Play4Peace ATL aims to curb teen violence through peace walk, leadership program

Last February, nearly 20 teenagers and adults were arrested and charged with converging onto The Battery as part of a 100-teen mob that disrupted businesses, strained public safety resources and led to multiple arrests involving weapons, theft and obstruction.

A month later, nearly a dozen guns were seized during a similar event along the Atlanta Beltline.

These so-called “teen takeovers” have been a trending topic on social media, highlighting the unauthorized social meetups of teenagers and young adults in public spaces like parks, malls and other family-friendly gathering places.

In response, HWPL Georgia and the ARROW Youth Leadership Council International organized a youth peace summit and summer camp, under the umbrella of Play4Peace ATL.

HWPL Georgia is one of the 170 international initiatives in the Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light nongovernmental organization. Their mission is to achieve lasting global peace and conflict resolution.

HWPL volunteers during the Play4Peace Peace Walk in Peoplestown. (Courtesy of HWPL Georgia)

This Saturday, nearly 1,000 people are expected to attend a youth-led peace walk that will begin at Ebenezer Church and end at the King Center on Auburn Avenue, pausing at Martin Luther King’s house for a Civil Rights commemoration song “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Round.”

Kim Thomas, chief branch manager for HWPL Georgia, said the march is one of the initiative’s most important events because it reflects its mission of “reclaiming the heritage of nonviolence.”

“Atlanta was the epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement,” she said. “When things catch fire in Atlanta, it spreads.”

The Play4Peace initiative began in 2015 when a group of community members, leaders and kids said they were tired of violence and a lack of resources in their communities.

The program was created by Maya Taylor, the founding executive director of Eagles Economic Community Development Corporation and ARROW Youth Leadership Council International.

“Dr. Maya and her team came up with Play4PeaceATL as an initiative to bring back peace, Through leadership, mentoring, community service. It’s a very tight-knit community,” Kiya Humphries, youth coordinator for ARROW, said.

The summit and summer camp are part of a three-week leadership and S.T.E.A.M. program serving about 200 local and international students in grades 6-12.

The program aims to educate youth on positive peace tactics, encourage leadership and civic engagement and offer an immersive cultural exchange.

Chief Branch Manager of HWPL Georgia Kim Thomas holding the Georgia Proclamation of Peace in the Governor's Office. (Courtesy of HWPL Georgia)

Thomas said the organization’s largest location is in Palmetto, Georgia, but it has programs throughout the state, including in Sparta, where an additional 70 students participate.

“We have all of these initiatives that are happening and are youth-driven,” she said. “This month is focused on youth leading the charge and building peace in their communities.”

Organizers say the program’s success depends on giving young people the tools and opportunities to become leaders of peace in their own communities.

“Young people have power, and if you change their mindset, you channel their thinking to change the community,” Thomas said.

In addition to the peace walk, Play4PeaceATL is hosting several events throughout June and July designed to encourage leadership, civic engagement and community involvement among Atlanta-area youth.

Mayor of Fairburn Hattie Portis-Jones playing a bass drum at the opening ceremony of Play4Peace. (Courtesy of HWPL Georgia)

Upcoming events include a speech at the Juneteenth Parade and Festival in Piedmont Park, a partnership with the 100 Black Men of DeKalb County’s Leadership Academy and a community art exhibit called “City Bleed No More.”