:
L
et's
O
vercome
V
iolence through
E
ducation,
E
mpathy, and
E
mpowerment!
A Non-Exhaustive Annotated List of Resources and Organizations
compiled Spring 2001 by Linda K. Williams (updated 08-16-01)
Concerned mother, teacher, curriculum and song writer activist
youth leader (San Diego 1st Church of the Brethren), and peace activist
See also musical compositions at www.cob-net.org/music/williams.htm
| Special Documents in Adobe PDF Format |
Reproducible Resources in English and Spanish
Recursos Reproducibles en Inglés y Español |
| Resources and Organizations |
 ANGERESOURCES: On this website (click on Tools/Resources), many valuable downloadable resources are offered to help deal constructively with anger, e.g., an Anger Pre-Test, an Anger Index, a number of Articles and Essays including Protecting Yourself From Road Rage, Time-Outs: They're Not Just For Kids, Think About TRIGGERS, Eight Types of Anger, 21 Skills For Raising Empowered Children. Numerous books and videos are listed, also, including "Raising Nonviolent Children in a Violent World," "Healing Our Anger," and "From Stalemate to Soulmate." In addition, Workshops are offered on Raising Nonviolent Children, Raising Empathetic Sons and Assertive Daughters, From Shame and Control to Healthy Masculinity; also, Men's and boys' support groups.
BANG, BANG, YOU'RE DEAD
Inspired by a real-life high school shooting tragedy, this VERY powerful,
moving drama (40 min., total) delivers a passionate testament to
nonviolence. The playwright is making the script available to all, for free
(read and follow the conditions on the website), and the play requires only
minimal props and costumes. A follow-up discussion is crucial. For example,
in San Diego County, Nonviolent Communication facilitators (see below)
re-enacted 2 of the scenes in improvised roleplays with the actors,
demonstrating how effective listening and empathy could have helped things
turn out much differently. The playwright hopes that by performing the play,
a potential violent act might be stopped before it's too late. In fact, in a
San Diego Union Tribune article written on May 25th 2000, the playwright
states, "It would have failed if the play hadn't touched the kids, but it
has. The point is when a kid commits an act of extreme violence, he hasn't
crossed one line, he has crossed a thousand lines. We need to reach the kids
as they are crossing those lines, before they reach the final one."
Mastrosimone said nine students who saw his play have contacted him in the
past year, thanking him for helping them to control violent urges.
BULLYPROOF
a program being developed by Future WAVE (Working for
Alternatives to Violence through Entertainment). WAVE is a non-profit
organization which has conducted innovative violence-prevention programs in
schools and detention centers in Albuquerque and Santa Fe to empower youth
with violence-prevention tools. From their website: "If violence is a
learned behavior---learned partly through the entertainment media-- then
alternatives to violence can also be learned best through entertainment....
Story-telling, Puppet Shows, a Teen "Rap 'N' Roll" opera , and more, help
teach a better way than violence to kids . " The programs feature ten animal
characters, spelling out the acronym BULLYPROOF: Brave Bust-out Bear,
Understanding Unicorn, Listening Lynx, Loving Lion, Yin Yang Yak, Picturing
Porpoise, Respectful Raven, Overcoming Octopus, Originating Orangutan and
Fearless Fox. WAVE is seeking partners to help develop the characters into
children's TV shows and movies.
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WEBSITE: www.bullyproof.org Arthur Kanegis, Pres., Future WAVE, Inc.
E-MAIL: future@futurewave.org, VOICEMAIL & FAX: 1-561-423-3711, Cell:
1-619-993-5500
PMB 154, PO Box 439060, San Diego, CA 92143
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CENTER FOR MEDIA LITERACY
Based in Los Angeles, CML serves as the national clearinghouse for the most
recommended books, videos and curriculum resources for media literacy
education, including the acclaimed 5-part, video-based curriculum — Beyond
Blame: Challenging Violence in the Media. A quote from their website: "The
never-ending debate about media violence has been fueled by one unanswerable
question ‘Does watching violence cause someone to become violent?’ The
reason we've gotten nowhere on this issue for 40 years is because this is
the wrong question to ask about violence in the media. The real question
should be ‘What is the long-term impact on our national psyche when millions
of children, in their formative years, grow up decade after decade bombarded
with very powerful visual and verbal messages demonstrating violence as the
preferred way to solve problems and normalizing fear and violence as 'the
way things are'?" Their “Violence in the Media” section can be reached via
www.medialit.org/Violence/indexviol.htm, and
www.medialit.org/Violence/linksviol.htm leads people to their “Links to
Other Sites and to Research on Violence on the Media and related media
education topics.”
