(above) Akeem Stephenson, a graduate of PACT's LifePlan coaching program, cautions others about his past transgressions.

I recently went to a rotary event in my neighborhood. While I had heard the term before, I had no idea what they actually did. Then I came across this great story and realized they do quite a lot!

The PACT Urban Peace Program, launched by Toronto-area Rotarians Dan Cornacchia and David Lockett in 2000, brings the teenagers, their victims, and local residents together to talk about the crimes and craft restitution plans. The program is modelled on a conflict-resolution technique used in Australian Aboriginal communities.

“Violence is a learned behaviour,” Cornacchia says. “By helping children today, we can stop the cycle of violence.”

Founding members of the Rotary Club of Parkdale-High Park, Cornacchia and Lockett opened the Redwood, a shelter for abused women and children, in 1993. That work inspired them to tackle the growing problem of urban violence. PACT (Participation, Acknowledgement, Commitment, and Transformation) helps more than 500 teens a year. Along with the mediation program, it offers vocational training and life coaching for teens who have been charged under the Youth Criminal Justice Act as well as for at-risk youth, such as those living in homeless shelters.

Visit the website below to learn more about “rotary power”.

Source: Rotary.org