a beloved community free from the cycle of violence that is the vision for a live community outreach, a Fort Wayne based organization rooted in faith and in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. S philosophy of nonviolence.

A lot of community outreach has cultivated our community through relationships and education and that work includes a new peacemaker academy at Southside High School this year and we're going to learn more about that agency and the academy on today's prime time.

>> Good evening, Ebers Haynes and with us is Reverend Angelo Montay, the executive director for a live community outreach Angelos of Fort Wayne, native and ordained minister in the United Methodist Church.

He earned his master of divinity from Emory University a bachelor of Arts and pastoral ministries and biblical studies from Taylor University and a graduate certificate nonprofit management and social enterprise from Georgia State University and also holds a level two certification in Kingi in nonviolence, conflict, reconciliation and has completed Level one four strategies for trauma awareness and resilience from Eastern Mennonite University.

As you listen to this, you know where our conversations going tonight and with Angela as his wife Maria Montay who is program coordinator with a live community outreach Mary is an educator 15 years of experience working with inner city youth.

She holds a master of education and a bachelor of science and criminology Justice trained in Kingi in nonviolent conflict resolution and also with us Davian Stokes, a student at Southside High School in Fort Wayne .

Davian is also a member of the first class of Peace maker Academy held earlier this year.

>> Welcome to you all.

I think that was the entire show pretty much right there in the open.

I didn't really know it was going to go but great to have you all here.

>> It's great to be here can be here.

The organization is indeed called a live community outreach Angela and being alive in what we talk about the agency.

>> Well, Murray and I moved back to Fort Wayne in the aftermath of my cousin's murder .

That was the catalyst for our move back and we we started to meet a whole lot of families who'd been affected by violence and as we were connecting with families and helping to connect them with different resources and figuring out OK, we know that we're called here, what exactly are we called to do?

>> And this vision for our lives started to take shape in the verse that came to mind where I'm a pastor where faith based organization this verse John Tenten kept coming to mind the thief comes to steal, kill and destroy but I have come that they might have life and have it to the fool or have it in abundance.

And so as we we're meeting so many families in the community it was clear that this thief of violence is killing and stealing and destroying so much from our families my own family included and our community as a whole.

And yet this this promise in scripture still stands that its promise of life, abundant life of what is abundant life look like for those who lost so much.

>> That's something I still struggle with but that promise is there and so we want to live into that and claim that for our for our families, for our community this is really where what's been learned in the classroom now has to play out in community.

And I would imagine from a program coordination standpoint with your work and and then you in for example in Southside with the Peacemaker Academy, we're talking about a nonviolent way to break up the cycle of violence that's been going on.

You note that on your on your website.

How do you translate nonviolence into an approach like this, Murray that tries to address the kinds of concerns that appear in bar graphs about the number of of shootings and homicides and such in a given year?

>> Right.

So really our big inspiration came from what is happening in a school in Chicago.

It's called North Lawndale High School and they adopted the philosophy of nonviolence and it was became the culture of the school and within 10 years they've reduced the violence 90 percent from what they were seeing and really studying how they did that gave us give us the inspiration to try it here in Fort Wayne knowing that, you know, violence is everywhere you go and yeah, we we just really were inspired and seeing that take shape there in North Lawndale, that culture of nonviolence that Dr. Martin Luther King is inspires us every day with when you are done celebrating you now have the implementing and what was it like to then put the pieces together for the Peacemaker Academy?

>> Well, so we we went through the three weeks and that in the summer but the academy culminated with this project or a plan to implement something and we're giving the students the tools but it was up to them to figure out OK, what do we want to do with this in our school?

And we're very much very early on in that process right now figuring out what does this look like and this isn't something that we have to try to transform anything.

You know, this year as Mary said at this school in Chicago, North Lawndale, it's been a process they made a lot of a lot of headway just a few years but it really has taken a long time and so we're figuring that out and living into OK, what does this what does it look like to do to do things differently to to approach conflict differently and to spread this message of nonviolence peace in a school where Dr. King talked about this idea of institutionalizing nonviolence, that's the language that we use.

How do we institutionalize not have this just be a program that a cohort of kids of students go through?

How can we take this and really build a culture and create a culture?

