Alternatives to Violence Project

The project began in 1975 when inmates at Green Haven Prison in New York State asked local Quakers to help them teach incarcerated youth how to resolve conflicts nonviolently. The success of the workshops quickly spread by word of mouth, and the program took root in many State and Federal prisons throughout the country. Workshops are now offered in communities, businesses, churches, neighborhood centers, community associations, women's shelters and other locales.{{cite web|url=http://www.avpusa.org/|title=AVP/USA, Inc. -|work=AVP/USA, Inc.}}

While particular workshops can be modified to meet the needs of a specific group, the fundamental objectives are: to encourage individuals to take responsibility for themselves and the consequences of their behavior, to serve as one another's community, and to find options other than fight or flight when faced with conflict. AVP asks participants to voluntarily participate in its workshops, and avoids situations where attendance is mandatory. Anyone, including a person in prison, who is willing to apply AVP principles in his or her own life, can be trained as a facilitator.

[http://avpcalifornia.org/Research1/Anger%20Management.Walrath.pdf Walrath, Evaluation of an Inmate-Run Alternatives to Violence Project] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812022634/http://avpcalifornia.org/Research1/Anger%20Management.Walrath.pdf |date=2011-08-12 }}, JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE, Vol. 16 No. 7, July 2001 697–711

Throughout the world, AVP is predominantly a grassroots, voluntary organization. While there are a few paid state coordinators, the bulk of the organizing and training is done by volunteers. Although the original workshops were designed and facilitated with Quaker oversight, the project is a non-profit, non-denominational organization.{{Cite web |url=http://www.avpinternational.org/research/2007-Tomlinson_AVPBritain_Lit_Review.pdf |title=Tomlinson A review of the literature concerning the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) (2007) |access-date=2011-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722230117/http://www.avpinternational.org/research/2007-Tomlinson_AVPBritain_Lit_Review.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-22 |url-status=dead |df= }}

Other programs that rely on certain AVP principles have been developed for use in schools, such as the Help Increase the Peace Program for youth,{{cite web|url=http://www.promotingpeace.org/2006/2/liss.html|title=Help Increase the Peace (HIPP) Program – PEACE in Action|work=promotingpeace.org}}[http://avpcalifornia.org/Research1/2005-HIPP-evaluation.pdf Coggins, HIP Middle School Program evaluation (2005)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812022625/http://avpcalifornia.org/Research1/2005-HIPP-evaluation.pdf |date=2011-08-12 }} and a Creative Conflict Resolution program that used full-time staff in some California prisons as facilitators.[http://avpcalifornia.org/Research1/Attitudeshift.pdf Hoppe, Creative Conflict Resolution Outcome Study (2001)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812022651/http://avpcalifornia.org/Research1/Attitudeshift.pdf |date=2011-08-12 }} The reasons why transformations are regularly experienced in these two or three-day periods of time may include satisfaction of psychological needs for connection with others,[http://avpcalifornia.org/RecidivismStudy2005.pdf Miller, Delaware Recidivism Study (2005)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812022509/http://avpcalifornia.org/RecidivismStudy2005.pdf |date=2011-08-12 }} discoveries that one can influence a conflict,{{Cite web |url=http://www.avparoundtheworld.info/res-avp-rpteval-delaware-2002.pdf |title=Sloane, A Study of the Effectiveness of the Alternatives to Violence Project Workshops in a Prison System (2002) |access-date=2011-05-31 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110904192134/http://www.avparoundtheworld.info/res-avp-rpteval-delaware-2002.pdf |archive-date=2011-09-04 |url-status=dead |df= }} and a combination of other factors.{{cite web|url=http://www.friendsjournal.org/avp-instrument-peace|title=AVP: An Instrument of Peace|work=Friends Journal}}

• [https://avp.international/ AVP International]

• [http://phaphama.initiatives.org] AVP Gauteng, South Africa
• [http://www.sadratinstitute.org]{{Dead link|date=September 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} AVP Eastern Cape (Port Elizabeth), South Africa
• [http://www.qpc.org.za/ Quaker Peace Centre] – Cape Town, South Africa.
• AVP Kwa Zulu Natal
• AVP Namibia
• [http://www.avp.org.au/pdf/avpevaluationrwandagacaca2003.pdf AVP Rwanda]

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070202092154/http://www.avphk.org/ AVP Hong Kong]
• [http://cafe.daum.net/avpkorea AVP Korea] – (in Korean).
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20120203174057/http://avpaotearoa.org.nz/ AVP Aotearoa/New Zealand]

:Australia

:*[http://www.avp.org.au/ AVP Australia]

:*[http://www.avpwa.org/ AVP Western Australia]

:*[http://www.avpq.org.au/ AVP Queensland, Australia]

• [http://www.avpbritain.org.uk/ AVP Britain];
• [http://www.pag.de/ Projekt Alternativen zur Gewalt] – Germany (in German);
• [https://www.facebook.com/avpinukraine/ AVP Ukraine].

• [http://www.serpaz.org.br Serviço de Paz] – Brazil (in Portuguese).
• [http://www.pavmexico.org PAV México] – Spanish

• [http://www.avpusa.org/ AVP USA]
• [http://www.avpcalifornia.org AVP California]
• [https://nfnc-avp.org/ AVP Colorado]
• [http://www.avpmd.org/ AVP Maryland]
• [http://www.avpma.org/ AVP Massachusetts]
• [https://avp.international/alberta-canada/]
• [https://avpcanada.webs.com/]

• Attica Prison riots

Category:Nonviolence organizations based in the United States

Category:Quaker organizations

Category:Quaker organizations established in the 20th century