Youth PROMISE Action Day - Report from DC

by Ted Nunn

Published May 09, 2009 @ 07:37PM PT

(Guest blog from the Youth PROMISE group on Facebook.)

WASHINGTON – A broad coalition of civil rights, religious and juvenile justice groups called on Congress to pass H.R. 1064, the Youth PROMISE Act, a bill that would use proven prevention and intervention strategies to curb youth violence.

This bipartisan legislation would promote local youth violence prevention strategies by establishing Promise Coordinating Councils that include a broad range of representatives from law enforcement, community organizations, schools, health, social services and mental health providers. The councils would generate comprehensive community-centered strategies to help young people live safe and healthy lives, free from gangs, delinquency and violence. Representative Robert Scott (D-VA, pictured above with activist Jessica Carla) and Michael Castle (R-DE) sponsored the Youth Prison Reduction through Opportunities, Mentoring, Intervention, Support and Education Act.

The Youth PROMISE Act, was the centerpiece of a 24-hour online and off line Youth Advocacy Day that started with an evening film screening of a movie on gang life, “Crips and Bloods: Made in America,” followed a morning forum; and ended with phone calls and emails to lawmakers as well as congressional lobby visits. During the forum, advocates received last minute inspiration from a list of speakers that included Representative Robert Scott (D-VA), Sheriff Gabe Morgan, the City of Newport News, producers of the Made in America film Cash Warren and Baron Davis, Los Angeles Councilmember Tony Cardenas and Khalid Samad of Peace in the Hood.

As part of the Youth Advocacy Day, representatives from this ideologically diverse coalition issued the following statements:

“We have to reach young people before they become involved in a cycle of violence,” said Caroline Fredrickson, Director of the ACLU Washington Legislative Office. “The Youth PROMISE Act is an ounce of prevention and intervention for communities at risk of gangs, delinquency and crime. This legislation recognizes that for young people to lead productive lives they belong in schools, not prisons."

"It is morally and fiscally responsible to do all we can as citizens, elected officials, policy makers, mentors, teachers, artists and athletes to intervene in and prevent gang violence and juvenile crime by providing options and support for the most vulnerable and at-risk youth in our communities,” said Beto "Boneco" Simas, Founder and Executive Director of ALMA Vida Foundation. “The YPA creates a unique framework that will address the specific needs of a community. This legislation is not a band-aid, it is a long term solution to a fundamental crisis in our cities. We must care for our youth, show them direction, and give them the opportunity to succeed."

“We are calling on Congress to reduce our country’s over-reliance on incarceration and prosecution of children in adult court as a response to juvenile crime and instead promote more effective approaches that will help our youth become successful and productive adults,” says Liz Ryan, President & CEO of the Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ). “The Youth Promise Act will help communities to increase positive supports for youth, reduce crime and keep our young people out of adult jails and prisons.”

“CJJ’s nationwide membership believes that we have spent an inordinate amount of public dollars on interdiction and incarceration practices that splinter families and communities and relegate young people to long prison sentences and a lifetime of barriers to education and employment, said Tara Andrews, Deputy Executive Director for Policy & Programs. "The balance of federal funding should focus on family-engaged and community-connected prevention and rehabilitation programs that have been shown to yield healthier and longer-lasting outcomes for everyone involved. That is why CJJ supports the PROMISE approach.”

“NCLR supports the Youth Promise Act as a step in the right direction for addressing the root causes of crime and violence in a manner which is least expensive and most effective,” said Cassandra Villanueva, Legislative Analyst, Criminal and Juvenile Justice Policy of the National Council of La Raza (NCLR).

“The Youth Promise Act is common-sense legislation based on research about what works with youth in conflict with the law to help them become productive citizens,” said Sarah Bryer, Director of the National Juvenile Justice Network. “The Act incorporates community engagement, a youth development approach and adequate resources so that communities in need can respond effectively and appropriately to crime problems in their jurisdictions.”

