We pledge and promise to work together with the members of our family, school, community, and city to eliminate violence in all its forms, including racism, sexism, homophobia, guns, drugs, crime, and fighting. 

 

We commit ourselves to nonviolence and mental health by:

 

1. Refusing to participate in any form of physical or emotional violence.

2. Modeling language and behavior that is non-biased and inclusive of persons regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, disabilities, sexual orientation and/or religion.

3. Educating ourselves about the rich cultural diversity that exists in our society and seeking out opportunities to collaborate with culturally diverse groups.

4. Intervening and letting others know that we will not tolerate jokes, comments, slurs, or actions that demean any person or group.

5. Joining with other people in efforts to combat prejudice and violence.

6. Sharing this pledge with a friend.

 

We pledge to

Reject hate and embrace love

Serve and care for others

And make a difference with our lives.

 

This pledge was adapted from the "Youth Against Violence Pledge" of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia and the "Count on Me Pledge" of the Fair Housing Committee of Weymouth, Massachusetts, by Patti De Rosa of Cross-Cultural Consultation in Randolph, Massachusetts, the Cambridge Youth Peace and Justice Corps, and Teens Against Gang Violence, Boston, Massachusetts, 1994.