1 1 2 3 4 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 5 6 7 8 9 CELEBRATING PEER MEDIATION 10 WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL JANET RENO 11 12 13 14 15 16 March 3, 1997 17 18 19 20 21 22 2 1 P R O C E E D I N G S 2 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: Good orning. 3 I just appreciate your being here so very uch 4 today. I' very, very excited about this 5 orning's program and about the tremendous 6 support for peer ediation and dispute 7 resolution that I've had a chance to see 8 firsthand in the D.C. Public School Syste and 9 as truly evidenced by your willingness to join 10 us here today. 11 General Becton and I have invited you 12 to be with us today to celebrate soe of the 13 ost powerful, effective, and inspiring tools 14 we've seen for fighting violence in our 15 schools, on our streets, in our comunities, 16 and even in our hoes. 17 I have learned firsthand fro young 18 people about the iportance of these programs. 19 And these young people are the best 20 instructors in the world. They're so excited. 21 They are so clear in what they are trying to 22 do. 3 1 I've been lucky enough to visit 11 2 schools here in D.C. -- high schools, iddle 3 schools, and eleentary schools -- that have 4 thriving dispute resolution progras. And I 5 hope to have the opportunity to visit ore in 6 the coing months. 7 These students and the faculty that 8 have helped the have shown me how effective 9 peer ediation and other conflict resolutions 10 can be in resolving the probles and the 11 arguents that naturally arise among young 12 people. But they are also doing so uch more. 13 Young people who learn how to resolve 14 conflicts cooperatively learn that they can 15 solve probles themselves, without having to go 16 to the principal or to the teacher. They learn 17 that they have soe control over the problems 18 in their lives -- not just in their school, but 19 in their neighbor and at their hoe. 20 They learn and practice valuable 21 skills that serve the well for the rest of 22 their lives. And they learn how to resolve 4 1 conflict through listening, through talking, 2 through understanding, through proble-solving, 3 and not with knives and guns and fists. 4 I have been told, during y visits to 5 schools here in D.C., that schools with peer 6 ediation programs have seen a reduction in the 7 nuber of fights. Some have realized 8 reductions in suspensions and other 9 disciplinary actions. 10 "What happens if they won't go to 11 dispute resolution?" you'll ask a young 12 student. 13 "Well, they have to go the principal, 14 and they ay get suspended." 15 These results are siilar to those 16 that I have witnessed in y travels to other 17 parts of the country with active peer ediation 18 initiatives in the schools. 19 These results are extreely 20 encouraging and very, very exciting -- through 21 probably not surprising to those of you here 22 today, and particularly to the young people who 5 1 know the power of dispute resolution. 2 Many of you ay already have had some 3 experience with peer ediation. But I imagine 4 that there are soe here who know a little bit 5 about peer ediation and dispute resolution but 6 would like to learn a lot ore. 7 Today's progra promises to be a 8 wonderful opportunity to see these young people 9 in action and to have soe of your specific 10 questions answered. 11 General Becton, principals, 12 counselors, teachers, comunity and business 13 leaders, and others who have worked with these 14 young people, I want to thank you for your very 15 critical support. 16 It is such a thrill to be talking 17 with a iddle school class and suddenly here 18 coes General Becton, the superintendent. And 19 he is known; he has been there before, people 20 understanding. He's right there at the seen. 21 And you just have a sense, as the 22 students look up at hi, as the principal and 6 1 the teachers sile, yes, we really can make a 2 difference with the people in the D.C. Public 3 School Syste. 4 It has been wonderful for e to see 5 teachers who are so terribly dedicated, who 6 care so very uch, who are just doing their 7 very best to give our young people a strong and 8 positive future; and counselors who ake a 9 difference; and people with the dispute 10 resolution and the dispute settleent program 11 that have done so uch -- it is just so 12 exciting -- and to the principals who try so 13 hard with such difficult circustances. 14 All I can tell you, fro my 15 experience in the D.C. Public School Syste, is 16 that, General, you've got great and wonderful 17 resources. 18 And with your leadership, I think 19 it's going to ake such a difference, and I 20 really appreciate your being here today. 21 We would not be honoring all these 22 young people here in this great hall of the 7 1 Departent of Justice if it were not for the 2 efforts of so any people in this room. 3 There are any healthy, happy young 4 people in our Nation's capital who ight not be 5 alive and well today without conflict 6 resolution initiatives that you have helped to 7 create. 8 I can think of no greater 9 achieveent, no greater goal than saving our 10 young people fro harm. 11 I hope each of you will continue and 12 expand your efforts. 