“Voices for America’s Children demands new approaches to combating youth crime and violence,” said Bill Bentley, President and CEO of Voices for America’s Children. “We want to promise our children that we’ll give them the best possible start, and that’s why we support the Youth PROMISE Act.”

"The Youth PROMISE Act provides an effective approach to addressing the complex issues of youth crime and violence,” said Joseph Mettimano, Vice President of Advocacy of World Vision. “Supporting vulnerable youth with programs designed to reduce the risk of delinquency will help steer them away from a life of crime and toward a productive future."

To add your own voice in support of H.R. 1064 - the Youth PROMISE act - go to Change.org to learn more about the legislation and send letters to your Representative and Senators.

Nonviolent Americans... Unite!

by Ted Nunn

Published May 06, 2009 @ 03:17PM PT

If you consider yourself to be a Nonviolent American, I hope you will join me in helping create a welcoming and supportive environment for Recovering Violent Americans. They are going to need all the support we can offer as they make their way through this tremendous shift that will be required. One way to support their journey is to lobby Congress to pass legislation that will provide research and funding to develop and distribute tools to help Recovering Violent Americans. Two such pieces of legislation in the current Congress are H.R. 808 - the Department of Peace act - and H.R. 1064 - the Youth PROMISE act. Please contact your Representatives and Senators and ask them to support these and any other pieces of legislation that will help reduce violence.

To quote Bob Marley:

"Get up! Stand up! Stand up for your rights!"

("Thanks for sharing, Ted!")

First-ever U.S. National Peace Academy Launched

by Ted Nunn

Published April 27, 2009 @ 04:37PM PT

CLEVELAND, OH – After decades of discussion, years of planning, and months of coordination and collaboration among hundreds of local, national, and international experts and organizations focused on the inter-related issues of peace and non-violence, plans have been formalized to establish the United States’ first National Peace Academy.

The announcement was made following a three-day summit at Case Western Reserve University, attended by more than 170 scholars, academicians, business representatives, government officials, researchers, and community leaders from around the nation and from 10 other countries.

The participants represented a broad spectrum of experts and practitioners, ranging from community-based and faith-based conflict resolution organizations to international authorities on human rights and peace initiatives under the auspices of the United Nations. Areas of specialized interest and practice ranged from domestic violence and spousal abuse to more global humanitarian issues, such as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, genocides in Darfur and Rwanda, and violence-related famines and health crises in conflict-riddled regions throughout the world.

The goal of the National Peace Academy is to support and advance a sustainable culture of peace through research, education, and real-world application. The Academy will augment and work in collaboration with the efforts of myriad existing programs and institutions, including an estimated 400 programs at universities across the U.S., aimed at enculturating concepts such as peace, social justice, and professional ethics into community-based efforts, government policies, business practices, and international diplomatic initiatives.

Dr. Shannon E. French, Director of the Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence at CWRU, praised the organizers and participants for their commitment to...

"living the principles that they espouse, whether in their own organizations or communities or through their involvement in national and international efforts to address military conflicts, political oppression, and humanitarian crises."

The National Peace Academy’s coordinating effort will continue to be centered at Case, and its organizers will work in collaboration with learning and research institutions and peacebuilding field workers across the U.S. and worldwide. The Academy hopes to be a clearinghouse and resource center; a training institute for educators, government agencies, and community groups; and, potentially, a full-blown academic program offering undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Dr. Dorothy (Dot) Maver, Co-Director of the academy and one of the principal organizers of last week’s summit, pointed out that the practical applications of the National Peace Academy’s mission go beyond non-violence and peace-building initiatives.

"They extend into the realms of global environmental stewardship, sustainable development, and human rights-based business practices. Conflict, political and cultural animosity, social injustice, and ethical malfeasance are often the central obstacles to the implementation of strategies that can make the planet more livable, the workforce more productive, and the population more secure, healthier, and more prosperous."

Representatives of the sponsoring and participating organizations will be meeting over the next few weeks to establish a timetable for the next steps leading up to the official opening of the Academy.