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CONTACT: WEBSITE: www.medialit.org (also, see above), e-mail: cml@medialit.org
PHONE: (323) 931-4177, Customer service, (800) 226-9494, Ext. 10, FAX: (323) 931-4474
4727 Wilshire Boulevard, Suite 403, Los Angeles, CA 90010
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CHILDREN'S CREATIVE RESPONSE TO CONFLICT
They provide workshops, have a great newsletter full of ideas and resources,
and a wonderful peace songbook, too. A current project involves teaching
conflict resolution through children’s literature and literacy instruction.
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CONTACT: e-mail: ccrcnyack@aol.com, PHONE: (845) 353-1796
Priscilla Prutzman, Exec. Dir., Box 271, 521 N. Broadway, Nyack, NY 10960
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CHURCH OF THE BRETHREN (A "HISTORIC PEACE CHURCH")
 Brethren Witness Office
Many resources are available! David Radcliff is a dynamic speaker on many
topics related to becoming instruments of God's peace. His office has many
printed resources available, such as Newsletter, the Pledge, "When the Call
Comes" (a great flier), and the Peace Booklet. There are play scripts
available, and the 1991 Study Guide on Peacemaking is loaded with
information, Biblical references, and Recommendations for Actions for
individuals and congregations to take---all of which provide great "food for
thought."
Brethren Press
"Lessons from Littleton" is a powerful video of Lt. Col. David Grossman and
his work with in the Littleton, CO Prince of Peace Church of the Brethren
after the school shooting there. A secular version of this video will soon
be available to be used in public schools! The video is a part of the "In
our Midst Packet: Children and Violence," but can also be ordered
separately. Other resources include Peace Works and Young Peacemakers'
Project Book.
Provides workshops and educational retreats for youth and adults focusing on
conflict transformation, peacemaker formation, and peace witness; offers
Peace Baskets, containing resources, stories, and games that promote peace
and peacemaking activism for different ages, which are loaned on a monthly
basis.
Church of the Brethren Washington Office
Provides ongoing information on issues and upcoming legislation pertaining
to violence on many levels, so that we can contact our elected officials in
a timely fashion.
COOL-N0-VIOLENCE PEACE PROJECT: This is a campaign started by 12 year old Danielle Shimotakahara on the day of the Columbine massacre. Danielle started a petition that asked businesses to voluntarily remove violent video games from places where young children " hang out." She felt that violent video games that blew people and children to pieces, chopped up bodies and splattered blood on screens were a bad influence on young children and she wanted to do something to protect young children from this exposure. She spoke to city councils, church conferences, schools, medical and mental health professionals, service clubs, at the Million Mom March in Portland, Oregon, wrote letters to lawmakers, and testified at hearings both in Washington, D.C. and at the Oregon Legislature. Many businesses removed their violent video games and two cities passed Resolutions. The Global Methodist Church, representing 26 million members passed a Resolution that she submitted to them. The state of Oregon passed HJR 21 based on her efforts. Danielle, with the help of the Southwestern Oregon Medical Society Alliance will be distributing this Resolution to all mayors of all of the cities in Oregon over the next year. The resolution can be found at www.leg.state.or.us/01reg/measures/hjr1.dir/hjr0021.en.html. The American Medical Association Alliance has a number of pages that outline steps taken by the Cool-No-Violence Peace
Project to achieve success. That information can be found at www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/2714.html.
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CONTACT: WEBSITES: SEE ABOVE; Also, write to:
Cool-No-Violence Peace Project
2289 Meade Avenue
North Bend, Oregon 97459
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COYOTE YOUTH PROJECT
A member of the Coalition to Prevent Youth Violence in San Diego, the COYOTE
YOUTH PROJECT has developed alternative intervention and prevention outdoor
programs for teens in conjunction with Juvenile Court schools. The Project
is a positive and effective strategy for youth participants (especially
at-risk youth) to get "reconnected," to reach their full potential, and also
to be a positive influence to the community. When parents participate with
their teen, amazing bonding can result. The Project was designed to provide
a comprehensive method for the students to increase self-esteem, promote
their academic achievement, create a sense of stewardship for the earth, and
includes 1) Wilderness Training (which students attend with their parents),
2) Academic (EIC) Learning (in conjunction with high school teachers) and 3)
and a Community Service Action Project. Currently operating in San Diego
County only, a dream for the future is to expand the program to other
areas. The Director, who has a lot of positive energy and passion for her
work with teens, is also available for speaking engagements.
