Peace Stories
April 2003
Banner photo: Nara, Japan [©SEKAI BUNKA PHOTO]
Victory Over Violence Update
The Victory Over Violence (VOV) Youth Film Festival was held in Los Angeles in September 2002, celebrating films made by or about youth with a message of nonviolence and violence prevention.
For four months leading up to the event, SGI-USA youth members met to explore the root causes of violence and to deepen their understanding of different cultures and religions, particularly of Islam and Arab culture. Many of these meetings were held together with Islamic and Bahá'í youth groups. Film footage of some of the meetings was made into a video, "The World Is Yours to Change." The film festival itself included performances by young local musicians.
The VOV program was initiated by SGI-USA's Youth Peace Committee in 1999 in response to growing concerns about youth-related violence in America. The program's aims are to promote awareness, introspection and the spirit of nonviolence through dialogue; to provide a source of hope and courage for young people who have suffered the effects of violence; and to transform the tendency to downplay the sanctity of life that has become predominant during a century of war and violence.
In its first year alone, VOV held 3,000 community meetings across the U.S.A., and over 100,000 individuals signed the "VOV pledge" of nonviolence.
The VOV program has attracted the interest of educators and academic institutions, and various religious and non-governmental organizations have worked together with the SGI to organize many of the VOV Culture of Peace Festivals, school workshops, exhibitions and university discussions that have been held throughout the U.S.A.
Several local governments have demonstrated support by proclaiming a "Victory Over Violence Week," while various police departments, including the Los Angeles Police Department, have endorsed VOV.
The program, which is part of SGI-USA's ongoing support of the United Nations' "Culture of Peace" initiative, has also expanded to other countries.
Visit: www.vov.com