Funding for the NPA is part of H.R. 808 - the Department of Peace act. Please write to your elected officials letting them know about this historical development and ask them to make funding for the DOP and the NPA a top national priority!

For additional information, check out the National Peace Academy website or contact Dot Maver.

American Schools Get a D+ in Violence Prevention

by Ted Nunn

Published April 21, 2009 @ 03:09PM PT

Community Matters - an organization whose mission is to "collaborate with schools and communities to engage, equip and empower young people to become change-agents and peacemakers" - has released a 10-year Report Card on School Violence Prevention covering the period since the Columbine tragedy. In summary, the report card indicates that the traditional "outside-in" approach that school and law enforcement officials have used to reduce violence in the wake of Columbine - $10 billion spent on security guards, metal detectors, zero-tolerance punishments and the like - have done little to improve the quality of a day in the life of the average student.

Community Matters Founder Rick Phillips asserts:

"What is needed is an 'inside-out' approach that focuses on strengthening relationships and actively empowering young people to improve the school climate and change social norms."

The Report Card evaluates performance in seven different areas:

• Federal Funding - D
• Legislation and Policies - D
• On-Campus Security Measures - C-
• Prevention Programs and Curriculum - C
• Staff Involvement - C
• Youth Involvement - D
• School/Community Partnerships - D+

Federal Funding gets low marks because the amount of funding has been cut in recent years as memories of Columbine fade and other national priorities rise to the top. The report also points out that funds have been spent on the wrong things, and that accountability for results is lacking in the funding process.

Legislation of "No Child" and zero-tolerance policies have had the adverse impact of distracting from addressing the root causes of school violence. "Problem students" are shuttled away to special programs without looking for the source of the "problem". According to Phillips:

"Schools need to reach out to all students, particularly marginalized students. They must empower and equip these young people with the skills, support and opportunities to intervene effectively among their peers to reduce bullying and violence and to improve school climate."

Youth Involvement gets a low rating because students continue to be seen as part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Schools need to do a better job of engaging young people as partners in decision-making and school improvement activities.

In conclusion, the report is intended to spark a renewed conversation about school violence-prevention efforts and, more importantly, call us to action. Addressing school violence and bullying is not the responsibility of schools alone. It is a public health crisis that can only improve if all sectors of the community - students, parents, teachers, administrators, government officials, leaders of youth-serving organizations, law enforcement officials, and other community members - work together.

From the federal government perspective, the Department of Peace legislation (H.R. 808) would go a long way toward addressing the root causes of violence in schools and making sure programs that are proven to work at reducing violence get the funding they need to be effective in the most needed environments. Contact your Congressperson today and ask them to support H.R. 808.

Please also support the recommended Change.org action to ask Congressional to support the Youth PROMISE Act - H.R. 1064 and S.432 - to reduce youth violence.

Let's work to get our grades up!

Peacebuilding is Economical

by Ted Nunn

Published April 16, 2009 @ 03:00PM PT

(Guest Blog from Annette Karr, Department of Peace Activist from McPherson, Kansas)

During this current economic crisis, great effort has been directed in cutting costs both in the public and private sector. There are three areas that place a substantial drain on our nation’s budget. It occurs in the emergency room, the court room and the prison cell.

Through proactive measures dealing with the prevention of violence, we have been able to skim some of these costs, but our communities are in need of more focused intentional approaches to these challenges.

I recently represented Kansas at the national conference of The Peace Alliance, which is an organization focused on the passage of the bill H.R. 808. The bill deals with the development of a cabinet level Department of Peace.

Since 85% of the bill centers on domestic concerns, the majority of the speakers were individuals working in violence prevention programs across our country. One of the most impressive speakers was Azim Khamisa whose 20 year old son was gunned down by a 14 year old gang member in 1995. In the midst of unspeakable grief and despair, he came to the realization that there were victims on both ends of the gun. He and Plez Felix, the grandfather of the man who killed his son have developed a program where they speak to elementary and middle school students about the consequences of violence, and as the two men stand next to one another, their message extends beyond the prevention of violence into the ultimate demonstration of peace.