DIFFERENCE MAKERS INTERNATIONAL ...Breaking the Link Between Bullies & Bullets
Difference Makers International has an upbeat, proactive answer to verbal
violence. Founder Helice "Sparky" Bridges has taught a simple three-step
"Who I Am Makes A Difference" Blue Ribbon process since 1979 that has
transformed the lives of over 21 million children and adults and has been
translated into 12 languages. This process is reported to reduce crime and
violence, drug and alcohol abuse, child and spousal abuse, teen suicide and
the pain of kids tormented by verbal violence. A growing number of
elementary and middle schools nationwide are adopting this unique program
that is helping to put an end to an alarming trend that has already infected
the nation's high schools, that of kids tormented so badly by their peers
that their quiet suffering erupts into gunfire and death.
DISCOVERY CHANNEL'S YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION RESOURCES
This awesome and annotated list of resources provides access to websites for
the following1. Centers for Disease Control Youth Risk Behavior Trends, 2.
Diverting Children from a Life of Crime, 3. Keep Schools Safe, 4. National
Crime Prevention Council, 5. National Funding Collaborative on Violence
Prevention, 6. National School Safety Center, 7. Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention, 8. PreventViolence.org, 9. Students Against
Violence Everywhere (this last one led to www.ncsu.edu/cpsv/index.html, "Center for the Prevention of School
Violence"!)
EDUCATORS FOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
From their website: "In the wake of another schoolhouse shooting (this time
in Santee, CA), here are some suggestions about how can we talk with young
people about violent events." The article by Linda Lantieri, "When Will We
Ever Learn?," emphasizes that, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of
metal detectors." The article can be viewed on their website. ESR is
recognized for their, "prominent role in social and emotional learning,
character education, conflict resolution, violence prevention, and
intergroup relations. ESR offers comprehensive programs, curricula,
resources, and training for adults who teach children at every developmental
level, preschool through high school." Their largest project, the Resolving
Conflict Creatively Program, a comprehensive approach to creating schools
characterized by caring communities which challenge all to succeed, is being
implemented in 400 schools across the country.
FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION
A long-standing peace organization with an international scope, the FOR
offers a wonderful magazine full of examples of concrete actions, plus
numerous resources and networking possibilities. They've also been active in
promoting the Decade of Nonviolence proposed by the Nobel Peace Prize
Laureates, and ratified by the United Nations; a book of suggestions for
actions for the Decade is available. Also, check out their Peacemaker
Training Institute: Developing Youth Leadership for Peace and Justice.
The GAMES PROJECT
As their website states, "The Games Project is coordinated by a group of
Christian volunteers who care about peace, young people and computers. The
Project arises out of our concern that the majority of computer games played
by children and youth today are those which are violent and which portray
women and minorities in demeaning and stereotypical ways. We believe that
the playing of these games desensitizes young people to the violence in our
world, teaches them unhealthy ways of dealing with conflict, fosters
negative attitudes toward minorities and women, and may contribute to
aggressive behavior. We hope, that by providing a way of evaluating games
and making that information available to the public, we can discourage
violent game use and promote the use of non-violent life-affirming games."
GROSSMAN, LT. COL. DAVID
Though he used to train our nation's youth to kill (via the military), David
is now a dynamic speaker who works passionately to raise our country's
consciousness about the dangers of violence in the media, especially the
"murder simulator" games that millions of children and youth play
addictively. He has co-authored Stop Teaching our Kids to Kill and authored
the Pulitzer-nominated book, On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning
to Kill in War and Society. A request to be put on his e-mail list will
provide you with a wealth of updates about proposed legislation pertaining
to media violence that could use public support, plus numerous examples of
proof that the causal link between violence in the media and violence in our
society is even stronger than the link between tobacco and cancer. (Yes,
he's got the data to prove it!)
