Save R Us International

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SAVE R US is a student run anti-violence organization dedicated to promoting nonviolence in our schools and communities. The organization was founded by Brandon Lee Wolff (Swarthmore '08) at his high school in response to a string of school shootings in early 2001 and has since spread to other high schools and colleges in the Philadelphia, PA area. In July 2004, SAVE R US International was launched at the World Youth Centre in Toronto, Canada with the help of the SAVE R US International Advisory Board.

One of the signature activities that SAVE R US coordinates is its "unity cafe" discussion groups. These discussion groups are conducted in a "cafe" style atmosphere to allow students to feel comfortable to discuss serious issues that pertain to diversity, bullying and violence. Another main activity is the planning of the SAVE R US annual peace week. This tradition began in 2001 with a two day peace festival at Council Rock High School. It expanded from two days to five days with the planning of Peace Week 2003, which encompassed the entire Council Rock School District. Peace Week was then expanded even further with the planning of Peace Week BUCKS COUNTY 2004 in conjunction with other SAVE R US chapters and 12 other community organizations in Bucks County, PA. The committee has since expanded and successfully coordinated Peace Week BUCKS COUNTY in 2005, 2006 and 2007.

In 2005, the SAVE R US organization established a chapter at Swarthmore College and worked with other organizations in coordinating Peace Week SWARTHMORE 2005. This week was dedicated to "preventing violence in our local and global community" through a variety of events and activities. In April 2006, Peace Week expanded to include Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges in TRI-CO Peace Week 2006, which continued again in April 2007. Starting in 2006, Peace Week BUCKS COUNTY and TRI-CO Peace Week have occurred during the same week.

The newest SAVE R US program is the Peacemakers program (currently operating in Chester, PA schools) which is designed to have college and high school students become trained as Peacemakers to go into elementary schools to educate elementary students about bullying and violence. The "Peacemakers" use a variety of educational and fun activities to teach students about the harmful consequences of bullying and violence in order to prevent young students from engaging in these destructive activities. It is our hope that educating the youth of today will yield a less violent society in the future.

SAVE R US has received a prestigious Pericles Foundation grant to begin the SAVE R US expansion project of expanding SAVE R US to other schools. For more information on starting a SAVE R US chapter in your school or community, please email chapters@SAVERUSInternational.org.