Not us doing it but but the students really leading the way with us equipping them and giving them some tools along the way.

>> And it's got to be interesting.

They've got to be thinking, all right, we're in the inaugural class.

There's no one around that we can model this on.

>> We are the ones stepping out doing this for the first time.

What was that like?

Well, it was it was breathtaking honestly because me being called to do something like this is it's just surprising because I never would have thought I'd be here or learning anything like that because before then it was just oh, you got to use your hands but I never knew that there was another way things could be resolved really or that nonviolence was an effective way to get it to stop faster because you can't fight fire with fire.

And I learned that the easy way things to them.

>> So I understand you have a story and I would love for you to share it about apparently a way of diffusing a potential altercation with another student in school.

>> Tell us more.

OK, so me and my good friend now because the reconciliation that we did after the fact brought us closer together and now we speak almost every single day.

He's one of my great friends to this day but so it went you know it was who knows what the argument was really about but um it just got to a point where it didn't have to get all because of some silly little thing and so he he you know, was ready to fight it out and I was just and I was ready to at one point but then me learning this that day I was like I thought about it.

I was like man this guy like jeopardized us both with opportunities that we could come with.

So me I told him, you know, we can't do that God be peaceful and he was still kind of mad after the fact and I was definitely still mad after the fact.

But me learning that that that was a good way to diffuse that and that you know, it changed him too.

>> He's one of the friendliest guys I know.

But before then he was you know, he was, you know, kind of intimidating.

I mean now he's one of my great friends, one of the sweetest people that I know to this day.

So it almost answers this question.

>> But as you're listening to this again, what does it mean for you about the importance of learning how to live nonviolently and why it's important to be practicing and sharing these techniques as well to start with you.

>> So I mean we talk we talk a lot about the philosophy of nonviolence and there there's a rich philosophy that is a legacy and history and that we teach but it's a methodology and it's a practice ultimately it's a way of life.

And so when I hear him talk and I'm remembering that situation, that was the moment in the academy for me that affirmed that this is this is so much more than theory in this proves it right here here we have two two guys who are who are heated who are ready to go at it but we're able to call them together to do what we call a peace circle and to talk things out and to reach an understanding to be able to both say OK, this this is how I felt when this happened because they were they were they were hurt and there was a lot of different emotions involved that exchange.

But being able to talk through it and then to to see them in the gym afterwards playing basketball and to be great friends today saying like this is possible.

Right.

This is not just a theory.

This is just not us being naive .

This is possible but we have to acquit.

We have to teach and not just in in a cognitive type of way but we have to show the show the way because it is a way of life.

>> It is a practice and something I'll add to that is what we're really careful in and explained his students that we have in the academy this this past summer is conflict is not a negative or positive.

It's neutral.

There will be conflict in every relationship that you experience but it's your response to the conflict.

>> It's it's not running away from it.

It's not turning away pretending like it's not there.

It's it's going right back towards the conflict but in a way where you both love one another have respect for each other and now we're going to work out a compromise.

We're going to talk about our feelings and how that made us feel when that person did whatever it was that caused the conflict and it's and it's saying OK, what do we do from here?

How do we move forward with that mutual respect?

And so that was really a lot of what Davian was explaining.

We worked through that with that with that peace circle time with him and the other student and they walked away really being the closest friends the rest of the academy .

We have some pictures that we'll share as we go into this next because as as the academy was moving forward, talk about the elements in it.

You mentioned peace circle.

>> Why don't we start there?

This is something that I guess the group would do in the morning right?

Yeah.

So every morning began with a chance to check in with each other.

How are you doing today?

How are you feeling?

And we set up a circle and we pass around a talking so everyone respected that when it was their turn to speak nobody was going to interrupt them.

They would have a chance to speak and then it would be the next person's turn and it was just a chance to really actually dove deep with experiences that we've had with violence in our life .

But but to hear one another and to to make that it ended up being what most of them said was their favorite part of the academy.

A lot of vulnerability happening in that space.

But then, you know, the we we taught the principles of nonviolence, the the types and levels of conflict we we worked with and you guys can fill in here because there was a lot in that three weeks that we taught and learned well in the first week we were focused we went through our curriculum so we have a curriculum in nonviolence, conflict, reconciliation that we go through that first week and then the second week we had and we had speakers a lot of different speakers that came in throughout the three weeks.

