Council for Unity is a national non-profit organization founded in 1975 at

John Dewey High School John Dewey High School is a public school in Gravesend, Brooklyn, New York City. It was founded and based on the educational principles of John Dewey. The school, under the supervision of the New York City Department of Education, was named a Ne ...

, in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, United States. Council for Unity provides curriculum in schools, and programs in correctional facilities. "Its aim is to give kids a better way of life and keep them out of trouble, including away from gangs." Council for Unity network comprises 60 schools and community centers in

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Boys and Girls Clubs of America Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) is a national organization of local chapters which provide voluntary after-school programs for young people. The organization, which holds a congressional charter under Title 36 of the United States Code, h ...

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and

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. Council for Unity also has a college chapter at The University of Vermont and has gone international with its chapter in Balti High School in Balti,

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The List of states ...

History

Robert J. DeSena, a teacher at

, founded Council for Unity in 1975. Mr. Desena brought leaders of different

gang A gang is a group or society of associates, friends or members of a family with a defined leadership and internal organization that identifies with or claims control over territory in a community and engages, either individually or collectivel ...

s together to bring peace to the school. These African American, Latino, Asian American, Jewish and Italian American leaders put a stop to the violence, and created new friendships. However that was not enough. They wanted to create a program that would promote respect for different cultures throughout the whole school. To do this, new students had to be recruited from all ethnic and racial groups. A racial incident occurred in 1979 that changed the direction of Council for Unity forever. A conflict between Italian Americans and African Americans took place across the street from the school. Many young people were hurt, and the fight threatened to expand to the Dewey students. Immediate action had to be done, so Council mediated the conflict. Peace was restored, but tensions were still high. Council decided to produce a play about the incident titled: "A Lifting of Hands", which was written by Mr. DeSena. It was performed in the school auditorium. Community leaders, business leaders, politicians, and students from many schools were invited to attend the performance. The audience was extremely moved that requests for other Council chapters poured in from all over the city. At this point in Council's history our leaders realized that mediation was not enough. Something had to be done to prevent violence—not just react to it. It was then that the Four Pillars of Council for Unity were born. When these four pillars were formed, Council began its expansion into elementary schools, junior high schools, and other high schools besides Dewey. Instead of just bringing students together in one school, it was possible to bring many schools together.

Violence

When a community is faced with violence, Council for Unity provides its anti-gang, violence reduction models to schools and community centers. The child's need for family, safety, self-esteem and responsibility are met through the application of our customized curriculum, obviating the tendency to join anti-social peer groups. By empowering alienated youth to address the problems that plague them, by teaching them values and democratic approaches to solving problems, their sense of impotency dissipates. They become part of the solutions to the issues that beset them and, in turn, become productive citizens.

Racial Tensions

When a community is confronted with racial or ethnic tension, Council for Unity applies its unity model to bring conflicting groups together. Agendas are established that focus on attacking problems rather than individuals. Participants are then directed to seek a common good that benefits all parties.

Accomplishments

In an independent evaluation commissioned by the New York City Board of Education, The Council for Unity programs generated the following results : :94% of participants graduate from high school :96% of those attend college :70% of participating school principals reported a decrease in violent crime in their schools :100% of participants reported that Council for Unity has had a positive impact on their lives

References

External links: https://councilforunity.org/ {{Authority control Non-profit organizations based in the United States