Violence Advocacy Network
In 1996, the
Institute for Peace and Justice’s Parenting for Peace and Justice Network (PPJN)
and the PPJN Advisory Board convened a gathering of US and Canadian leaders to
explore how to respond to the escalating violence in families, communities, and
our world. From this gathering emerged the Families Against Violence
Advocacy Network (FAVAN) and the Pledge of Nonviolence as the primary tool
for educating and organizing families and communities to challenge violence at
all levels and to live more nonviolently. FAVAN is a broadly based network of
organizations, families and individuals committed to violence prevention and the
promotion of alternatives to violence in our families, schools, faith
communities, youth groups, colleges, workplaces and prisons. Among the
programs that have emerged from this FAVAN program are the
Teens Acting for
Peace (TAP) Program teaching youth to live and teach the Pledge of
Nonviolence with younger students.
Manifesto states that we come together "to express a moral voice, a voice of outrage, that
calls all families and our whole culture to reject violence and violent
'solutions' to problems. We will break the cycle of violence by creating a
circle of families who can be strong and bold because we stand together. We say
'NO!' to violence in our homes and 'YES!' to countering violence and promoting
alternatives to violence in our communities and world."
Our goal was to involve
1,000,000 families and 10,000 classes/schools, each a circle of peace committed
to the “Five Steps to Break the Cycle of Violence:”
the Family Pledge or School Pledge of Nonviolence.
Supporting one another in living out the Pledge.
Spreading the Pledge in the community.
Collaborating locally to challenge the violence of poverty, racism, and war,
domestic violence, media violence, hate violence, school violence, and gun
Participating in national advocacy efforts to counter these forms of violence.
At the beginning of the United
Nations Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Sake of the
Children of the World (2000-2010), we were about 30% of the way to that
numerical goal and we hope to surpass it by the end of the Decade.
Family Pledge of Nonviolence continues to be an important framework for family
peacemaking efforts in the US and internationally. Our leaders in Nigeria
translated the Pledge in 3 native Nigerian languages. Collaborating groups
in the Philippines (Christian Parenting for Peace and Justice) and South Korea
(People Creating Circles of Peace with Justice) have been particularly active in
promoting the Pledge among families in these countries.
The Pledge of
Nonviolence has been the centerpiece of the FAVAN program. Formulated
originally as a “Family Pledge,” the Pledge has been adapted as a Preschool
Pledge, a Kids Pledge, a Classroom and School Pledge, a Youth and Youth Group
Pledge, a Campus Pledge, a Parish and Congregation Pledge, a Workplace Pledge,
and a Prison Pledge. The Family Pledge has been translated into 14 languages,
while the School and Youth Group Pledges have been translated into Spanish.
Check it out!
Resources for Supporting the Pledge
Books and booklets for
families, kits for schools and faith communities, advocacy packets for
individuals and organizations, and workbooks for children and youth have been
developed to help individuals, families, and groups put the Pledge into
Check out our Catalogue for descriptions
and ordering information for these resources.
“Five Steps to Break the Cycle
Implement these five strategies
Kathy and Jim McGinnis and
other leaders do a variety of workshops and retreats on implementing the Pledge
of Nonviolence: for families; students and faculties in elementary, middle, and
secondary schools; colleges, workplaces, community leaders and organizations;
and faith communities, including Catholic religious communities.
Check out our
workshops on the following topics:
Parenting for Peace and Justice
Educating for Peace and Justice (including
Francis the Clown presentations and Peace Camp programs)
Teens Acting for Peace
Community Organizations & Other Constituencies
Networking and Partner Organizations
for Nonviolence 64 Ways in 64 Days
and go to “Networking and Partner Organizations”