This week, we welcomed two dozen religiously-motivated peace activists—Tanenbaum’s Peacemakers and some of their mentees—to our Network Working Retreat #PIAretreat2019. Throughout the week, they share their stories and explore ways they can respond to defeat violence. One participant broke our hearts as she shared the following:
His brother was in a gang. He did not want to be in the gang. But the gang told him he had to join the gang. He told them no but they said he must. He did not want to do it, but he was scared and did not want his family hurt or killed. He asked me for help.
And I had to tell him the truth. I could not help him. I could accompany him—but I could not help him and I could not go to the police—or my own family would be killed. What I could do was to try to keep him from the Hating.