But the second week we started to look at root causes of violence and we were looking at at Fort Wayne as a whole but also South Side High School and starting to analyze OK, well what are some of the strengths and weaknesses of South Side High School?

You know, what is your ideal South Side look like if you could start something that would have this effect, what would you want that to look like?

You know, ten years from now and then the third week they started to nail down some specific ideas of some things that they might that they might want to do.

>> Yeah, David and I understand the group formed a peace committee.

Tell me about the well the peace committee is how you know, we did the things in the summertime and we're basically trying to bring that with not just eight or twelve people but we're trying to bring it into the school to cut down the violence within our school because it cut down the violence within the program and there wasn't much but you know, are people in the room some people are going to get upset but it cut down violence in there.

So I'm pretty sure that it can cut down the violence in the school over time.

Sure.

And it should be noted that South Side was the school chosen for this but it could have been any school could have been any school.

>> Yeah, South Side doesn't have a a worse problem, you know, with violence than any other school.

It happened really organically.

We had a relationship with city life which actually we met Damien through city life with our Youth for Christ facility.

>> Yeah.

And so that's actually where the academy was held to so and it was more than just a space they really were just awesome hosts in every way.

But I'm sorry I lost track of oh no that's all right because we were looking at the the peace committee and looking at also how this whole South Side program.

>> Yeah right OK. Yeah so so that we had a relationship with city life and knew some South Side students already through city life but then also there is this reality of a concentration of of violence and on the south side of Fort Wayne, the south side of Fort Wayne and so there is a high concentration of students at South Side who are affected by violence and we believe that they that those who have been affected most deeply are the key ultimately to to come up with solutions.

>> They're going to be the ones leading the way.

And I'm recognizing too that in all of this as each person involved in the academy learns and plays out what is being taught, it's it's it's cognitive, it's practical, it's replicable and so on.

A student student basis but then on a school by school basis and you start to see the ripple effect in fact, we have an offline question for you all is this program this is bais asking is this program exclusively for high school students or community wide based himself has experienced anger issues with others and he would like to participate in an outreach like this.

>> What's your what's your response to this this particular program is for high school students but where we're young in our as an organization and when we're we're young and we're open having conversations, I would say I think our number is going to be listed or already is.

So give us a call.

I'd be glad to personally talk with you and if we don't have something currently right now we can figure something out or try to help to point you in the right direction.

>> What were some of the takeaways that you were seeing, Davian, for yourself and perhaps for you for your classmates and classmates?

What what were they taking away from the academy?

>> Well, they took away how to handle their problems another way.

And one big thing that I took away was the first principal of King and nonviolence is nonviolence as a way of life for courageous people.

And I remember because my uncle he usually has me like write papers on other people in like the past and stuff and and a lot with black history.

But I learned that like Dr. Martin Luther King, he fought to use nonviolence to narrow the situation down with segregation and I learned that there was a person before him, Mahatma Gandhi he was very big on nonviolence as well and there were lots of groups telling him like you got to fight back, you got to fight back and he was he no, we're not going to do that.

We can't do that because if they were to fight fire with fire, things probably wouldn't have been the way things are today.

>> I learned that I took that away so much that has been shared by students within each other some I had an opportunity to share it in front of a camera.

This video we're about to see put together by one of the students in the Peacemaker Academy shout out to Olivia Soto did an awesome job, took her what two days to make this video together.

>> So yeah.

And she finally did it all herself.

>> She's let's take a look take a look.

>> How do I feel about this academy?

I feel like this is a great learning process that everyone around my age should go through.

>> It was delightful a lot people here are good people and so I'm surrounded by a lot of people that actually are ready and willing to make change and that's why I'm happy to be here.

>> And how has it impacted my life ?

In fact today?

>> Well, like I learned how to meditate and how to solve problems more peacefully.

I feel very full of like a bunch of knowledge.

>> I don't know how to solve conflict on my own.

So learning about nonviolence and how to like resolve conflict in a healthy way has really helped my relationships and just my overall mental health .

>> I used to be violent, very violent.

I used to want to put my hands on people and they say something.