13 Governent officials, business 14 leaders, educators, and young people all bring 15 unique contributions to our overall fight 16 against violence. And we ust continue to work 17 together in this challenge. 18 But it's not just a fight against 19 violence. It is a fight to give our young 20 people a sense that they can participate in 21 their destiny, that they can work together to 22 solve probles to make life better. 8 1 And as I have gone to these schools, 2 I also ask, "If you were the Attorney General 3 of the United States, what would you do to give 4 you a better future?" And they have such 5 wonderful ideas. 6 I a so proud of the young people 7 that I have had a chance to visit and talk 8 with. 9 I a proud to report, too, that 10 President Clinton and the Departent of Justice 11 want to do everything we can in supporting 12 dispute resolution and peer ediation. 13 Many states have chosen to use their 14 Departent of Justice Formula Funds to support 15 dispute resolution and peer ediation programs 16 in their schools. 17 And the Illinois Institute for 18 Dispute Resolution, thanks to a $200,000 19 Justice grant, has been providing training and 20 technical assistance to local jurisdictions to 21 help establish conflict resolution progras in 22 schools. 9 1 I would like, also, to announce today 2 that the Departent of Justice, in connection 3 with the Illinois Institute for Dispute 4 Resolution, will be available to work alongside 5 the organizations that already provide 6 technical assistance to schools here in D.C. 7 This should aid these wonderful 8 existing organizations in helping schools that 9 are interested in starting a dispute 10 resolution, peer ediation program but are in 11 need of assistance. 12 These organizations do such an 13 outstanding job. And we are hopeful that in 14 the future there will be such a deand for 15 these services that we will all join together 16 in this effort. 17 The President's new Anti-Gang and 18 Youth Violence Legislation, sent to Congress 19 just week, would authorize $75 illion to fund 20 initiatives such as violence intervention 21 progras, after-school and summer activities, 22 and dispute resolution progras. 10 1 While we understand that at the 2 federal level our direct involveent is 3 liited, the President and I are committed to 4 provided comunities with the tools and 5 resources that comunities need to get the job 6 done. 7 I' also very excited about President 8 Clinton's comitment to working with the 9 District of Colubia to improve this city and 10 to give our young people a strong and healthy 11 future. 12 And I a proud to say that the 13 Justice Departent is full-square behind these 14 efforts. 15 I'd like to congratulate, though, and 16 thank the ost important group of all that's 17 here today, the young people. 18 Young people are so perfectly 19 wonderful. They want to contribute. They want 20 to ake a difference. They want to help other 21 people. And they can do so uch if they are 22 given only half a chance. 11 1 We need to work together to give the 2 young people of this District, the young people 3 of Aerica, the chance to grow and to 4 contribute and to help others, and to lead a 5 strong and positive life. 6 And for the young people here today 7 who have already done just that, thank you for 8 joining us. You are our future, and I feel so 9 confident when I have the chance to talk with 10 young people like you. 11 General Becton, I think it's your 12 tie now to say a few words. 13 And thank you, again, for being here. 14 (Rearks by General Becton) 15 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: I'll tell 16 you, while they're oving it, I'm really not a 17 general. 18 And for the young people, I did a 19 study. And Justice Souter has done the sae 20 study, because he was an attorney general once. 21 It was the attorney who handled 22 general atters for the crown. That's the way 12 1 the nae came about. 2 We're going to have three skits this 3 orning. The first school to demonstrate a 4 peer ediation scenario for us is Stevens 5 Eleentary. These students are going to show 6 us how easily play can turn into conflict on 7 the playground and will also deonstrate a 8 ediated outcome. 9 I had the opportunity to visit 10 Stevens, and I think you will be as ipressed 11 as I was. 12 (Skit perfored by Stevens 13 Eleentary School) 14 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: General 15 Becton says he's going to use those young 16 people in the School Board eeting. 17 Thank you all so very uch. The 18 students of Stevens Eleentary, you are just 19 wonderful exaples for us all. 20 The second school with us today is 21 Stuart-Hobson Middle School, another school 22 that I have been lucky enough to visit. 13 1 At the junior-high/iddle-school 2 level there are any causes of conflict. But 3 one of the ost predominant involves rumors. 4 These Stuart-Hobson students will 5 show us what can happen when hurtful ruors 6 spread out of control. They will deonstrate 7 the conflict side only and will not perfor a 8 peer ediation. 9 (Skit perfored by Stuart Hobson 10 Middle School) 11 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: I think I 12 could use the at the Department of Justice, 13 General. 14 Isn't it wonderful what young people 15 can teach us in the clearest, ost human terms. 