As juvenile violence continues to increase in the US, the general responsehas been to urge prosecutors to try the youths as adults, have judges imposestiffer prison sentences and build even more prisons to house the youngoffenders.

"Our message is essentially designed to invest in prevention, to developsome inner strength in these kids and to teach them the importance ofnon-violent conflict resolution," said Khamisa, an international investmentbanker. He practises what he preaches through his Tariq Khamisa Foundationin San Diego, touring local schools and reaching out to the more than 16,000students through the Violence Impact Forum.

Khamisa urges the students to resolve their conflicts through discussion,not weapons. And the students listen to him because Khamisa's own son,Tariq, was shot to death by a 14-year-old, who is now serving a lifesentence in prison. They also listen to him because everywhere he goes,Khamisa is accompanied by Ples Felix, the grandfather of the boy who shothis son. Together they speak on the devastation wrought on their respectivefamilies by the shooting.

"Our story is one of forgiveness, compassion and unity," Khamisa explained."It has been my view from the beginning that there were victims on both endsof the gun."

Tariq was 20 years old, a student who worked part-time delivering pizzas topay for his college expenses, when he died. On January 21, 1995, he wasdelivering a pizza to a group of young men, including 14-year-old Tony Hicks."It was a botched robbery. They demanded the pizza from my son. He refused,and one of the 18-year-old gang members gave the 14-year-old a gun and said,`Bust some bones'," Khamisa recounted. "One bullet was fired, but it wasfatal."

For months following the death of his son, Khamisa was devastated. "Frankly,after it happened, I had not much energy to even get out of bed, much lessstart anything," he said. A Muslim from the Ismaili sect, he soughtcounselling from a spiritual teacher "who suggested to me that while it'shuman to grieve, continuous grieving after a soul departs can impede thatsoul's journey", Khamisa recalled. "He encouraged me to do good deeds, whichwould essentially transfer to my son's soul and help speed his journey. Sothat was the inspiration for me to do something in memory of my son."

Inspired by the life of Gandhi, whom he regards as "the champion ofnon-violence", Khamisa set up the foundation in memory of Tariq nine monthsafter his death and has even received an endorsement from Gandhi's grandson,Arun Gandhi.

"I felt my country should do more for its children. Its children are notborn gangsters," said Khamisa. "In fact, they have in them the potential tobe heroes because most of the kids who are in these gangs are leaders, verycharismatic and good organisers."

Ples Felix, the guardian of Tariq's assailant, had no idea that his grandsonbelonged to a gang. "He actually ran away the day he committed murder,"Khamisa pointed out.

The two men joined forces and over time, the tragedy and its effect on boththeir families has brought them closer. "We have become good friends now andgo out to dinner at least a couple times a week," Khamisa said.

As Khamisa and Flex go from school to school with their Violence ImpactForum, they reach out to the children through a 75-minute programme thatincludes a video re-enactment of the fatal shooting of Tariq Khamisa. "Theprogramme has been given to several thousand children and it is deliveringamazing, quantifiable results where we are seeing a shift in at-riskchildren in attitudes that lead to revenge, gangs, guns and violence,"Khamisa claimed. "So our eventual goal after these 70 schools in San Diegois now to bring this programme on a nationwide basis."

-- IANS