“To give is to invest in the future.” -Chewa Proverb
 
            PHILADELPHIA, PA (USA) - 29 November 2022 -  For fifty-four (54) years, the House Of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net), an internationally acclaimed institution headquartered in Philadelphia, has brokered peace in the nation’s sixth largest metropolitan and invested in the future by creating lifelines for at least approximately 3,000 adolescent males and positively transforming the trajectory of their lives.  In effort to develop an effective blueprint to turn around Philadelphia’s out of control gun violence, on Wednesday 30 November 2022 from 6:30 P.M. (E.D.T.) through 8:30 P.M (https://tockify. com/houevents/detail/10/1669851000000) The House of Umoja, Inc.’s “gift of giving” -- brokering peace and investing in the future -- which spans fifty-four (54) years will be collaboratively feted through the community conversation hosted by WHYY (https://www.WHYY.org/events), BROKERING PEACE: The House of Umoja & A Safer Philadelphia, the African American Museum of Philadelphia’s (https://www. aampmuseum.org) newest exhibit, Love & Spirit: African American Art from the Bank of America Collection; and Love Now Media’s (https://lovenowmedia.com/)  preview of the documentary entitled, “Falaka Fattah And The House Of Umoja” produced by Mr. Jos Duncan Asè. The event will be held at the African American Museum of Philadelphia at 701 Arch Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Tickets and further information concerning this historic event can be obtained at https://bit.ly/GetTix4Broking Peace; https://tockify.com/houevents/detail/10/1669851000000.

         Featured panelists representing the over 3,000 young men who have come through the House of Umoja will be The Honorable Councilmember Curtis Jones, Jr., 15 year old Hameen Jackson, Anthony "Hakim" Starkey, and Jamal Johnson. Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, President & CEO of the House of Umoja will join the conversation via Zoom.

            The event will be punctuated by the announcement of the Best Article prize respectively to two (2) young women  -- Mesdames Brielle Bartley and  Jaelyn Mack, each of whom participated in the House of Umoja, Inc.’s inaugural UMOJA Youth Peace Corps and penned instructive and profound essays that were published in UMOJA Magazine’s “Her Story” Youth Edition. Fourteen-year-old Ms. Jaelyn Mack through her essay, “How To Step Forward for the Next Generation” moves readers to look at the world through the lens of accessibility, inclusiveness, possibilities while Ms. Brielle Bartley serves up heart wrenching story and a powerful recipe for creating a nurturing and more tranquil world in, “A Safer World For Kids.” Copies of the magazine may be ordered at https://www.houseofumoja.net/umojamagazine.html. 

     Through the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps and the Fattah Peace Academy (www.houseofumoja.net), the House of Umoja, Inc. continues to  broker peace and invest in the future by moving a new generation of youths to embrace peace through a commitment to nonviolence and providing them with many of the tools they will need to mature into productive and successful adults.  The House of Umoja, Inc. (www.houseofumoja.net) launched the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps, a component of the Fattah Peace Academy and the UMOJA INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY on Tuesday, 5 April 2022.  The UMOJA Youth Peace Corps is an influencer leadership initiative centered around peace, the family of community, culture, and healing.  An after school program, the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps nurtures youths, ages 14 through 18, by providing them with a well-rounded array of training ranging from communications, mental and physical wellness, Blockchain Basics entrepreneurship, dog training, and art therapy.  Each day begins with a meal and Adella with Queen Mother Falaka Fattah. Adella is a Swahili word that means “just” or “fair” and is formed around the value of the extended family, creating a safe space, and a tool for conflict resolution. Adella became the order within a home of fifteen (15) boys when Queen Mother in 1969 invited the gang members of her son's gang to live in her home. Adella is a proven model that has worked in West African societies from ancient times and throughout the House of Umoja, Inc.’s existence as a residential home, safe haven, and peacemaker in the streets.
         “Imagine an urban inner-city campus where youth ranging in ages from twelve to twenty-five become the moral equivalent to antibodies.  Imagine youths who are trained as Peace Ambassadors to help end violence in their communities while realizing their own potential within an environment that is culturally rich and educationally relevant. Imagine these youths having this experience on a campus that is a replica of one of the most beautiful cities in the world, the ancient African city of Djennè. Imagine a place where students may also learn Aquaponics, Aviation, Web 3 Technologies, and Coding. Securing the future of the community requires an educated, motivated, and non-violent workforce. To do so the work must begin with our youth while providing opportunities for community participation. As a continuation of our ‘gift of giving’ -- brokering peace and investing in the future -- the House of Umoja is committed to making the Fattah Peace Academy a reality within the next two years -- 2023 through 2025. This integrated development effort will provide young people with educational services to prepare them for the future. Importantly, it will provide training that will provide attendees with the skills to create businesses and builds on Umoja’s service strengths.  The components of our service strengths include programming that trains students to grow vegetables and fish using hydroponic technology. Students will learn to code so that they can develop apps and other technological programs for use in today’s and tomorrow’s information technology driven world. In addition, students will be provided with cultural enrichment, entrepreneurial skills, and preparation for employment services -- all of which will help to provide the community with resources for the prevention of violence.   This is a long-term project that seeks to fully develop the 1400 block of Frazier Street. The House of Umoja currently owns 18 properties on the block, with facade stylized to represent the ancient city of Djennè.  We envision a completely redeveloped campus that will include classrooms and meeting spaces to facilitate the implementation of educational and employment activities. The campus will offer rooftop farming, a green house, a pond, and farming lots.   As a result, the health of the community will be positively impacted due to an increase in the availability of fresh vegetables.  A critical component in the academy’s educational and entrepreneurial efforts is the aquaponics program which will simultaneously provide training and an ongoing stream of income,” explained Queen Mother Falaka Fattah, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the House Of Umoja, Inc.

