Men As Peacemakers

Alternatives Training

A high-quality training program that exposes cultural values around violence and builds leaders for violence prevention. These leaders will then take what they learn in Alternatives and apply it in their community.

We do this by

• Identifying and exploring the barriers that prevent people from acting to stop violence.
• Building up within the participants the commitment to act.
• Teaching practical intervention strategies for acting confidently when faced with situations of harassment or violence.
• Practicing those strategies in realistic scenarios.

Allow your students to be part of the larger vision:

• To transform high school and college age men and women from bystanders into peacemaking leaders.
• To equip leaders with the skills to act when they see violence or actions that are hurtful or could lead to violence.
• To develop a shared meaning of the roles of men and women in preventing violence.

Why?

• Young men and women are faced with a pop-culture that promotes violence and harassment as acceptable ways to deal with problems.
• Because young adults need non-violent personal strategies that will influence their behaviors in response to problems.
• Problems that occur in a culture in which it is deemed acceptable, and at times preferable to use violence as a means to achieve goals.

The statistics we hope to change

• Men commit the overwhelming majority of all violent acts-85% of murders, 90% of violent assaults, 95% of child sexual abuse, and 98% of rapes.
• Men are also the victims of a majority of the most violent crimes committed. For example, men and boys were the victims in 75% of all murders committed in 1999.
• One in six college age women reported being the victim of rape or attempted rape in the preceding year.
• These statistics illustrate the importance of violence prevention to both men and women.

Long-term change

• By providing our youth with skills they can use to challenge current cultural values regarding violence and sexuality they can shape their own future into one that promotes the ideals of peace, mutual respect, rational resolution of conflict and many other positive ideals that will flourish from the Alternatives Program experience.
• If we can teach our youth early that there are ways to relate to others in a non-violent and respectful way they will begin their adult social life with concepts that will aid them in choosing how to deal with whatever life may throw at them.
• Our program is perfectly suited for: Classes (Middle School through College), Sport's Teams, Staff, and Church Youth Groups.