Mr. Khamisa, along with a host of others working in the nuts and bolts process of peace provided us with information about their programs. We also heard from a sampling of those working in the international field.

The conference concluded with a morning on Capitol Hill where the participants met with over 200 members of Congress or their staff to lobby for the bill H.R. 808.

Peace is not an ethereal concept. It is a practical matter desperately needed in our society. There is a wealth of individuals and programs across the nation working to lessen the need for the emergency rooms, court rooms and prison cells. Through the umbrella of a Department of Peace, those individuals and programs could receive some funding and communication to provide their services more efficiently, thus, making the Department of Peace cost effective.

Our society recognizes the need to teach our children to read, and are willing to invest in that endeavor. It provides our citizens with an essential tool that reaches into many aspects of our society including the individual’s economic needs. Our children need to be educated in the same intentional manner in how to live in a nonviolent world.

More information can be found at www.thepeacealliance.org.

Is the Issue Guns? Or "Gun Violence"?

by Ted Nunn

Published April 12, 2009 @ 04:51PM PT

One of the many cool things about Nonviolent Communication is the teaching about uncovering the un-met needs that lie beneath the surface of many heated arguments. What we often find is that underneath the fuss and fury is often a common objective; something both parties can agree on.

I suspect this may be the case with the long-standing argument over gun control, and that the highly charged exchanges are indicative of an inability to get to the underlying needs. For example, I'm thinking most gun control advocates would not really care how many guns are out there if they could be well assured that those guns don't represent any danger to them, their loved ones, or anyone else.

On the same hand, gun owners (the legal ones, anyway) are never going to argue that they have the right to harm someone for no good reason. I think that both parties can agree that we all have mutual concern for the safety of the people we care about, and the real issue is gun violence. Maybe if we shift the discussion to "gun violence reduction" we can all start pulling on the same end of the rope.

Now, I'm not going to add to the speculation about what the Framers had in mind when they crafted the second amendment. What they may have meant by "militia" or "arms". However, I think it's safe to say they had no concept of the lethal nature of today's firearms. And it would be a real stretch to say that today's network of gun owners in America looks anything like a "well regulated militia."

So, with all the controversy around the issue, I propose we drop the historical debate and figure out what we need to do to make things work under the reality that is today. What's it going to take to satisfy the needs of all sides of the debate? If non-gun owners can be assured that there will be no violence from guns, then gun owners can have their guns and not have to keep worrying that they will be taken away. What would that look like?

For starters, we need to acknowledge the true cost of gun ownership in the country, and make sure gun owners foot their share of the bill. Car owners have to have insurance to pay for the dangers of driving. Why shouldn't gun owners have to carry insurance in case their guns are used for violence? Drivers also take driving lessons and pass a safety test before they are given a license. And they have to retake the test every few years. Why shouldn't we expect the same thing from gun owners? Car owners have to renew their registration every couple of years. Why not the same thing for gun owners? That way we can be assured that we can trace gun ownership, just like cars. Yes, some guns will be stolen, just like some cars. But at least we'll have a good handle on which guns are missing and in danger of being in the wrong hands.

And take cigarettes (...Please!). Cigarettes have hefty sales taxes levied in recognition of the cost to society of dealing with the adverse health impact and to discourage smoking. Why not tax guns and ammunition sales to the level that pays for the extra police forces, medical attention and other costs of gun violence? If we accept that gun ownership is a right, let's make sure that the people who choose to own guns pay for the cost to society of exercising that right.

There's also technology to capture and track the "DNA" signature of guns and bullets. If gun owners truly have no intention of using their firearms for violence, then they should not be reluctant to submit to these controls. The only time it would be a problem for them is if they shoot somebody.

