Life skills

Yesterday I was talking to a young man who was a particularly articulate, passionate, and convincing orator. His passion was helping society break the relentless and seemingly endless cycle of violence. He was passionate about delivering courses designed to help people see there are other choices to resolve differences rather than resorting to violence. He wants to bring these courses to schools across the country so young people can gain useful life skills that would help them make better decisions in life. The effects of this strategy, he believes, will be to reduce the deep scar on society that is caused through violent crime, and to help people proactively choose to live a more peaceful and fulfilling life. This young man has no qualifications. He has no university degree and yet his insights into life and the possibility he sees for society are as exciting as they are profound. And what gives his message even greater weight is the fact that he has spent all of his adult life in jail for a terrible crime. His passion for making a positive contribution to society as a way of making amends is inspirational and I only hope that our law makers and legislators will listen to his message rather than seeing him as a criminal.