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Students at Brandeis organized a peace forum
to discuss the most effective techniques and strategies to build peace
in their communities.
On March 24, 2007, students from Brandeis
University hosted a forum to discuss peace and violence within their
community. The event discussed issues of bullying, violence against
women, child abuse, and gang violence.
At the start of the event students watched a
segment of a film about Challenge Day, an initiative to build peace in
our schools. A panel presentation on gang violence followed the film.
Panelists included Emmet Folgert of the Dorchester Youth Collaborative,
Teny Gross of the Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence,
and two street workers. The panelists cited the effective street worker
program in the 1990s that played a major role in reduction of violence
in Boston, and they spoke of why violence has risen within the last few
years. The child abuse section of the forum featured Jetta Bernier,
Massachusetts Executive Director, Prevent Child Abuse America. The
event concluded with a presentation by Heather Latham of REACH Beyond
Domestic Violence.
Throughout the forum the presenters spoke of
the importance of empathy, understanding, and the effectiveness of
prevention and intervention initiatives to build peace.
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