How it Started
Alternatives to violence project
The origins of AVP, how we started and how we grew all over the world.
It Starts in 1975
In 1975 Green Haven Prison (N.Y.S.) had a group of incarcerated men called the Think Tank. In collaboration with the Division of Youth they were to be involved as counselors for underage offenders. Initially, as counselors, they tried “scaring the youth straight.” This did not work!
Fear Didn't Work
The Think Tank realized there was much violence in not only the youngsters’ lives but their own, both in and out of prison. The men reached out to a small group of Quakers (who came into the prison regularly) for help in developing an anti-violence program. The Quakers involved Civil Rights activists and formerly incarcerated individuals. They started to meet with the Think Tank, and AVP was born.
Rapid Growth
AVP did begin in the prison system in NYS. But its use has expanded – for school-age groups, for community groups, for war-torn countries… It is used throughout much of the USA and around the world. There is a recognition that we live in a time in society when differences in opinion, belief, and thought can easily erupt into violent actions.
We need alternative ways to cope with anger, conflict, and opposition.Today AVP has been used in many prisons, in war-torn countries, and in local communities in the USA and around the world.
Sometimes it is used to defuse a situation; other times many are trained in its workshops for each individual to use in his/her/their personal life to help each manage anger and either potential or actual violent situations.
Become an AVP Volunteer
Volunteering
The value you'll bring into other peoples lives is hard to put into words. Get in touch to learn more about how it works.
Volunteer