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Ahimsa Project for Safe Families Named Non-Profit of the Year!

Center for Community Solutions is pleased to announce that the Ahimsa Project for Safe Families was named Non Profit Program of the Year on January 15th, 2003 at the 10 Leaders for San Diego Gala. The event was organized by KGTV Channel 10 and sponsors included Lead San Diego and Sempra Energy.

The Ahimsa Project for Safe Families is a collaborative project between Center for Community Solutions and Social Advocates for Youth San Diego, Inc. to engage communities in generating their own solutions to family violence, domestic violence, and community violence. Ahimsa specifically works with Somali, Vietnamese, and Latino communities in the Mid City area of San Diego. The name Ahimsa is actually derived from a Sanskrit word meaning “non-harm” or “boundless love”, and is the perfect reflection of what the program stands for.

The Ahimsa Project’s solution to violence is community dialogue and community involvement. Circles of community members gather together with Ahimsa Project outreach staff to discuss among themselves what they believe the root causes of violence are and then develop their own solutions. The solutions are always things they can do themselves in everyday life such as healthy parenting skills, learning job skills and building connections across cultures, generations, and genders. Ahimsa offers activities for both adults and youth.

Ahimsa has built many linkages between community members and social service providers so that people can access help faster and with more effective results. The project has helped draw resources into the community where people can use them to make their lives better and their families more harmonious. Ahimsa has brought knowledge from the communities to inform the service community about what people need and the kinds of services they find helpful.

Ahimsa is a celebration of culture, family, and community and we are proud and pleased to be a part of it. Congratulations to the Ahimsa Project staff: Dr. Amy Pan, Program Coordinator; Thu Cao, Project Assistant; Lucia Villegas, Latina Outreach Specialist; and Falis Budul, Somali Outreach Specialist.

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