INTERACTIONS FOR PEACE
This non-profit corporation has empowered individuals since 1989 with the
skills needed to create non-violent school communities. Interactions for
Peace provides a seamless system of integrated programs which empower and
inspire our youth to discover the peacemaker within themselves and to serve
their community through peaceful interactions. Interactions for Peace
empowers individuals of all ages with the strategies and skills necessary to
build a strong foundation for peaceful interactions: Self-awareness and
worth; Cooperation; Communication; Conflict Resolution; Parent and Community
Connections. The Interactions for Peace Programs include: + Primary
Peacemakers (Pre-school - Gr. 2), + Peace Patrol (Gr's. 3-6), + Middle
School Mediators and also + Peer Listeners (Gr'.s 6-8), + Bully Prevention
(Gr'.s K-8).
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CONTACT: E-MAIL: steele4@home.com,
PHONE: (619) 421-5046, Eden Steele, Founder and Exec. Dir.,
1551 Malibu Point Court, Chula Vista, CA 91911
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KFMB/CHANNEL 8 (in San Diego) / "18 Ways You Can Stop the Violence"
This local TV station has been working with our Safe Schools Unit in San
Diego County; they have produced an awesome list of "18 Ways You Can Stop
the Violence" which is available on their website. Each of the 18 tips has
action suggestions for Students, for Parents, and for Schools, and there are
many ideas under each of those headings. Also, many additional resources
(some local to San Diego) and websites are offered on their website. What a
great public service!
The LION & LAMB PROJECT
The mission of this activist, national grassroots organization is "to stop
the marketing of violence to children...by helping parents, industry and
government officials recognize that violence is not child's play -- and by
galvanizing concerned adults to take action." They state, "We believe that
attitudes about violence as 'entertainment' can be changed over time. Just
as attitudes about drunk driving and smoking have changed, we believe that
Lion & Lamb can help forge a national consensus that violence is not child's
play. Just as it has become 'uncool' to pollute and to litter, we are
working to change the tolerance level for violence as a 'cool' theme for
toys and other entertainment products for children." They offer a Parent
Action Kit, parenting workshops, a newsletter, annual lists of "Dirty Dozen"
violent toys and "Top Twenty" creative nonviolent toys, a manual for
organizing Violent Toy Trade-Ins in communities across the country, and
more.
M.K. GANDHI INSTITUTE FOR NONVIOLENCE
The Institute, founded by Arun Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi's grandson) and his
wife Sunanda, was established to promote and teach the philosophy and
practice of nonviolence to help reduce the violence that consumes our
hearts, our homes, and our societies. One of the Institute's on-going
efforts which targets youth is "PeaceQuest," an annual two day youth summit
to introduce teens to Gandhi’s principles of nonviolence as the avenue to
identify and change their own violent thoughts, beliefs, behaviors and
actions. It includes experiential workshops on teen violence issues. At
"PeaceQuest," Arun Gandhi meets with hundreds of youth from throughout
America. Other Institute activities involving youth violence were found at
WWW.GANDHIINSTITUTE.ORG/prononvschool.html, and
www.discovery.com/stories/history/hateviolence/tunein.html#evil
MOTHERS AGAINST VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
This organization's website offers a free pamphlet (to be downloaded, or
free copies ordered by phone), entitled "WHAT GAMES DO YOUR CHILDREN PLAY?:
BECOME A VIDEO SMART PARENT." The pamphlet was put our by the Washington
State Department of Health, and includes tips for parents, including tips on
restricting access to games, as well as an extensive listing of other
resources. A program of MAVIA is SAVE, open to all students who want to
change attitudes and behaviors which contribute to violence. SAVE empowers
students to create their own solutions and strategies for safer schools and
communities.
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CONTACT: WEBSITE: www.mavia.org, E-MAIL: maviausa@aol.com
PHONE: 360-753-6820, 800.897.7697 / 206.323.2303 FAX: 206.323.2132
MAVIA and SAVE, 105 14th Avenue, Suite 2A, Seattle, WA 98122
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NATIONAL COALITION ON TELEVISION VIOLENCE
In addition to an article, "How communities can take action to prevent Gun
Violence" their website also offers: Community Action, Conflict Resolution,
Countermeasures, FCC / Rating System, Ideas for Action, Important Addresses,
Letters (Examples), Organizations, "Parental Guidelines," Resources, TV
Ratings, Toy Buying Guide, V-Chip Q&A. Their "Overview" section includes
well-thought-out responses to arguments such as "I grew up watching violent
stuff and I turned out OK, so what's the problem?", "Television doesn't
affect my behavior." "Television doesn't make anybody violent." For
example, the last one is answered with "Maybe not, but it does help justify
punching a wife, hitting a kid, kicking a dog -- or accepting being beaten
as 'normal.'" Great food for thought!
NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON MEDIA AND THE FAMILY
This is a national resource for teachers, parents, community leaders and
other caring adults who are interested in the influence of electronic media
on early childhood education, child development, academic performance,
culture and violence. One of the most helpful
features is KIDSCORE, an innovative content_based rating system that
evaluates video and computer games, movies and television from a
family_friendly perspective.
NATIONAL PEACE FOUNDATION
From their Year-End Report to Members (2000) CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND
VIOLENCE REDUCTION: “We continue to offer special assistance to schools
around the country which have urgent needs to begin or continue conflict
resolution programs. We are still able to offer scholarships to teachers who
want to take special courses in conflict resolution to acquire related
skills. Since 1992 we have helped many hundreds of children and youth learn
the concepts and the life skills of conflict resolution.”
NONVIOLENT COMMUNICATION (AKA "Compassionate Communication," "Giraffe
Talk")
"Compassionate Communication," Language of
the Heart , and "Giraffe Talk")
Dr. Marshall B. Rosenberg, Ph.D., founder and Director of Educational
Services, has over the past 35 years, developed a worldwide network of over
100 trainers who serve as a valuable resource for peacefully resolving
differences at the political, professional, and personal levels in 30
countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. A dynamic
process of communication which takes "I messages" light-years further!
Nonviolent Communication Offers Skills that: +Improve communication in ways
that increase goodwill and cooperation, +Set personal boundaries and
encourage self discipline, +Create a safe & supportive environments,
+Motivate compassionately, from your intrinsic desire to serve life, +Foster
democratic values, tolerance, harmony, and teamwork, +Resolve conflicts in
ways that increase trust and mutual understanding, +Evaluate performance in
ways that promote growth and learning.
ONE WORLD, OUR WORLD (tm) (1WOWTM) This School Program has been created by
returned Peace Corps Volunteers and Educators. From their website:
"Schools and families everywhere are deeply concerned with the violence
which has affected even the youngest of children... Prevention is much
preferred to post-incident intervention." The presenter states, "1WOW
school program is a 1-Day event that teaches Leadership, Tolerance and
Peace Building skills. It helps schools by amplifying the impact of your
existing programs for improving student citizenship and peace. Surveys
taken pre and post the event give evidence to program effectiveness, as
does its track record: a decade of presentations to over 150,000 students
across 25 states and at national and state teacher conferences. The 1WOW
program uses the natural curiosity and social drives of youth to a) involve
them in a multi-media assembly presentation, and then b) reason with them
classroom-by-classroom to set up a healthy understanding of relationships.
Isn't it worth two hours of student time as presented every two years to
help your students learn the skills and need for Peace?"
PARENTING FOR PEACE & JUSTICE NETWORK/ FAMILIES AGAINST VIOLENCE
ADVOCACY NETWORK/ INSTITUTE FOR PEACE & JUSTICE
This dynamic organization offers workshops, a newsletter filled with
specific ideas for positive action (plus other resources), and MANY great
books and printed resources for parents and teachers of young ones of all
ages. Their Pledge of Nonviolence (Summary: *Respect self and others,
*Communicate better, *Listen, *Forgive, *Respect Nature, *Play creatively,
*Act courageously) has been translated into many languages, and they offer
several packages of support resources for the Pledge (both secular and
religious, including Spanish!), and a Teens Acting for Peace/ Lesson Plan
Resource Book (Fall, 2001)
PAX: REAL SOLUTIONS TO GUN VIOLENCE
PAX's mission is to "bring an end to the gun violence epidemic in
America---an epidemic that kills 10 children every day. Through innovative
public health campaigns, PAX promotes practical, non-political solutions
that all Americans can embrace-- solutions that help to protect our families
and children and work immediately to save lives." They offer some wonderful
programs and resources, including a punk rock benefit compilation CD
dedicated to the vision of a society free of gun violence
(disarmingviolence.com), an A.S.K. (Asking Saves Kids) Parents' Help Kit
(can be downloaded from their website; to request a brochure, contact
below), the TELL campaign for students, and numerous links to articles and
other great related websites, including www.treas.gov/usss/ntac.htm. The ASK
campaign is based on the fact that over 40% of homes with children have a
gun, and the TELL campaign on the fact that in 3 out of every 4 mass school
shootings, the shooter tells friends about his plan.
