Middle school students at FDR and Armstrong recently took a pledge at the end of a recent Peacemaker Assembly, led by the Tariq Khamisa Foundation. The pledge was, “I pledge on my honor to be a peacemaker in my school, in my home and community. I am a peacemaker.”
The assembly, held virtually for Armstrong on Sept. 20 and in-person at FDR on Sept. 22, told the TKF story about the consequences of violence when college student Khamisa was killed in 1995 by a 14-year-old gang member, Tony Hicks. Hicks was tried as an adult and sentenced to 25 years in prison. Recognizing both Khamisa and Hicks were victims in this tragedy, the families joined together to launch TFK.
TKF believes that violence is a learned behavior that can be redirected and transformed through restorative practices. Through presenters, video and open discussion, the assembly taught the benefits of restorative practices and the ways students can be peacemakers.
Restorative practices include managing emotions, practicing mindfulness, making amends and forgiveness, building supportive relationships and practicing conflict resolution. These topics could not all be covered in the assembly, so the schools are also implementing TKF’s Restorative Workshop, a 10-session educational series, to dive deeper into social-emotional curriculum.
“I hope students learned that support is available to them and they are not alone in their trauma, pain and adversities,” said Tasreen Khamisa, executive director of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation.
