| Beginning the Journey to Lead Workshop at 26th Annual PRIDE World Drug Prevention Conference |
| NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 3, 2003 Contact: Beginning the Journey Presentations PO Box 131 Harrison, Michigan 48625 Phone: (989) 387-6697 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.beginningthejourney.org Beginning the Journey to Present at PRIDE 2003 World Drug Prevention Conference. Beginning the Journey Diversity Presentations will be hosting workshops and exhibiting at the PRIDE 2003 World Drug Prevention Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, April 9-12, 2003. PRIDE Youth Programs, a Michigan-based non-profit organization provides drug, alcohol and violence prevention training for youth. Beginning the Journey's Nicholas Linindoll will lead two of 150 workshop presentations at the conference, which will provide more than 3,000 youth and adults with the latest training on violence prevention and healthy living. The conference is being held at the new David L. Lawrence Convention Center and will also offer workshops on such topics as youth drug prevention, leadership development, innovative prevention programming and research and evaluation. Beginning the Journey will be again be presenting the workshop �Beginning the Journey to a Hate Free Tomorrow.� This workshop focuses on the individual�s power to end violence by recognizing the effects of hate and taking action to end personal biases and hate motivated behavior. Attendees will view a portion of the film �Journey to a Hate Free Millennium� and participate in activities that will help to illustrate the impact of hate and the impact of understanding and acceptance in our society. New to this year's conference, Beginning the Journey will be presenting "Empowerment According to Charlie Brown." This workshop seeks to encourage participants to use their personal power to lift up and encourage the people around them that otherwise might feel like "Charlie Browns." These workshops seek to raise awareness of the destructive powers of hatred and violence in our society and to inspire participants to set out upon a journey toward a world defined by compassion, peace, and hope. They rely on open-ended questions and interactive learning experiences designed stimulate thought and dialogue on the effects of hate and the path to solutions. Cassie Nickerson, Beginning the Journey volunteer, will be managing the Beginning the Journey table in the Exhibitors' Hall. Hundreds of copies of our material as well as other organizations literature will be passed out over the course of three days. The resources made available are some of the best writings and resources on tolerance and hate crime prevention out there. Visit http://www.prideyouthprograms.org for more information about PRIDE 2003 and make sure to look for Beginning the Journey in Pittsburgh! PRIDE Youth Programs mission is to educate, promote and support drug-free youth who care for the safety and health of self, peers, family and community. For more information, contact: PRIDE Youth Programs, 4684 S. Evergreen, Newaygo, MI 49337. Phone: 800- 668-9277 email: [email protected]. Web: http://www.prideyouthprograms.org. Beginning the Journey Diversity Presentations seeks to expose the effects of hate and cultivate an understanding and appreciation for human diversity. For more information contact: Beginning the Journey Diversity Presentations, PO Box 131, Harrison, MI 48625. Phone: 989-387-6697. Email: [email protected]. Web: http://www.beginningthejourney.org. |
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