PEACE RESOURCE CENTER OF SAN DIEGO (Please note: for those of you in
other parts of the country, you may have a local Peace Resource Center,
too; however, our PRC does make resources available to interested people
outside of San Diego.) The Children and Nonviolence Committee has produced
a number of consciousness-raising handouts (most of which are available in
both Spanish and English) which provide great "food for thought" to parents
and teachers; e.g., Values through Toys, Is Your Child's Halloween Costume
too Violent?, Turn TV Off/ Turn Fun On, Do Video Games Hurt Children?, etc.)
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CONTACT: E-MAIL: prcsandiego@igc.org
PHONE: (619) 263-9301, 3850 Westgate Place, San Diego, CA 92105
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PRO-ED, INC.
I hesitated to include this, since I didn't want to appear self-serving; they publish Caring and Capable Kids, the book and cassette I co-authored after my husband's grandmother was murdered. However, I do want to spread the good word about the multitude of resources they offer---activity-driven materials for counselors, teachers and caregivers that help children develop their social, emotional, ethical and moral skills. This company specializes in "helping you with the tough stuff" such as bullies and cliques, anger and conflict management, peer mediation/ "Peace Patrol," drug education, and other topics directly related to creating a culture of peace.
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE MEDIATION PROGRAM
(please see VICTIM-OFFENDER RECONCILIATION PROGRAM)
RIBBON OF PROMISE NATIONAL CAMPAIGN TO END SCHOOL VIOLENCE
Established the day after the school shooting in Springfield, Oregon, this
organization states: "We will unite the nation in an effort to end school
violence by acting as a resource for communication, education, planning and
action....WE BELIEVE: Together, we can end school violence. WE WILL: +
Overcome denial by admitting: "It can happen anywhere." + Overcome
confusion by affirming: "We will identify the underlying problems." +
Overcome apathy by declaring: "We will do something to help." + Overcome
fear by promising: "We will have the courage to act." + Overcome School
Violence by agreeing: "Together, we will end it." They offer a number of
avenues for action, including "By Kids 4 Kids, Parent Advocates for Safe
Schools, and an educational video. Their webpage
www.ribbonofpromise.org/research.html offers a list of 62 related
websites!
The SAN DIEGO COALITION TO PREVENT YOUTH VIOLENCE (at the Jenna Druck
Foundation)
The Coalition to Prevent Youth Violence began as a grass_roots group
of over 25 distinguished "community partners" seeking to provide an
open forum for dialogue and collaboration, working together to prevent
youth violence and promote peace. CPYV is now helping catalyze and
coordinate youth violence prevention initiatives that best insure
high_quality programs in our schools and communities. CPYV is
developing strategies that increase public awareness and the
allocation of resources to youth violence prevention. CURRENT PROJECTS
Youth violence prevention projects being developed by CPYV include1. A
Public Awareness Campaign, "Preventing Youth Violence." 2. A
"Peacemakers Village" at 10 Leadership Day, July 14, 2001, 3. The
formation of "Prevention Partnerships" 4. A "Violence Prevention
Hotline" 5. A "Violence Prevention Resource Directory." For
information or to become a "Community Partner"...
SAN DIEGO MEDIATION CENTER (SDMC)
is a private non profit that has been
helping the communities of San Diego resolve conflict for over 16 years.
They state, "We have grown substantially and have expanded our services to
include the entire County of San Diego. While we have also expanded our
services to include mediation in such diverse fields as real estate,
employment, probate, divorce, parent/teen and many others, we have always
led the way in community mediations, helping neighbors, families and
businesses co-exist and deal with the day to day conflicts which are
inevitable in the daily activities in which we all participate. Mediation
is a process where people solve conflicts with the help of a trained,
neutral mediator. For further information for a similar Center in your area,
or to arrange a mediation call San Diego Mediation Center.
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CONTACT: PHONE: Downtown (619)238-2400, Central (619)266-7223
East County (619) 593-4530, South Bay (619) 424-2333, FAX: 619-238-8041
E-MAIL: sdmc@mediate.com
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SEASON FOR NON-VIOLENCE
Gandhi and King Season for Nonviolence is an educational and media campaign
running January 30 through April 4 where programs and events are created in
communities and cities throughout the country and world, that bring
attention to the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as
demonstrated by Mahatma Gandhi and Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King,
Jr. Their website offers 64 things that we can do for peace, as well as
helping to network thousands of individuals and groups around the country.
