Help us put an end to violence today.

Click on the button above now to join the NVRI E-Alert email list. It's FREE and your contact information is kept confidential.

"[This] innovative violence prevention approach is something we should be promoting aggressively."

— Roger Goodman
Washington State Representative,
45th District

* * * * * * *

"You [theorist Ari Cowan] and I have talked about the importance of public safety and fiscal responsibility here in Washington. The [PAR Model] programs offer us the opportunity to enhance both of these areas."

— Rodney Tom
Washington State Senator,
48th District

The National
Violence Reduction Initiative

That's enough.

We've been run roughshod by violence for too long.
We now have a promising new, evidence-based
"social technology" that can help reduce violence
and its devastating impact on our quality of life and finances.

In light of the current economic climate, putting
this new approach to work makes more sense than ever.

Let's get started.

Summary

The National Violence Reduction Initiative is a multi-faceted, multi-disciplinary effort to support the next steps in providing the revolutionary new "Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model" to people in the United States and throughout the world. The Initiative calls upon the collective wisdom, talent, and commitment of American citizens, businesses, public service agencies, and local, state, and federal governments.

Goals

The key goal for the National Violence Reduction Initiative are:

		Significantly reduce the $1.2 trillion in annual costs to Americans for violence by reducing the costs of violent crime, child abuse, war, rape, genocide, “honor” killings of women, “ethnic cleansing,” family violence, terrorism, slavery, and other forms of violence in the world (statistical information available upon request). The savings can be redirected to healthcare, infrastructure, economic relief, environmental program development, and other critical areas.
		Substantially reduce America’s 2.2 million prison population, moving many of those incarcerated from depleting government funds to becoming tax-paying Americans contributing to the nation’s economic health.
		Reduce health costs by reducing the morbidity and mortality associated with violence and its effects (e.g., the 3.2 million cases of child abuse reported in the United States annually).
		Improve America’s international stature and relationships by applying the PAR Model in areas of conflict.
		Increase confidence in government, trust in each other, and the overall quality of the connections between all Americans.
		Improve the overall quality of life of Americans and others throughout the world by making violence less pervasive and feared.
		Leave a lasting legacy for generations worldwide — a gift of freeing, sustainable, and lasting peace.

What is the PAR Model?

Not just another well-intended approach to ending violence,
but a wholesale departure for the 10,000,000 year old way
we see, describe and respond to violence.

This is a revolution of promise and hope –
One which rejects many conventional notions about violence

This new model allows us to move
from despair and powerlessness
to effective restoration and healing.

The "Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model" is a new, evidence-based, cognitive approach to violence response and prevention built upon a public health foundation. It is a significant departure from the traditional “punitive” model for dealing with violence. Early demonstrations of the model in school, prison, and international settings suggest that it significantly reduce violence and its associated costs.

The PAR Model incorporates new thinking about and language for describing violence, provides a new framework for preventing and responding to violence, and presents an effective alternative to the commonly-used traditional punitive-based approaches for dealing with violence.

Click here for more detailed information about the PAR Model.

Where It Can Be Applied?

The PAR Model can be applied in a variety of settings including:

Fiscal Impact

		Projected return of $18.54 for each $1 invested (source: Zero Tolerance: A Comprehensive Program for Offender Violence Prevention and Intervention, prepared for the Washington State Department of Corrections). The figures do not include the impact of turning offenders into taxpayers, reductions in welfare costs for offender families, police and court costs, and other savings or cost-avoidance areas. The impact upon military operations, healthcare programs, and other areas has not been projected. Assuming a 10% reduction in the cost of violence for Americans (leaving 90% of the violence with no change), the annual savings would be $124 billion.
		Increased revenue to local, state and federal governments. Revenues from international projects will go to PAR deployment organizations in the United States, the principal one at this time being Edvita Institute..
		Increased employment in the United States. The PAR Peace Initiative is based in the United States and will provide programs and products to countries throughout the world.

Moving the National Violence Reduction Initiative Forward

The next steps in moving the National Violence Reduction Initiative forward are:

		Complete the next step. Fund an in-depth and fully researched program in a prison setting. This program, which has already been approved, will provide valuable information on the efficacy of the PAR Model as well as enhance understanding on why and how the PAR Model works.
		Enlist broad public support, following the successful examples from the most recent presidential election in the United States. The new "Voices for Peace" videos (in production) are examples of the type of outreach being created for this initiative.
		Generate committed support among political leadership via grassroots efforts which are modeled upon other successful campaigns (environmental, etc.).
		Fund the follow-up public information and deployment into a broad range of settings.
		Deploy practical PAR Model violence-reduction resources throughout the world which are available to everyone and which leverage existing technologies and communication pathways.

:

Additional Information

If you have an interest in this Initiative and would like additional information, please call us at: