Anti Violence, Anti Bullying Youth Training Program Is Changing Lives

PRLog (Press Release) - Jan. 11, 2011 - South Bend, IN. - In 2010 On Earth Peace and the Brethren Community Ministries asked Project Impact South Bend to help pilot their Agape Satyagraha youth non-violence program in the South Bend Community.  PISB was asked because of its history of work in the inner city and many successful programs to end violence and bring about economic and spiritual transformation.  “Because the parents and older brothers and sisters of so many of the youth are already connected to Project Impact through our life skills and job readiness programs for youth, adults and ex-offenders, it is easy for us to connect with and engage those young people most in need of this training,” said James Summers, Executive Vice President of Project Impact South Bend, Inc.

The Agape Satyagraha program is a formal training of young people in the skills of using God’s love combined with the practice of non-violent methods to resolve conflicts without violence.  The name has great meaning for the program. Agape is the love of God for mankind.  Satyagraha is a blend of two words, satya (meaning "truth") and Agraha ("insistence", or "holding firmly to").  It is the term Gandhi used to evolve "passive resistance" into the strength of practicing non-violent methods.

Encouraging, equipping, and accompanying youth as they put their faith into practice as leaders in their communities, Agape-Satyagraha trains youth to resolve conflicts without violence.  The program mentors youth (ages 11-18) through five levels of skills training.  Adult volunteers coach youth individually or in small groups, using individualized techniques, allowing youth to pace themselves through each level.  

The white level teaches understanding conflict escalation.  The green level teaches anger management.  The blue level teaches de-escalating conflicts.  The brown level teaches dynamics of power in conflict.  And the black level teaches negotiation and mediation skills.  Upon completion, students can become assistant instructors of the program, helping other youth develop the same skill.

As we celebrate the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. it is important that we develop programs that teach our young people constructive alternatives to violence.
“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation.  The foundation of such a method is love." (M. L. King, December 22, 1963)

About Project Impact South Bend, Inc.  
Established in 2006, Project Impact South Bend provides training, counseling and education services to assist at risk families. Through its services, the organization provides intervention, parenting education, skills acquisition, and job training with the goal of helping to improve its clients’ quality of life through increased self reliance, personal accountability and economic empowerment.  To learn more about the programs of Project Impact South Bend, Inc. please visit www.projectimpactsouthbend.org

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Established in 2006 Project Impact South Bend provides life skills and job readiness training, counseling and education services to assist low income innercity families.