SOUPer SAFE SCHOOLS CURRICULUM
The Chicken Soup for the Soup people are certainly doing their part to end
youth violence! Their website offers free Chicken Soup for the Preteen Soul
(Registered Trademark) Samplers, and a five-lesson curriculum to use with
the stories in the Sampler to help students and teachers to "understand five
key issues that can lead to school violence and how the students can help
prevent violence with positive thoughts and actions" The five key issues
are 1) Lack of awareness of other's need for help; self-absorption, 2) Lack
of respect and/or belittling others who are "different.", 3) Low
self-esteem; lack of positive forms of communication, 4) Peer pressure vs.
appropriate action in the face of a perceived threat, and 5) A sense of
entitlement without responsibility; apathy. Their website also leads
browsers to some other dynamite organizations, such as Center for the
Prevention of School Violence, SAVE (Students Against Violence Everywhere),
WAVE (Working Against Violence Everywhere), School Resource Officer Web
Forum, and School Violence Prevention Web Forum.
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CONTACT: WEBSITE: www.chickensoup.com/Pre-Teen/preteen_index.html (click
on the sampler request, print out the free curriculum, and get into the
other connected websites by clicking on the SAVE icon at the bottom, and
then the rectangle at the bottom which says "School Violence: Let's get it
out of our system")
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TARIQ KHAMISA FOUNDATION (TKF): This is a non-profit organization whose
mission is to stop children from killing children by breaking the
escalating cycle of youth violence and planting seeds of hope for our
children's future. TKF is dedicated to making a substantial impact in the
incident of youth violence and gang recruitment first in San Diego County,
and then across the nation. TKF was formed in 1995 in response to a tragic
incident in which 20-year-old SDSU student Tariq Khamisa was shot and
killed while delivering pizzas by a 14 year-old gang member, Tony Hicks.
Tariq's father, Azim
Khamisa understood that there were victims on both ends of the gun. As a
result, he reached out in forgiveness to Tony's grandfather and guardian,
Ples Felix. The two men became united in the face of personal tragedy. Azim
& Ples have since dedicated their lives to breaking the epidemic of youth
violence in our country. Together, they have spoken to thousands of
schoolchildren about the pain and loss they have personally experienced
because of violence, and the valuable lessons to be learned. TKF's core
program the Violence Impact Forum (VIF) is a school-based, violence
prevention education program. The Forum is a kid-friendly, in-school
assembly program that includes a high-impact video with powerful speakers
and lively student audience participation. The program focuses on the
personal story of Tony and Tariq, by which students come to fully
understand the personal devastation of violence and the lifelong
consequences of one deadly choice by Tony and the critical importance of
making peaceful choices.
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CONTACT: WEBSITE: www.tkf.org, E-mail: info@tkf.org
Phone: 858-565-0800 Fax: 858-565-0818
Executive Director, Lisa R. Grogan
7490 Opportunity Road, Suite 202, San Diego, CA 92111
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TEACHING TOLERANCE/ SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER
They offer a great magazine, free to educators which is full of practical
examples of sowing the seeds of peace in our schools. They also have many
other wonderful (free or low-cost!) publications and videos (e.g.,
"Responding to Hate at School," "10 Ways to Fight Hate: A Community
Response Guide"). Their website offers a downloadable "101 Tools for
Tolerance: Simple Ideas for Promoting Equity and Celebrating Diversity"
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CONTACT: WEBSITE: SPLCENTER.ORG, also www.teachingtolerance.org
SPLC main switchboard (334) 956-8200, Teaching Tolerance FAX: (334) 956-8484
Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36104
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THEIR BULLET, MY LIFE
Their goal is to educate youth about the effects of gun violence, gangs,
drugs, and the choices they make. THEIR BULLET, MY LIFE provides the real
life experiences of Cruz Carrasco a survivor of gun and gang violence.
Cruz was shot in the head and left quadriplegic and unable to speak. Not a
gang member, nor the intended target, Cruz was once a promising football
player, now dependent on a power wheelchair and voice out-put computer to
communicate his powerful message. In addition, the topics of school
shootings and violence, as well as solutions to conflicts and feelings of
being an outsider will be discussed, during a question, answer and comment
session. Cruz and THEIR BULLET, MY LIFE offers the benefits of Cruz’s
experience with hope and determination. Program Format: THEIR BULLET, MY
LIFE provides a realistic, multimedia and interactive hour-long experience
for 6th through 12th graders and partners with Kids on the Block of San
Diego to also offer a puppet show depicting gun and gang violence to bring
the message to 3rd through 5th graders. PLEASE NOTE: available to travel
out of the San Diego area if it is made financially possible for them to do
so.
