Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham

 



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About the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham

Founded in 1992, the mission of the Religious Coalition is to bear witness to the sanctity of life and to act to prevent and rectify the injustice of violence.


We invite you to participate in our:


Prayer Vigils after each homicide to honor and publicly recognize the human worthiness of the victim, to comfort family and friends, & to sanctify and bring healing to the site where the violence occurred. 200+ vigils conducted thus far.


Reconciliation and Reentry Ministry that connects offenders coming back to Durham from prison with supportive congregational faith teams to build and maintain positive, productive relationships and activities. Six faith teams are active and ten ex-offenders served.


Hands Without Guns: Blessings of Peacemakers project that creates thousands of painted hand-printed pledges of peace on ever-growing bolts of fabric to educate and engage families and communities about ways to prevent gun violence.


We are suffering an epidemic of gun violence in Durham.


On average in our city 30 people are killed and an estimated 170 people are shot and wounded each year. In 2005, 40 people died from violence in Durham: 31 were fatally shot. During 2004 and 2005, eleven Durham teenagers were fatally shot. Young African-American men comprise the majority of Durham’s homicide and assault victims. 


Violence not only takes lives from a community but also its safety. Too many Durham citizens, especially our children, live in danger of stray bullets, witnessing the bloodshed, losing a loved one.


The Religious Coalition seeks peace by building support for violence prevention among Durham’s faith, governmental, educational, health and advocacy agencies.


Our partnerships are productive and we are achieving our goals because of our steadfast attention to the Coalition’s mission and duties. They include:

•Responding publicly and privately to the suffering caused by violence

•Educating the media about gun violence and ways to prevent it

•Expanding resources for felons returning to Durham from prison and others at risk of violence

•Educating Durham citizens about gun violence prevention measures

•Connecting the faith community with the criminal justice system to devise and implement violence reduction strategies

•Supporting the mission through collaboration and service with the:

  1. •Criminal Justice Resource Center

  2. •Durham Congregations In Action

  3. •Durham County Gun Safety Team

  4. •Durham County Workforce Development Board

  5. •NCCU United Christian Campus Ministry

  6. •North Carolina Million Mom March

  7. •Parents of Murdered Children

  8. •Project Safe Neighborhoods

  9. •PROUD Program for adjudicated youth


     


Please contact Marcia Owen, outreach coordinator, at (919) 489-3531 or at mowen8@nc.rr.com for details about these activities, our monthly luncheon meetings, and other opportunities for service.


Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham 105 Pinecrest Road, Durham, NC 27705


Contributions are tax-deductible through the kindness and oversight of Watts Street Baptist Church.