A crime specialist who honed his skills among America’s violent street gangs is to lecture Scots on how to prevent violence on our streets. Father Greg Boyle will take part in a two-day event in Glasgow, hosted by Scottish anti-violence charity Medics Against Violence (MAV). The charity had worked to prevent all forms of violence in Scotland over the last 15 years.
It sees doctors and people they have helped volunteering their time to spread the message and support others. MAV founder Christine Goodall said: “Father Greg Boyle is the founder of the world’s largest gang exit programme, Homeboy Industries based in LA. We are delighted to have him speaking for us, along with George and Cesar, two members of the Homeboy programme.
“Father Greg is such an inspiration to everyone working in violence prevention because of the long-term work he has done to support former gang members in the most troubled parts of LA. MAV works to prevent violence through support and care rather than fear.
Christine explained: “MAV is a charity that aims to prevent violence in Scotland. We provide both education and support. We support people with social issues that can involved in violence – addiction, mental health issues, homelessness, domestic abuse, violence itself and others – particularly through Navigator which is based in Emergency Departments across Scotland.
“Sometimes people think that once you are involved in addiction or violence or criminality there is no way back – but these guys prove there is. I’m just glad we can give them the opportunity to work with us.” This innovative approach was partly inspired by Father Greg’s work in Los Angeles.
Christine said: “Father Greg has supported many members of very violent Los Angeles gangs to leave the gang lifestyle and turn their backs on violence. He has created education and training programmes for them and provided many of them with jobs. He says two things frequently – one is ‘nothing stops a bullet like a job’, the other is ‘the answer to every question is compassion’.
“He is an incredibly inspiring person and he’s shown me the value of lived experience in supporting others. His approach is one of kindness and compassion and we could all learn a lot from that. While the subject matter of his talk is serious, Father Greg talks with humour about his experiences with the Homeboys and this is sure to be a very entertaining and uplifting presentation.”
Violence Prevention – The Journey From Despair to Hope takes place in Glasgow’s Royal College of Physicians. It takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday, comprising talks, workshops and networking opportunities. Day 1 tickets are £60, day two tickets cost £40, including lunch, and can be booked by emailing MAV at [email protected].
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