stories@DaytonCitiesOfPeace.org
A little sample of what's really happening in this Region....
Letter from a School Teacher....
Thank you for speaking at our streetpeace retreat this past weekend, and sharing Dayton’s history as a place of difficult negotiation, mediation and the hard work of peace-making. Thank you for bringing to life for our students the transformative work that occurred throughout the Dayton Peace Accord process, and other current peace initiatives that are thriving in our local community.
As Dayton struggles to re-imagine its future, I believe that the work you are doing is critical for our next generation of visionaries: the Dayton Public School students, themselves.
As a generation whose view of the world is largely informed by drama- addicted media, it was refreshing to see these students rethinking where they live. Throughout your presentation, you captured their imagination, and helped them to confront the biases they hold towards their own city. Most importantly, you confronted an underlying despair in them, by challenging them to see themselves as part of a place with a sturdy track record of hope.
Please continue to reach out to Dayton students with your work. It is imperative that we bring good things to bear on their collective memory. All Good Things To You,
Julie Mcglaun
Dayton Public Schools
Ruskin PK-8
7th/8th Grade Teacher
Director of Streetpeace
Letter from A Resident....
"I live in Five Oaks in Dayton. I received info re Dayton Cities of Peace and am very touched. I am grateful also.
"As I read the information I began to feel anxious. What am I doing to promote peace? What more can I do? I began to think I would have to add more involvement in meetings, etc. I started to become quickly overwhelmed. But then it hit me. My work is daily.
"I have worked to make some changes over the past few years, months, and more recently, the past few weeks and days, in my involvement in my own neighborhood. I am working on my own inner perspective -- working to change it.
"My neighborhood has been shifting and changing slowly over the years. But now it is ("all of a sudden" it seems) different; different from when I first moved in in 1982 as a single mom with two sons to raise.
"It has taken ME time to become a better neighbor, to realize that I might put more time into it than I had in the past. I had been so absorbed in my own trials as a single mom that I stayed uninvolved for many years.
"Many new neighbors nowadays have very different values than I do. Their cares and concerns are different from my traditional cares and concerns. It's a whole new experience, in fact.
"These folks live, literally, right next door and right across the street now. Their daily lives are very visible and audible than what I am used to and are becoming part of my daily experience.
"Interactions -- at which I thought I would fail miserably -- are becoming slowly a place for me to be compassionate, practice thoughtfulness, move gently and act with consideration for their cares and concerns -- all in the face of my past prejudices and selfish behavior. So it is quite an inner struggle for me.
"I am slowly -- and I find myself cautious about all this -- recognizing how fear is the basis for my prejudices. I am cognizant of my own little inner voices coaxing me to take it one interaction at a time, to speak calmly -- but firmly and with conviction -- even if it is to stop a loud obscenity spoken in the street in broad daylight. In this case, the response to my admonition -- was respectful and apologetic. This surprised me and then gave me a lot of food for thought. Maybe I need to work on that fear-factor thing? The experience gave me just a little more confidence so that I am more inclined to speak up again to curb a behavior that is impinging on my way of being in my neighborhood.
"It is such a conflict for old neighbors to feel welcoming to new neighbors who have such different ways of being in the world. This is quite an arena to look at, evaluate, assess, and then figure out just how to promote peace in what can sometimes be a very volatile and un-peaceful situation. I recognize my timidity AND my anger as well.
"I have some very good models in the neighbors who have been here for decades. There are several who interact so easily and admirably with all the residents of the block that I am gratified to watch and learn from them. I am hopeful that I can succeed as well.
"Is it a matter of reassessing my own values? How do I act peacefully and at the same time promote my own well-being, my own values -- the ones I consider useful and that I want to hold onto? Is some of that fear that my values will be trampled? Lost? Steamrolled over? Or now that I have tippy-toed cautiously into the arena of interacting with "differently oriented" neighbors do I see that this may not be the case? That I can promote values dear to me if I remain respectful and at the same time speak with confidence, not demanding but suggesting with a strong, clear voice? Hmmmmm . . . .
"So I am grateful for Dayton Cities of Peace -- and my neighbors -- for nudging me into this introspection and for the chance to communicate it to you. I hope it is helpful.
"I will move along one interaction, one conversation at a time. Once I heard that advise years ago re raising children: Raise your children one conversation at a time. That impacted me greatly.
"Each interaction, each conversation is a chance to act peacefully -- or not; a chance to influence, to model to others as well. It is up to me, I guess -- with children or with new neighbors. Thanks for your on-going work for peaceful ways in the world."
(Printed with permission)
Paula J. Vasquez
Manhattan Avenue
Other work for peace happening in Dayton and Beyond... Send your events!
calendar@DaytonCitiesOfPeace.org
• Anchored in Peace Community Event. In response to violence in our neighborhoods, churches of Northwest Dayton hosted "Anchored in Peace - Church and Community Together." Each congregation invited its neighbors to enjoy special activities, food and fellowship at participating locations. At 1:00 pm they broke from their activities to pray for peace in our homes, neighborhoods and the city.
• The Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence (CIRGV). CIRGV has made significant progress in all phases, Street Advocates, Service, Systems and Community Involvement in particular. They are thankful for community ongoing interest and support. They will provide opportunities for various levels of involvement in this community and the law enforcement model of violence prevention. (source: Informational Luncheon Tuesday, August 11, at the St. Paul Global Outreach Ministries, 2050 Germantown Street) (see attached CIRGV 1 page overview)
• "Twenty -Five things that YOU can Do" list. (25things) (source: Rebecca A. Gaytko, Program Manager, Community Initiative to Reduce Gun Violence, Special Projects Administrator, Dayton Police Department)
• "Dayton – A Place To Call Home / The Five Oaks Promise" is a group working from the perspective that Dayton’s priority problem is its 15,000 vacant dwellings. To help remedy this problem they're working toward attracting 30,000 new residents to Dayton. Currently the group is considering a plan that would offer college tuition as an incentive to those families who move to the city. This program is working in several other cities in the country including Kalamazoo, Denver, Pittsburgh, Hammond and others. Wright State University has done a feasibility study for a pilot project called the Five Oaks Promise. Contact Jule Rastikis at Mancore Real Estate.
• The Adam Project invites others who have a common agenda to join their efforts for the success of those in reentry, recovery and concerned about violence in our community. Their upcoming Town Hall Peace Initiative is no exception. Organizer Rev. Jerome McCorry is "grateful for those who have responded and are partnering with us in this venture." At the Town Hall event, to be held on January 21, 2010 at the Dayton Cultural/RTA Transit Center from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., students will be presenting poems and art work centered around the issue of peace. Selected presenters will discuss how they have gone from being a part of the problem and are now working toward a solution. There will be a panel discussion titled, "Break The Silence...Stop The Violence." For more information, call th office at (937) 864-4202.
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