Special assembly program from Breaking the Cycle
On Wednesday, March 26th our students had a special assembly program from Breaking the Cycle, a not-for-profit charitable organization, originally formed in the wake of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which focuses on the message of non-violence and forgiveness to deal with issues that presses our students to react.
From left to right: Charles Williams, Hashim Garrett, Christoph Arnold, assistant to Christoph Arnold, and Ian Winter
The speakers included program director Ian Winter, lifelong peacemaker J. Christoph Arnold, motivational speaker Hashim Garrett, and former Cornwall-on-the-Hudson Police Chief Charles Williams.
Christoph Arnold shared his experience of being an active member of the Civil Rights Movement and developing a friendship with Martin Luther King Jr.
Breaking the Cycle's approach is simple: The speakers tell personal stories of life experiences that demonstrate how, through choosing to forgive, conflicts can be resolved. The message is positive - a direct appeal stressing self-respect and the unique value of each individual.
Hashim Garrett spoke of his past experience with gang related involvement as a teenager in Brooklyn, NY that resulted in him being shot six times by another teenager with a submachine gun.
The main goals were to:
- Counteract youth violence
- Address bullying, peer pressure and racism
- Promote self-respect and respect for others
- Build links between educators, parents, students and law enforcement.
Charles Williams spoke emotionally about growing up in a family where his mother was a severe alcoholic who neglected his needs till she was dying.
As part of the program, students were given copies of Why Forgive – which features fifty-one incredible stories about overcoming fear and prejudice, nurturing forgiveness, and related themes along with She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall-who was one of the Columbine High School shooting victim, written the night before she was killed by two of her schoolmates.
For more information on the program, please visit www.breakingthecycle.com