Learning from Columbine - Anti-Violence Organization Encourages Action on the 17th Anniversary
New York, NY (PRWEB) April 18, 2016 -- April 20th is the seventeenth anniversary of the shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.
In October, 1998, Diana Wege and Elizabeth Howard founded a nonprofit organization in New Canaan, Connecticut, designed to bring conflict resolution and sensitivity training around the issues of violence to schools in Connecticut. While they initially granted meetings with those handling education in the State, their work was not taken seriously. Until Columbine. Then, they were asked to convene a conference in the State that included Senator Lieberman. They were successful in introducing conflict resolution training programs in schools across Connecticut.
There are many issues that are involved in a shooting: mental health, guns, anger, alienation, bullying, to name a few. In Wege and Howard's opinion, it is critical that we continue to increase awareness that all of us have many options to solve problems. We need to continue to reach troubled people who might choose violence as one of their options. It is our belief that if more people realize they have effective options to end their inner turmoil, they will reject violence.
In 2013, Wege founded WOVEN, a nonprofit organization that is striving to end violence across the globe within the next three decades. WOVEN is the aggregate of individuals, communities and institutions who choose peaceful resolutions to conflicted situations; supporters refuse to accept violence as an inevitable, incurable norm. The organization is neutral and works collaboratively to organize and provide the resources, support and appropriate platform to achieve the goal of peace.
To encourage everyone to do something on April 20th to strengthen a culture that rejects violence, WOVEN has made a donation of plants and tools to the Columbine Memorial in Littleton, Colorado. The leadership team of WOVEN encourages everyone to log onto its website, review the list of resources and make a contribution or a pledge to work with one or more of the organizations endorsed by WOVEN.
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About WOVEN:
We Oppose Violence Everywhere Now (WOVEN), is a nonprofit organization headquartered in New York City that aspires to end violence in our lifetime. Built on the belief that rejecting violence is not insurmountable, WOVEN is designed to serve as a platform for individuals, organizations and communities to collaborate and develop innovative ways to solve today’s issues of violence, as well as act as a vehicle for peaceful advocacy. See http://www.wovenow.org for more information.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Elizabeth Howard, (917)692-8588, Elizabeth(at)wovenow(dot)org
Emily Wexler, (646)584-7846, Emily(at)wovenow(dot)org
Emily Wexler, WOVEN (We Oppose Violence Everywhere Now), http://www.wovenow.org, +1 (646) 584-7846, [email protected]
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