ABILENE, Texas – One way to help prevent the increasing incidence of violence in society is through early prevention, such as training in conflict resolution for children and families. That’s one of the messages put forth by the keynote speaker for this year’s benefit dinner for Just People, Inc., Dr. Glen Stassen, author of numerous books on peace and justice, including Just Peacemaking: Ten Practices for Abolishing War. The benefit dinner will be held at 6:30 p.m. on April17 at the Abilene Civic Center.
Individual tickets are $50 and sponsor tables for 10 people begin at $450. Reservations should be made by March 26 by calling Just People, Inc. at 325-672-2118 or e-mailing amaddox@justpeopleabilene.org. Joey Cope, executive director of the Center for Conflict Resolution at Abilene Christian University, will serve as master of ceremonies for the benefit event.
“Research results indicate that most violent events are preceded by escalation from verbal conflict through insults and threats, and that teaching people to interrupt escalation by mediation and conflict resolution is effective and lasting if they are taught in the early grades,” wrote Stassen, who is a professor of Christian ethics at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. In addition, teaching parents and families how to deal with conflict peaceably can pay off in helping reduce violence in society as a whole, he continued. “Numerous studies have shown that violence in the home creates a pattern and expectation among children and youth that violence is an appropriate reaction to stress and an effective way to express anger. ... Family-oriented programs that offer prenatal care for expectant mothers, teach parenting skills, and offer health, social, and educational services to parents in need are a crucial first step in violence prevention.”
In addition, Stassen explains, economic deprivation can contribute to violence. “Rates of abuse--physical and sexual--are six times higher for children in families with income under $15,000 than for other children," Stassen wrote, adding that it follows that job training, assistance to the working poor, and greater justice in income distribution are effective ways to cut violence.
Just People, Inc. also believes that helping people to succeed in life can have positive results for the community, as well as for individuals. Just People, Inc. is a faith-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to equipping and empowering disadvantaged youth, the working poor and the poor who want to work to be increasingly self-supporting.
“The annual benefit dinner is key to helping fund our programs and operations for the year,” Just People, Inc. Board President Dan Stiver said. “We also think our speaker’s message applies to the work we do at Just People. He is not just a theoretician, but is very practical in the way that he applies his work to cycles of bondage and addiction that can afflict clients like ours individually, as well as society.”
One major program operated by Just People, Inc., is Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas, which is funded by the West Central Texas Workforce Development Board. Assistance is offered to low-income youth to obtain the knowledge, skills and behaviors necessary for employment, economic independence, high wage careers and life-long learning. The program serves clients in a 19-county area who face barriers to education and/or employment such as poor reading or math skills, homelessness, school drop-out, etc.