National Public Policy Challenge University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Cristina Martinez, MPP 17’ America Avalos, MPP 17’ Ana Lucia Fernandez de Soto, MPP 17’ Maricarmen Medina-Mora, MPM 16’ Galia Rabchinsky, MIDP 17’ Table of contents Table of contents ................................................................................................................. 2 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................. 3 Challenge Definition ............................................................................................................ 5 Policy proposal: Peace Cluster ............................................................................................. 6 Schools of Forgiveness and Reconciliation (SFR) .................................................................... 7 Peace Facilitators .................................................................................................................... 8 More on Implementation ....................................................................................................... 9 An Innovative Approach to Break the Cycle of Violence ......... Error! Bookmark not defined. SFR and Peace Facilitators: Successful experiences ............................................................. 11 Scaling Impact ................................................................................................................... 12 Evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 13 Funding and Budget ........................................................................................................... 14 Appendix ........................................................................................................................... 16 1. District of Columbia Wards and Neighborhood Clusters .................................................. 16 2. Location of Cardozo High School ...................................................................................... 17 3. Life Course/ Social Field Concept ...................................................................................... 18 4. Cycle of Violence and Steps for Reconciliation ................................................................. 19 5. International presence of the SFR in 2016. .......................... Error! Bookmark not defined. 6. Example of an evaluation test: The Empathy Quotient (EQ) ............................................ 22 2 Executive Summary Violence arises in a society because of complex conditions such as lack of opportunities, racism, unemployment, poverty and hopelessness. Nevertheless, violence is a learned and imitated behavior. According to UNICEF, children who are exposed to violence at home and in their surroundings may have difficulty learning, limited social skills, exhibit violent, risky or delinquent behavior, or suffer from depression or severe anxiety1. These consequences will be reflected in a later stage in their lives, particularly when transitioning from youth to adulthood. Local governments throughout the United States have implemented different interventions targeting high-risk-students who, among other characteristics, show a lack of interest in their academic work, have a history of discipline problems, come from a disadvantaged socioeconomic environment or have a limited proficiency in the English language2. Starting in Fall 2016, the D.C. Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs (OLA) will be implementing a pilot program based on mentorship and after-school activities to increase the academic performance of 40 high-risk Hispanic students of the Cardozo High School in Washington D.C. However, this intervention initially did not contemplate a strategy to break with the cycle of violence these students experience, which impacts their behavior and results on low academic performance. That is the gap Peace Cluster will be able to address, through the promotion of a culture of peace based on forgiveness and reconciliation. Cluster of Violence Washington DC is divided into eight Wards, and within those Wards are neighborhoods called “Clusters”. The neighborhoods of Ward 1- Cluster 2, which include Columbia Heights (where Cardozo High School is located), Mt. Pleasant, Pleasant Plains and Park View, were reported to have had the most violent crimes3 in 2015 with 406 cases, as well as the highest number of robberies in the city, with 268 incidents as of November 2015. Violence threatens community building and affects underserved communities the most. The neighborhood of Cluster 2 is home to 23% of all Hispanics 4 living in D.C., a population that has continued to increase steadily in the District over the years and which is particularly young.5 As stated by the Latin American Youth Center (LAYC), a local NGO, high-risk Latino youth aged 16-24 years old living in D.C. are prone to be 1 “Behind Closed Doors: The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children”. UNICEF (2008). Retrieved from: 2 “At Risk http://www.unicef.org/media/files/BehindClosedDoors.pdf Student Intervention Implementation Guide”. The Education and Economic Development Coordinating Council At-Risk Committee. US Department of Education. Retrieved from: http://www2.ed.gov/rschstat/eval/sectech/pathways2careers/AtRiskStudentGuide.pdf 3 Violent crimes include homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault. The violent crime rate is the number of such crimes reported to the Metropolitan Police Department each year, divided by the population in the city, ward, or neighborhood cluster. While an important measure of public safety, the violent crime rate reflects only those crimes that are reported to the police. 4 The U.S. Census Bureau has reported that in 2010, 54,749 (9.1%) of District residents self-identified as “Hispanic or Latino.” 5 According to DC Mayor’s Office on Latino Affairs, 36.7% of Latinos are under 25. 3 homeless or in foster care, have substance abuse or mental health issues, are involved with the criminal justice system, have dropped out of school, or are unemployed; all of which undermines their ability to develop their full potential, thrive professionally and play a vital role in their neighborhoods. Promoting and Building a Culture of Peace Peace Cluster will be an essential addition to OLA’s programming. It is based on the Schools of Forgiveness and Reconciliation (SFR), a fieldwork strategy that consists in forty hours of workshops divided into twelve modules6. The SFR will be implemented by a certified facilitator that will teach young participants how to free themselves from the accumulated anger and resentment, allowing them to consciously decide to break the cycle of violence: Anger - Resentment - Revenge - Violence. Through this exercise of forgiveness, practical tools of conflict resolution will be provided to the participating students. The SFR methodology has been successfully implemented in 15 countries, including the United States (Chicago and Boston). It has received numerous recognitions and awards, such as a recognition by UNESCO in 2006 for its contribution to Education for Peace, and the Merit Civil Order by the City of Bogota for its efforts toward peace building. Peace Cluster’s Goals and Outcomes • To have a positive and lasting impact in the lives of the Latino students participating in the pilot program, by restoring their sociability and self- confidence, as well and enabling them to reflect about what they want for their future. • To fill a gap in a local government pilot program, by helping young Hispanic students to break the violence cycle focusing on the importance of forgiveness and reconciliation to thrive personally and professionally. • To retain a group of Peace Facilitators composed of students who participated in the pilot program. This group will receive appropriate training and will be able to conduct peace sessions in the future with other students, guaranteeing the sustainability of the program within the same community. • To explore new local partnerships to scale the initiative to other high schools located in the neighborhoods of Ward 1- Cluster 2 (Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Columbia Heights Education Campus and Benjamin Banneker High School). 6 A multidisciplinary group at Harvard University led by Leonel Narvaez created the Schools of Forgiveness and Reconciliation (SFR) in 2000. Leonel Narvaez is the President of the Colombian NGO Fundacion para la Reconciliacion, holds a Master’s in Conflict Resolution by Oxford University and a PhD in Sociology by Harvard University. 4 Challenge definition “[In Cardozo Education Campus] Poverty is so pervasive that the entire school qualifies for free meals. One-third of students are in special education, and nearly that many are learning English as a second language. Neighborhood rivalries follow teens into class, sometimes sparking violence. Truancy is a chronic problem” - Emma Brown, The Washington Post (2013)7 Cardozo Education Campus is a combined middle and high school located in DC neighborhoods of Ward 1- Cluster 2 (see Appendix 1 & 2). In the 2014-2015 school cycle, 781 students were enrolled, of which 53% identified as African-American, 43% as Hispanic/Latino, 3% as White and 1% as Asian. Out of the total Campus population, 33% of the students are English language learners and 99% are receiving free or reduced- price lunch8. In 2015, the neighborhoods of Ward 1- Cluster 2 were reported by the Metropolitan