But none of these taxes and regulations really do anything to directly reduce gun violence. I'd like to see things like mandatory anger management or nonviolent conflict resolution classes required before someone can hold a gun. Prove to me that you have the skills to resolve your differences without resorting to violence, and I will feel OK about you having a gun.

Obviously, there is a lot of room for creativity here - something the proposed Department of Peace or a Blue Ribbon Task Force would facilitate. We just need to get past the sloganeering and grandstanding on all sides of the issue and figure out how to make it work for everyone. The sooner, the better.

Maine Department of Peace Activists visit Capitol Hill

by Ted Nunn

Published April 08, 2009 @ 03:52PM PT

(Guest blog from Lynn Ellis, Maine DOP Campaign.)

On Monday, March 23 eight of us from Maine (including 4 students from University of Maine Farmington) visited our members of Congress on Capital Hill, joining others from across the country as part of the 2009 national conference for a Department of Peace. Sponsored by The Peace Alliance, 500 of us (40 states, 10 countries and 150 youth from middle, high schools and colleges of the Student Peace Alliance) joined together for the weekend of March 20-23 to hear from renowned speakers such as Challenge Day founders Yvonne & Rich Dutra-St.John, Riane Eisler, Ocean Robbins, Rita Marie Johnson of Costa Rica and many others. We heard from panelists working “on the frontlines of violence treatment and prevention” and were inspired by the courage and tenacity of these dedicated citizens.

One of the goals of the conference was to educate on the benefits and cost savings of prevention in domestic and global violence. We were also there to lobby for H.R. 808, legislation to create a cabinet level Department of Peace. Founder of the bill, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, joined us at the finale of the conference along with Congressman John Conyers and Congresswomen Eddie Bernice Johnson and Lynn Woolsey. Since the re-introduction of H.R. 808 on February 3rd, 66 co-sponsors have signed on, including Maine Congresswoman Chellie Pingree. The photo above shows us meeting with her in the D.C. office where we offered our deep appreciation for her support of H.R. 808. When we asked Rep. Pingree why she signed on, she replied,

“I joined on as a co-sponsor for the Department of Peace legislation to understand and counter the idea that we only have armed services—the Pentagon - and to find out where these two [can] meet."

We met with Senator Collins’ and Snowe’s staff and Congressman Michaud. We had a warm reception with the Senator’s offices and there was genuine interest in our campaign. Although no promises for sponsorship in the senate, dialogue is ongoing with Senator Snowe’s office. Congressman Michaud was less receptive, telling us the bill “wasn’t going anywhere” and asked us how it was different from current legislation to deal with violence issues. We explained the need for a specific department in our government as the crisis of violence continues to escalate. We stated that whatever is in place now is not working. We shared statistics including the fact that 16 youth between the ages of 10-24 are killed daily due to gang violence and that the cost of violence domestically exceeds $300 billion.

Research in the U.S. has shown that programs that teach conflict resolution and social skills can prevent youth violence. Such proven programs can be adapted to communities in the U.S. and abroad to reduce violence worldwide (Source: Institute of Medicine, Violence Prevention in low- and middle-income countries 2008).

We’ll be starting a lobbying campaign here in Maine’s District 2 asking Congressman Michaud to reconsider. Our goal is 500 calls between April 8-May 8. If you would like to be involved in that effort, see the contact information below.

The Department of Peace bill asks for $10 billion, with 85% being used to fund programs in the U.S. that work specifically on domestic violence prevention. Co-founder and Chair Emeritus of The Peace Alliance, Marianne Williamson says, “A Department of Peace would honor the entirety of a human – our emotional, psychological and spiritual issues as well as merely our material ones. And in doing so, it would address more deeply the entirety of our problems.” This campaign is more than just the passage of a bill – it is a movement toward creating a culture of peace.

For more information on the Maine Campaign for a Department of Peace, contact Lynn Ellis, State Coordinator at lellis@mainedop.org and visit our websites at http://www.mainedop.org/ and http://www.thepeacealliance.org/