Hearts & hands : creating community in violent times
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 365-396).

Rodríguez's life was once held in the grip of gang brotherhood and rivalries. Here he patiently traces the emotional and spiritual terrain that ultimately allowed him to understand his milieu and skillfully negotiate a sound future for himself and his family. Empowered by his experiences as a peacemaker with gangs in Los Angeles and Chicago, Rodríguez makes concrete suggestions on how to approach the violence facing youth today. He warns that we sacrifice community values for material gain when we incarcerate or marginalize people already on the edge of society. He approaches the issues from a grassroots perspective, influenced by the writings of Joseph Campbell, Mircea Eliade, and Lao Tzu. In these pages he forges a powerful, insightful, and healing response to the troubles of our times.--From publisher description.