Hearts & hands: creating community in violent times

Description

Introduction: What the craziness is -- pt. 1: The violence of youth, the absence of elders. Throwaway kids ; Modern street gangs : a history ; To "see" again ; Being solid in the world ; Warning: don't get involved! ; The power of hanging in there ; Hungers and angers ; Fear and fury ; "Don't give up on us!" -- pt. 2: Thresholds and trajectories. Doors, story, purpose ; Human to human ; The truth of consequences ; A handmade life ; Governance and gangs -- pt. 3: Stretching out your life. Abundance or scarcity ; Dying for something to live ; Premises and principles ; "What you be about?" ; The power of now ; The way of discipline ; Looking for the Milky Way ; Be your word -- pt. 4: Where do we go from here?. Children whispering ; New economy, new outlooks ; Safe and sacred spaces ; Between two worlds ; Nurturing the genius.;Rodríguez's life was once held in the grip of gang brotherhood and rivalries. Here he patiently traces the emotional and spiritual terrain that ultimately allowed him to understand his milieu and skillfully negotiate a sound future for himself and his family. Empowered by his experiences as a peacemaker with gangs in Los Angeles and Chicago, Rodríguez makes concrete suggestions on how to approach the violence facing youth today. He warns that we sacrifice community values for material gain when we incarcerate or marginalize people already on the edge of society. He approaches the issues from a grassroots perspective, influenced by the writings of Joseph Campbell, Mircea Eliade, and Lao Tzu. In these pages he forges a powerful, insightful, and healing response to the troubles of our times.--From publisher description.