16 And we suddenly start thinking of the ruors in 17 the workplace that cause such confusion. And 18 fro these young people we learn so much. 19 The final school deonstrating for us 20 today is Wilson Senior High School. 21 As you all know, violence is a very 22 real and very serious proble at the high 14 1 school level. These students will show us what 2 can happen when violence breaks out in the 3 school, and they will also deonstrate a 4 typical peer ediation. 5 (Skit by Wilson Senior High 6 School) 7 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: We are now 8 going to have a panel that I think you will 9 find very interesting. 10 (Beginning of panel 11 presentation) 12 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: May I just 13 ake a point there? 14 For adults who want to be trained, I 15 have seen what the Center for Dispute 16 Resolution can do, what you all can do. It is 17 one of the ost fascinating two or three hours 18 of training that I have been to. And it is so 19 rewarding. General Becton, this past sumer I 20 saw D.C. public school teachers give of their 21 own tie for two or three days, coming to 22 learn, and they found it a fascinating process, 15 1 too. 2 (Continuation of panel 3 presentation) 4 STUDENT: And y other question was 5 addressed to Janet Reno. 6 I would like to ask you, how would 7 you feel if you had peer ediations in the 8 police station? 9 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: Well, 10 actually, I should let the officer answer that 11 question. 12 But let e tell you, you have seen 13 what it can do in the schools. 14 If we could get it in the comunity, 15 if every police officer who served a particular 16 comunity learned mediation skills as well, it 17 could be such a wonderful tool for resolving 18 disputes in the streets, and during the 19 sumertime and in the hours when children were 20 not in school. 21 And what I have seen -- and you, sir, 22 ay have better examples -- but I have seen 16 1 comunity police officers in the community 2 develop the respect of the young people, work 3 to solve the probles, prevent the violence, 4 prevent the fights that start the violence. 5 And it is a wonderful tool for police 6 officers, fro what I've seen. 7 But you ight want to comment, sir. 8 (Continuation of panel 9 presentation) 10 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: Okay. Can I 11 ake just one suggestion? General, why don't 12 you and I talk to Chief Soulsby? 13 (Continuation of panel 14 presentation) 15 STUDENT: Do you approve of the 16 having a Spanish/English tea at Lincoln 17 Multicultural School? 18 GENERAL BECTON: Yes. 19 STUDENT: Janet Reno? 20 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: Yes, and let 21 e tell you the reason why. 22 My father cae to this country when 17 1 he was 12 years old fro Denmark. He spoke not 2 one word of English. And people, then, teased 3 hi about his funny language and his funny 4 clothes and his funny background. He never 5 forgot that. 6 But it didn't take hi long to learn 7 English. And four years later, he was writing 8 beautiful English as the editor of the high 9 school newspaper. But if people had been 10 there, ediating and helping to communicate and 11 to understand, it would have ade such a 12 difference for hi. 13 Comunication is the name of the 14 gae, and we've got to learn how to communicate 15 as the world's borders are shrinking. We've 16 got to learn how to comunicate in our schools, 17 in our comunity, and around the world to 18 achieve peace. 19 (Final portion of panel 20 presentation) 21 ATTORNEY GENERAL RENO: Thank you all 22 for being here today. 18 1 The idea for this progra came from 2 students. As I asked the what they would do 3 if they were Attorney General, they said, "Have 4 a progra where people can learn about 5 ediation and about dispute resolution." 6 And you can see what I've been 7 hearing in the schools I've been to. Young 8 people have such wisdo. 9 Think of what could happen if through 10 conflict resolution we kept people out of the 11 prisons and used the dollars to build the 12 prisons that we use to build the prisons now to 13 build better educational opportunities for our 14 young people and spend ore for higher 15 education. 16 Two states in this country, Florida 17 and California, at least spend ore money for 18 prisons than they do for education. With this 19 progra, we can turn it around. Because of 20 these young people and their exaple, we can 21 turn that around. 22 And so, I would urge all the 19 1 principals to, if you haven't already done so, 2 initiate peer ediation and dispute resolution 3 progras in your school. If you've already 4 done so, try to expand it and enhance it. 5 It's so wonderful to see a progra 6 that has been underway for four years. The 7 students know it, it's a tradition. In others, 8 it's just getting started, and there is an 9 enthusias. But it is a wonderful, wonderful 10 tool, and it can ake such a difference. 11 And General Becton and I can talk 12 further with Chief Soulsby and see what we can 13 do with comunity police officers -- such as 14 you, sir -- and others to expand it in the 15 comunity in the District of Columbia so that, 16 indeed, we can give our children a future of 17 peace. 18 General. 19 (Rearks by General Becton) 20 (Whereupon, the PROCEEDINGS were 21 adjourned.) 22 * * * * *