>> But ever since I joined the academy I started learning about nonviolence, nonviolence as a way of life for courageous people.

If you can be nonviolent in a violent situation that makes you really strong brave person like when you think of nonviolence you think like someone's yelling in your face and you just have to sit there.

>> You know someone's picking on you and you just have to ignore it.

Nonviolence is not just letting somebody run over you.

>> It's more so not reacting physically but you know, still attacking mentally when detectors and the police came in talking about snitches.

It's not a bad thing to tell the truth.

>> I go throughout my day thinking of different ways I could handle situations no more of the yelling and arguing.

>> Just talk it out.

>> I don't want to be labeled as a ghetto school anymore.

I'm tired of the South by Southwest and seeing that my hopes are we will have a beloved community south side just everybody coming together and just learning how to work with each other and just create more peace throughout the school.

I also future society is just a peaceful community.

I think the teachers and the students can help build that by just communicating.

I feel like communication is something that we let just hear students out more and helping them out of a situation that they need help and instead of trying to be the top tier Fellag if they helped teach peace and help move around the word a lot of students can actually help try to understand where we come.

>> You know, soon as our kids or not kids teenagers communicate better and respect one another.

I feel it's a big thing like respect if we're going to commit to practicing nonviolence and trying to make it better, we have to stick to the plan.

I hope that we continue this peaceful nonviolence movement.

I do believe other schools can have a peacemaker accountable.

It will take time for sure.

We're talking with Angela Montay, his wife Maremont and Davian Stokes who are here representing a live community outreach and one of the ways in which that organization has impact throughout Fort Wayne that's through Peacemaker Academy, a new outreach its own that began this summer or earlier this year.

>> It is but one of the ways in which to try to get connection.

>> You talk about a mission that's built on relationships and education and victim care is another part of it because when homicides occur it's not just the victim and the shooter.

There is another kind of connective tissue that's on it.

Yeah, yeah.

And you know, I we've learned so much about the ripple effects of each homicide in the community.

How many people are are affected, how many people are deeply affected.

And so that's actually where we started with OK, how do we come come alongside families?

And so we started to develop support groups.

So we have we currently have two support groups.

We have a support group for families who've been families of victims.

But now we also have another support group for those families who have loved ones who are incarcerated.

That's something we don't think about when we talk about violence.

We don't we don't think about the other side sometimes who who are very much affected by violence and so shout out to Cynthia Gardner who's on our team now.

She's our family support coordinator and our intern Natasha Jones Green who's working with us to doing a lot of the work with with families and so connecting them to resources.

So we have the support groups but also connecing them to resources in the community doing things for for Christmas for kids in the community who've been affected by by violence.

We're working on doing some things for Thanksgiving.

We had a day of remembrance service back in September September.

Twenty fifth is a national day of remembrance for murder victims.

And so that's that's the other half of of our work and it was, you know, peacemaker.

One of the things that inspired us to to look at doing something like Peacemaker Academy was that we were working with all of these families and ultimately we all want a community in which there are less families to care for in that way in the first place.

And so that's where programs like Peacemaker Academy that's really looking at equipping the next generation with the skills to not just promote peace and nonviolence in their school but Damien's going to graduate, you know, and all the kids that are going through this program, they're going to graduate and we're looking to them to really lead the way forward and to attack some of these root issues in our community as a whole.

>> So Murray and very quickly, Dave Dave, you're all encouraged by twenty twenty one and feeling empowered to take another step ahead in twenty twenty two and beyond.

>> Right.

Yes, I'm just this is circle back around to your question about the community.

I feel like we have a momentum starting there at South Side where the peace committee only a couple of meetings in but it's really the beginning of the mechanism in place there at South Side to do some really amazing things for the community and the principal has been awesome and the principal Swinford and his his team has just been wide open to whatever it is that the students want to start there.

>> That's trouble.

Davian we're running out of time.

>> Thank you for your sharing of your story and your inspiration for all of us with this and continued success as you wrap up your senior year.

Thank you.

Thank you all very much.

>> Davian Stokes, student at Southside Maremont.

Angela, there's the contact information.

>> I'm Bruce Haines.

This has been prime time.

Take care.

We'll see you again next week.

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