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CONTACT: PHONE (619) 429-4830, E-MAIL: Carrasco29@aol.com
Their Bullet, My Life, 1471 5th Street, Imperial Beach, CA 91932
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TRUCE (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment)
From their website: "Dr. Diane Levin, a professor at Wheelock College, is a
founding member of TRUCE, Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s
Entertainment. She and her colleagues write an annual guide for teachers and
parents to help them in selecting toys that are educationally and
developmentally appropriate for young children. She has posted the Toy
Action Guide below [on the website]. TRUCE has also posted the revised
guide, Media Violence and Children: A Call to Action-2000-2001. TRUCE
encourages anyone who is interested to download, copy, and circulate both
guides as broadly as possible."
VICTIM-OFFENDER RECONCILIATION PROGRAM
From their Website: "Victim-Offender Mediation Programs (VOMP), also known
as Victim-Offender Reconciliation Programs (VORP) bring offenders
face-to-face with the victims of their crimes with the assistance of a
trained mediator, usually a community volunteer. Crime is personalized as
offenders learn the human consequences of their actions, and victims... have
the opportunity to speak their minds and their feelings to the one who most
ought to hear them, contributing to the healing process of the victim.
Offenders take meaningful responsibility for their actions by mediating a
restitution agreement with the victim, to restore the victims' losses, in
whatever ways that may be possible. Restitution may be monetary or symbolic;
it may consist of work for the victim, community service or anything else
that creates a sense of justice between the victim and the offender.
...Perhaps most important, after facing the victims of their crimes,
offenders commit fewer and less serious offenses than similar offenders who
are processed by the traditional juvenile or criminal justice system."
Pls. note: the San Diego VORP is now known as "Restorative Justice Mediation
Program." To find the VORP/VOMP office closest to you...
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CONTACT: WEBSITE: www.vorp.com, E-MAIL: martyprice@vorp.com
PHONE: (360) 260-1551, FAX: (360) 260-1563
VORP Information and Resource Center, 19813 N.E. 13th Street, Camas, WA 98607
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VIOLENCE IS NOT CHILD'S PLAY
A project of Christian Peacemaker Teams (a joint effort of Quakers,
Mennonites, and Brethren), this group offers a number of great resources
which can be downloaded from their website. You can also request the full
packet from the e-mail address. Examples of items offered: +Violence is
Not Child's Play: 500 Churches for Change, +Toy Store Rating Sheet,
+Step-by-Step guide to Store inspections, +Sing out against violent toys:
How to organize a public witness at your local toy store, +Organizing Step
by Step, +Sample Scenarios, +Sample Press Release, +Sample Songs,
+Sample Leaflet, ARTICLES: +What's Wrong With Toys of Violence?, +Experts
Say... , +War toys really hurt!, and +Questions and Answers About War
Toys. The last article addresses the familiar arguments/issues, "I played
with guns as a child and I grew up to be ok," "If kids don't have guns
they'll use their fingers, sticks, bananas, etc. to make guns," and "How do
I help my child deal with peer pressure to have war toys and watch violent
cartoons?"
YOUTH PEACE
A project of War Resisters League, their website offers a number of valuable
resources, e.g., + 100 Ways You Can Help Stop Violence (categories include:
Special Things Kids Can Do to Stop Violence, Ideas for Everybody Everyday,
Longterm Projects and Goals, and Brain Food for Nonviolent Thought), plus
the following articles: +Annual YouthPeace Week, + YouthPeace meets with
toy manufacturers, + Stop the Violence in Children's Lives, + Killers in
Your Toybox, + The Animal Connection.
Linda K. Williams has been an active member of the San Diego 1st Church of the Brethren since childhood and has been writing songs since 1981. Linda has written more than 100 songs, which inspire and uplift, encourage and
empower, comfort and challenge. Lyrics sheets are included with all cassettes. All lyrics---including some in Spanish, and additional religious lyrics---are available at no cost via e-mail. Lead sheets for some songs are available at no cost via fax.
For musical compositions, please see www.cob-net.org/music/williams.htm
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Cover Letter to announce this resource