          Established in 1968, the House of Umoja, Inc. is an  internationally acclaimed institution that has, for five decades, designed and implemented timeless Global Models for eradicating violence, fostering community development, creating economic sustainability, and addressing many of the key challenges that prevent boys and adolescent males from reaching their full potential and maturing into productive and successful adults.  Its successful track record of positively transforming the lives of approximately 3,000 male adolescents and  reducing gang violence, moved universities and institutions to seek the House of Umoja, Inc.’s expertise.   The Office of Juvenile Justice and Prevention and the Center for Disease Control were among the institutions that sought the House of Umoja, Inc.’s expertise on gang violence reduction, youth programming, and community organizing.   Former United States Presidents The Honorable James Earl Carter, Jr. and the late Honorable Ronald Wilson Reagan recognized the House of Umoja, Inc. for its pioneering work that has been documented in published articles such as “A Summons To Life,” by Robert Woodson of the American Enterprise Institute (www.aei.org)  in 1981 and “The Violent Juvenile Offender,” by Paul DeMuro and Richard Allison of the National Council On Crime and Delinquency (www.nccdglobal.org), in 1984.

          For further information about the UMOJA Intentional Community, the UMOJA Youth Peace Corps, the Fattah Peace Academy, and the House of Umoja, Inc., visit the organization’s website at www.houseofumoja.net or call (215) 473-5893 or send an e-mail to:  [email protected]. To donate 

PRESS ADVISORY CRAFTED BY DIANE AISHA SEARS

The Youth Edition of UMOJA Magazine published and recently released by the House Of Umoja, Inc., is a strong indication that at 54, the party is just getting started for the international institution which has successful track record that spans five (5) decades in addressing and reducing violence and positively transforming the trajectory of the lives of over 3,000 adolescent males.

UMOJA Magazine’s Youth Edition seamlessly moves us from the past, to the present, and to the future. The journey begins with historical grounding courtesy of “Her Story: The Rebirth Of Women As Participants In Civilization,” penned by City of Philadelphia’s first Poet Laureate, prolific author, educator, scholar, activist, Poetry Society 2001 Robert Frost Medalist, and recipient of the 2022 Barnes & Noble Writers for Writer Award PROFESSOR SONIA SANCHEZ. MS. CHANDLER FATTAH crafts an unflinchingly fiery narrative that predicts the birth of a movement that genuinely recognizes centuries of pain and trauma endured by Women of African descent in the United States through “Final Words.” We are moved to think about accessibility, inclusiveness, possibilities and hope by MS. JAELYN MACK in “How To Step Forward For The Next Generation.” Through “Medieval African,” MS. MIKAYLAH BANNISTER introduces us to Askia Muhammad I, also known as Muhammed Ture, the first ruler of the Askia Dynasty of the Songhai Empire. In “A Safer World For Kids,” MS. BRIELLE BARTLEY graphically explains how a daily diet of trauma and tumult impacts children and serves up a powerful recipe for creating a nurturing and tranquil world. Are Our Children in dire need of intentional care from the adults in their world? Is providing the young souls in our communities with “listening sessions” to talk about their experiences and offer solutions for moving their communities toward peace? MS. RAS STANFORD weighs in with an instructive essay, “Intergenerational Partnerships Are Critical To Curb Youth Violence.” For Women of African descent who wonder if embracing both Feminism and Pan Africanism creates a “conflict of interest” scenario for them, MS. FAJR DUDLEY’S thought-provoking treatise, “Pan-African Perspective Of The New Age Black Woman And Modern Day Feminism” will resolve their dilemma.

The masterfully crafted Youth Edition of UMOJA Magazine offers an extremely helpful “College Preparation Checklist for High School” for the families of college bound children. Award-winning journalist, internationally recognized humanitarian, and President of House Of Umoja, Inc., QUEEN MOTHER FALAKA FATTAH concludes our seamless movement from the past, to the present, and the future by moving us to remember the souls have directly and indirectly “touched us in ways that change us forever” in a tribute she has penned, “They Are Gone But Not Forgotten.”

