In Guelph, there’s a Random Acts of Kindness Breakfast. In Montreal, there’s an event called Music with a Positive Message. People in Lethbridge, Alberta are participating in Anti-Violence Response Training, while the Saint John, New Brunswick community is hosting a Run/Walk to End Violence.

“The key to all this is the idea of hope and a vision for a better, more peaceful future,” says Lynn Zimmer, executive director of the YWCA of Peterborough, Victoria and Haliburton. “We want to generate a sense of hopefullness in people to reduce and eliminate violence.”

Locally, the week officially kicked off yesterday at a special celebration at the Peterborough Lakefield Community Police station.

Events are taking place in the Peterborough area this week, including a violence prevention presentation at Norwood District High School, a discussion on safety on the Internet for kids and teens, an assertiveness, stress management and conflict resolution workshop at Class Connections, penalty-free hockey games, and a seminar on creating positive and peaceful workplaces.

The Peaceful Communities steering group is very active in co-ordinating and raising awareness of the Week Without Violence, says Lynn. The group is comprised of about 14 community representatives from a variety of organizations, including the YWCA, Peterborough Social Planning Council, Women’s Health Care Centre, school boards, New Canadians Centre and others.

The group was established in response to a growing concern with violence, says Lynn. “It has been very instrumental in creating a vision of something more positive. It is a colloborative effort to build a peaceful community.”

There has been so much interest across Canada in creating events for the Week Without Violence that it has essentially evolved into a Month Without Violence, says Lynn. “So much goes on, that it couldn’t all get crammed into one week,” she notes.

For example, in Peterborough, the Peace Builder Campaign has been underway for several weeks. It calls on residents to make a promise of action to reduce violence and build a better community. So far, individuals have promised to be a mentor for conflict resolution, to help eliminate abuse against older persons, to volunteer at a local centre for children with special needs and to volunteer teaching meditation at a seniors’ residence, to name a few.

The assumption that violence cannot be stopped is a destructive attitude, says Lynn. “Some say it is part of human nature to be violent. Well, it is part of human nature to be peaceful as well. If we all put our energy into focusing on peace-building, we can have a big impact.”

Last year, more than 45,000 people in more than 600 schools, workplaces and organizations across Canada participated in the YWCA Week Without Violence, according to the national Week Without Violence website, www.weekwithoutviolence.ca

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