1. 1. If you want to keep people from bringing guns into your home, you must either tell them not to bring guns in, or post a state- approved  sign on the door. If you want to keep guns out of your place of business, you must post signs at the doors. You can download the signs at https://ccl4illinois.com/ccw/Public/CCWProhibitedAreaSign.pdf . Some towns are giving away no-gun window stickers. Urge your local government to make the stickers available. 
2. 2. State Senator Don Harmon (D - Oak Park) has introduced SB2669, which  would reverse the "default" position from allowing guns to not allowing on private property. It would change the law so that people would not be able to brings guns into your home or business without first getting permission. Businesses that wish to allow people to carry guns would have to post signs warning teh public that guns were allowed inside. Contact your state representatives and ask them to co-sponsor this bill. you can find your representatives contact information at http://www.ilga.gov/
3. 3. Make sure your local government prohibits its employees and contractors from carrying guns while working. Otherwise, meter readers may carry guns into your home, garbage collectors may carry guns onto your property, and crossing guards may carry guns around children.
4. 4. Before you allow your child to ride ina car pool ask if the driver has a gun. The new law allows people to carry loaded guns in cars with children. 
5. 5. Before you allow your child to go to a friend's house to play, ask if there are guns in the house. Inchicago's suburbs, one in five houses may contain guns, based on state records. 
6. 6. Urge your church, synagogue, or other place of worship to post signs so that people will not bring guns inside.
7. 7. Ask every store you shop at to post no-gun signs.
8. 8. ask your employer to adopt a no-guns policy for employees while working, either on or off sight.
9. 9. Keep speaking out against gun violence in your community. Write letters to the editor of local newspapers. Convene discussions. Contact elected officials. 
10. 10. On March 18, vote in the primary for candidates whose records show they care.
11. 11. Follow Peaceful Communities on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/PeacefulCommunities

12. Read More at http://concealedcarryandme.com by the Illinois Council Against Handgun Violence

Church

Litany for Peace

by Joe Wadsworth

Framed within the Lord's Prayer

• L: Gracious God; timeless and Ageless God; you have commanded us to love our enemies. You yourself gave your life for those who were motivated by hatred.
• P: Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name....
• L: You have watched humanity fight and scrap. You have watched with sadness as your creation is hoarded and divided for spoil under the guise of dominion. Help us seek your will in our lives. Make us your ambassadors as well as your disciples.
• P: ... Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven....
• L: You sent your only Son so that your people; All your people, might truly know of your love and of your peace. That we might fully understand your AGAPE, your SHALOM. In a time of war, our hearts need your assurance and your presence confirmed. Our leaders need to sense your power is the strengths they employ.
• P: ... Give us this day our Daily Bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors...
• L: It is so easy to reap a harvest of anger and revenge. Our hearts so easily fill with rage and discord. When war rages, sometimes our patriotism supersedes our mandate for peace and reconciliation. Forgive us our anger and grant us hearts of renewing peace. Help us be mirrors of your life even in times of discord.
• P: ... For Thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever...
• L: And so, Lord God of Creation, Savior of the World, we pray for a new chapter of peace to open. Before the momentum of hatred eclipses our strength to control it, grant us peace within. Create in us a clean heart and peaceful mind. This is the nature of your Kingdom; this is the basis of your power, and this is the joy of your Glory. Give us peace.
• All: Amen

CREATE PEACE BY…
 Open doors of the church for at least one day of the week for afterschool activities
 Teach Conflict Resolution in Sunday school courses
 Encourage parishioners to break the ―Code of Silence‖
 Hold prayer gatherings or peace vigils that promote violence free communities and/or violence prevention
strategies in religious sermons/gatherings
 Encourage church members to become Block Club captains
 Work with other churches, civic clubs, community groups, fraternal organizations, etc. with initiatives for
peace
 Faith groups can ask congregation members to support local youth violence prevention activities

I pledge to respectfully address conflict with my peers and family.
I pledge to have an open mind to making changes in myself, others, and community.
I pledge to respect people different from myself and try to understand where they‘re coming from.
By committing to this pledge I will become a positive productive, engaged member of my community.
―We will reverse the violence.
We will invest in our communities.
We will understand the impact of our actions.
We will educate others in non-violence.
We will take a stand.
We will shape our own future!

