KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Kansas City woman wants to stop gun violence in the city with a initiative focused on conflict resolution.
Leah Banks started an initiative called U-ROC. It's an acronym that stands for "Uniting and Reclaiming Our Community."
Banks said something has to be done to save young lives, and she feels a solution starts with conflict resolution.
The Kansas City, Missouri, woman works at University Academy. Banks explained she noticed students who were impacted by violent crime and started a round table event a few years ago. The event brought together the police chief and students to talk about gun violence.
Banks said the conversation made an impact on the students and she hopes it can extend throughout the city.
"My hope is that we will, as a community, continue to build positive relationships. Once we do that, I think it will be a little bit easier to engage in conflict resolution," she said.
Banks' initiative starts in February. Every Friday during the month, there will be a theme dedicated to reducing gun violence.
The themes are as follows:
- Feb. 7 - Candle lighting ceremony
- Feb. 14 - Send cards to victims of gun violence
- Feb. 21 - Wear orange for U-ROC Against Violence Unity Day
- Feb. 28 - Resolution Day (rebuild relationships and see conflict resolution skills training)
More information on the initiative can be found onthe U-ROC Against Violence Facebook page.
