Equipping Fort Wayne With Practical Tools For Peacemaking
Alive Community Outreach is expanding its mission of building a culture of peace in Fort Wayne through the launch of a new Community Education initiative, offering trainings designed to equip individuals, organizations, and workplaces with practical tools for understanding conflict, de-escalation, and building healthier communities.
For the past several years, Alive has become widely known for its Peacemaker Academy program in Fort Wayne Community Schools and for its survivor support work with families impacted by homicide. But leaders of the organization say the deeper work of addressing violence must extend beyond schools and crisis response.
“If we truly want to change the culture of violence in our community, the work cannot stop with young people or with those directly affected by tragedy,” said Angelo Mante, Executive Director of Alive Community Outreach. “We have to equip the broader community with the tools to understand conflict, address the roots of violence, and actively build what Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. called the Beloved Community.”
The new Community Education initiative will offer trainings for businesses, nonprofits, schools, churches, and community groups, focusing on topics such as:
- Understanding the roots and dynamics of conflict
- De-escalation skills
- Trauma awareness
- Principles of Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolence
- Building cultures of accountability and reconciliation
The trainings are rooted in Kingian Nonviolence, the philosophy that shaped Dr. King’s leadership in the Civil Rights Movement and that serves as the foundation for Alive’s work in schools and the community.
“These trainings are about giving people practical tools,” said Dr. Chris Lahr, Director of Community Education at Alive Community Outreach. “Every organization experiences conflict. The question is whether we have the skills and frameworks to navigate it in ways that strengthen relationships and build healthier communities. That’s what this initiative is about.”
Alive Community Outreach recently completed a major revamp of its website, expanding information about its programs and the broader vision of its peacemaking work in Fort Wayne.
Alive Community Outreach was founded in 2020 to address violence in Fort Wayne through school-based peacemaking, survivor support, and community education. The organization partners with Fort Wayne Community Schools and community leaders to equip young people and adults with tools to address conflict, heal from trauma, and build a culture of peace.
More information about the new Community Education initiative and upcoming trainings can be found at alivefw.org/trainings.
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