It is difficult beginning.  It’s daunting not knowing if effort is to be effective.  I am not sure if I’m capable of encouraging real change, but I am sure it is needed and am dedicated to trying.

This web site is being designed with educators, parents and children in mind.  It was created to help educators encourage children and aid parents in the development of peaceful resolution of conflict.  Other web sites offer resources to teachers including lesson plans that help develop nonviolent communication between children.  We hope to offer a distinctive service to educators who want to infuse anti-bias and social justice into their curriculum.  We hope to offer parents a forum to discuss their anti-bullying concerns while finding resources that they can use at home to lessen the impact of this very destructive behavior.  We believe that if we begin with the kids, adults will first develop an “do not resort to violence” approach and then discuss nonviolent options afterwards.

Let us begin with the kids.  As an educator with more than 16 years of experience in middle and high schools in south central New York I have had ample opportunity to witness the actual and nascent violence that children experience within the sanctuary of public schools.  The actual altercations have fortunately been mild exchanges of blows with “showing off” more important than destruction of face or limb.  What struck me more than the revulsion I felt breaking up the fights was the encouragement of fellow classmates and the assumption of the combatants that violence was inevitable.  Having been the second born in a family of three boys, fighting wasn’t foreign to me, but it never really seemed predestined.  If you also believe this, this web site will be valuable to you.  We hope to offer tools to prevent violence toward your students, children and friends as well as to lessen the effects of violence that is everywhere in our media.

We will be striving to give educators specific, research-based ideas to implement at their building level, as well as curriculum that illuminates through literature and activities how to engender anti-bias, anti-bullying and peace education.  We will labor to provide parents and students materials and discussion formats that truly develop a nurturing environment for peaceful resolution of conflict.  We welcome your questions, comments and suggestions.