The International Day of Non-Violence is observed on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence. 
Research shows that nonviolent resistance works better than violence. 
“Countries in which there were nonviolent campaigns were about 10 times likelier to transition to democracies within a five-year period compared to countries in which there were violent campaigns — whether the campaigns succeeded or failed.” - Erica Chenoweth.

Our goal in Social and Emotional Learning programming is to give people the skills to be able to resolve conflicts with nonviolent strategies. Everyone encounters conflict almost daily, with friends, family, strangers, co-workers, and others. Below you'll find tips to be able to hone your conflict resolution skills and give those skills to your students or children.

To choose the best conflict resolution method in any given situation, you need to consider several factors, such as:

• How important your desires are.
• The impact on you or others if your desires are not served.
• The consequences of choosing to be more assertive.
• Whether a collaborative or cooperative solution exists.

Being able to choose and apply the best conflict resolution strategy effectively is made possible by developing better conflict resolution skills. Examples of conflict resolution skills that can help you include the ability to:

• Listen effectively.
• Identify specific points of disagreement.
• Express your own needs clearly.
• View conflict as an opportunity for growth.
• Focus on specific issues without generalizing or escalating the situation.

• Nonviolent Communications and Conflict Resolutions 
• Basics of Nonviolent Communication
• Trying Out Nonviolent Communication with Kids: An Experiment
• Nonviolent Communication Resources for Kids and for Working with Kids
• Nonviolent Communication: How to Get Your Point Across - Ted Talk

International Day of Peace is a global celebration recognized on September 21 as a time for all mankind to commit to peace and contribute to a culture of peace. Peace is best defined as tranquility or freedom for disturbance. The theme of this celebration for 2021 is “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World.” 

Ways schools can create a peaceful classroom environment

• Model kindness and empathy
• Repair, don’t punish
• Create a democratic space
• Use experiential learning
• Give a voice to the excluded
• Encourage collaboration
• Discuss controversial topics
• Integrate service planning

Ways to promote peace

• Visit museums and cultural centers
• Post on social media about peace
• Listen with the intent to understand
• Be helpful to others
• Meditate and invite others to meditate
• Learn a new language
• Volunteer at a homeless shelter
• Community involvement

We're excited to announce that we're a participating organization in Youth & Peace in Action sponsored by NewGen Peacebuilders which was kicked off today in celebration of International Day of Peace!
Here are resources about youth and peace initiatives:

• Youth Has a Key Role in Peace Processes
• What is Peace?

Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among adolescents that have the potential to cause serious, lasting problems. There are three main types of bullying that are common among school-aged children such as verbal, social, and physical bullying. This behavior can happen at school, after school, off school grounds, and on social media. An important goal to achieve in respect of bullying should be to always have a safe space for bullied children to speak about their issues. Lines of communication should always remain open for school-aged children. When discussing bullying with students, there should be an importance placed on the complete understanding of bullying and its long-lasting effects. 
This discussion about bullying prevention named How To Talk About Bullying So Teens Will Listen demonstrates a great way to implement the importance of being an advocate when witnessing the act of bullying. 

Additional Resources:
What Teens Can Do
How to Talk About Bullying
What is Bullying 
Tips for Discussing Bullying with Teens

ACE's Heritage Panel addresses bullying and discrimination in schools through interactive discussions with students on how to create change and be an ally in their school. ACE's first Heritage Panel of the year was with John Carroll Catholic High School. Click here to read their school newspaper's article about the program.

In America, mental health is vital that all aspects of mental health systems be transparent of the diverse communities that they serve. Mental health businesses strive to become and remain cultural competent to our communities. A cultural system includes skillsets, attitudes, rules and policies to ensure that it is helpful in addressing the needs of people and their families with diverse values, beliefs, and sexual orientations. It's also important to include backgrounds that vary by race, ethnicity, religion, and language.

The different worldly and cultural challenges to service in urban America displays the effectiveness of current models of this practice. Urban behavioral health needs remains the same due to lack of available staff, competent providers, social society, fear of lack of privacy, lack of financing and reimbursement issues due to lack of funding and insurance, lack of mental substance with physical health, no efforts of prevention, transportation difficulties, and low numbers in providers. 

Below are a few resources to learn more about this matter. 

• Position Statement: Cultural and Linguistic Competency
• Position Statement: Access to Healthcare
• Mental Health America Multi-State Initiative pdf