To learn how you can obtain a copy of the Youth Edition of UMOJA Magazine, a keepsake journal, please visit the House Of Umoja, Inc.’s website at: www.houseofumoja.net/umojamagazine. 
Format: Digital
ISSN 2836-1377
Format: Print
ISSN 2836-1350
For further information about the House Of Umoja, Inc., call (215) 473-5893 or send an electronic mail communication to: [email protected]. Information can also be obtained about the internationally acclaimed institution y visiting its website at www.houseofumoja.net.

by Rosamelia SanchezSince 1969, the House of Umoja has been working to protect at-risk youth in West Philadelphia and other areas. After learning that her son was part of a gang, Queen Mother Falakah Fattah and her husband David Fattah took the responsibility of housing young gang members in their homes. Eventually, the House of Umoja became a sanctuary for gang members, and their housing program began.
“Between 1969 and 2010, over 3,000 boys lived on this block..."

The organization decided to celebrate its 54th anniversary on the 1400 block of N. Frazier St, the same block where they have always been located. “We decided we wanted to celebrate with the community where we have been doing the work for 54 years,” said Queen Mother... READ COMPLETE ARTICLE HERE http://bit.ly/3Dpd0Jg.

article excerpt...
Organizers say the youth corps, still in its infancy, marks the beginning of a new era for the House of Umoja, which opened in West Philadelphia in 1969. It’s been credited with brokering peace between the city’s most violent gangs at that time. For decades it offered housing, mediation services, and educational assistance to gang-involved boys. Now leaders want to teach teens to act as positive role models and discourage gun violence among their peers.

Working on a solution to gun violence and want to share it? Get in touch with gun violence prevention
reporters Sammy Caiola and Sam Searles.
Hameen Jackson has his heart set on professional football. For a while, he was waking up at 6 a.m. every day to run so he could stay in shape for the field. He’s got game footage on his phone, and he doesn’t hesitate to pull it up when asked.
But the 15-year-old lost track of his mission this spring when he broke into a U-Haul lot and stole a van with some friends. He was placed in jail overnight and put on probation.
“It’s easy to get in trouble but it’s hard to get out,” Jackson said. “I just realized that...”

Concerned that her son could get roped into more serious crime, his mother Consuela Johnson placed him in the House of Umoja Youth Peace Corps, a new network of young people being taught to change the culture of gun violence among their peers. Jackson was part of the program’s first cohort, which wrapped in June after two months of career preparation, conflict resolution, and other after-school learning sessions.
“I want him to come out as a good boy, and to know that just because you made one bad mistake, that doesn’t ruin your life forever,” said Johnson, who is employed by the House of Umoja. “Him being here … he’s with other kids that never got in trouble...”

Organizers say the youth corps, still in its infancy, marks the beginning of a new era for the House of Umoja, which opened in West Philadelphia in 1969. It’s been credited with brokering peace between the city’s most violent gangs at that time. For decades it offered housing, mediation services, and educational assistance to gang-involved boys. Now leaders want to teach teens to act as positive role models and discourage gun violence among their peers.
“You’ve have to have the young people talking with the young people,” said Jacqueline Taylor-Adams, development director for the House of Umoja and program director of the peace corps.
It’s a tall order, with the city’s shooting rates at a record high and youth facing a slew of pandemic-related stressors. Former gang leaders who still work with the House of Umoja say the landscape of gun violence is different now — there are fewer formal groups, and the power and respect that used to be earned by climbing the ranks is now hastily acquired by carrying a gun. Some teens are afraid to be seen as weak, and social media can quickly cause petty interpersonal conflicts to escalate to gunfire...



John Johnson, a 68-year-old former Umoja resident who goes by the nickname “Baby John,” says the city can’t give up on young people.
“It is different, kids nowadays. But they can be touched,” he said. “If one don’t [listen], another one will. There’s always somebody who takes heed of what we say.”
Gun Violence Prevention Tactics From Umoja Leaders

1. Clean up the block. When streets are tidy and active, trouble stays out
2. Provide a haven. Many young people just need a place to feel safe and heard
3. Provide a meal. Breaking bread makes peace talks go more smoothly
4. Focus on work. Studies, chores, and job prospects can deter young people from engaging in crime
5. Teach leadership. Help young people become good role models for one another

After a long history in violence prbit.ly/WHYYArticleTeenPeaceevention, the House of Umoja remains respected by other grassroots organizations, and newer groups continue to seek advice from matriarch and master peace broker Queen Mother Falaka Fattah... READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE HERE https://bit.ly/WHYYArticleTeenPeace 
This is a WHYY (PBS Broadcast • NPR) article in the Gun Violence Prevention section of the digital blog.