CREATE PEACE BY…
 Get involved in extra-curricular activities
 Mentor a younger child in your neighborhood
 Encourage your peers to break the "Code of Silence"
 Find an alternative and non-violent way to express anger and frustration Host a mini ―Mix It Up Day‖
(http://www.tolerance.org/mix-it-up)
 Create a quilt of diversity using fabric or other mediums that represent each students‘ cultural heritage
 Host a poster, Public Service Announcement (PSA), spoken word, or mural contest for youth on the theme
of Peace and the role of Youth in Peace-making
 Conduct facilitated discussions on Youth Violence Prevention-related topics: stress management, resolving
conflicts without violence, busting the myth of snitching, avoiding peer pressure. Use youth as facilitators or
invite specialists.
 Make a Peace Makers Hall of Fame bulletin board in your school that pays tribute to local, national and
international figures who have resolved conflict peacefully
 Offer your time to community based organizations working on violence prevention
 Utilize various social networking mediums (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter) to raise awareness of violence
prevention. Create your own video/tool or support others that have created one
 Organize a service project where you and your friends volunteer with youth-serving organizations that
promote violence prevention.
 Ask your teacher to have a classroom discussion on ways to reduce violence in school
 Ask your school principal or park supervisor if you could paint a peaceful mural over graffiti in school or
parks

Conflict Resolution

National Multicultural Institute’s nine-step model

In their efforts to "win" and be "right", people often let disagreement escalate into a futile and frustrating struggle for
power. But conflict doesn‘t have to be adversarial. When handled carefully, a conflict can defuse hostility, generate
alliances, and stimulate creative solutions. In the case of confronting an issue that has been ignored or avoided, conflict
can be especially liberating. And the basic tools of conflict resolution can be learned and practiced by anyone. Conflict
is an inevitable part of life; therefore it makes sense to learn some simple conflict resolution strategies.
First, take a moment to reflect on a stressful conflict from your recent past. Then as you review the following guidelines,
mentally compare each suggestion to what actually happened in your conflict. Imagine how things might have gone
differently and pinpoint your particular strengths and weaknesses. Finally, consider how you might adapt your
approach to improve the outcome of future conflicts.

1. Listen with respect and openness: Before you even begin a discussion, calm yourself and step back from your
   emotions. Try not to take the situation personally, even if you feel defensive or under attack. Let go of grudges
   and preconceptions so that you enter the conversation with an open mind. Imagine that you are hearing
   everything for the first time.

2. Look at the situation from the other person’s perspective: It‘s easy to get trapped in tunnel vision, in
   which we convince ourselves that our way is the only way. Especially if the conflict surrounds a longstanding
   problem, it‘s difficult to see things as the other person might see them. But it is crucial to set your pride aside and
   really listen. Avoid assumptions and ask questions if you don‘t understand. Verbally summarize what you heard
   them say and ask for confirmation or clarification.

3. Let the other person hear an explanation of your perspective. Explain your viewpoint clearly and
   patiently. Make sure to separate the person from the problem. In other words, focus on behaviors or situations
   that you want to change rather than personal traits. If you remain calm, use ―I‖ statements and non-judgmental
   language, and stick to the facts during this step, then you increase the likelihood that the other person will listen.

4. Recognize similarities and differences. Part of this involves defining the problem to ensure that you are
   talking about the same issue. Too often, people skip this step and simply assume that their respective complaints
   or goals are mutual. But it‘s necessary to state the problem explicitly to avoid circling and frustration. Once you
   establish that you‘re talking about the same problem, there are always at least one or two points on which you
   already see things similarly. If you can‘t find any common ground, you might need to return to step one. As you
   identify differences, be careful not to use an accusatory or judgmental tone of voice.

5. Acknowledge any cultural differences. Sometimes gender, race, religion, and other aspects of cultural
   identity and values remain an unspoken but powerful factor in a conflict. It‘s not always easy to bring these into
   the open, but open acknowledgment of cultural differences can help define the relevant issues and sort out
   underlying unconscious motivations.

6. Look for common ground. Find something—anything—to agree on, even if it‘s just being able to name a
   common goal. Remind yourself that everyone will benefit if you can see this as a cooperative process.

7. Recommend action. Be creative. Brainstorm as many possibilities as you can without worrying about how to
   achieve them. Even outlandish ideas might inspire other, more viable ones.

8. Determine what adaptations each person is willing to make to find a satisfactory
   alternative. Where can you be flexible? What are your priorities and needs? See if you can sacrifice a little to
   accomplish your broader objectives. This is when keeping the ―big picture‖ in mind matters most.

9. Negotiate an agreement. Be realistic. You may decide you need to meet again for further discussion. You may
   have to check with other stakeholders to get their approval for your solutions. Or in some cases, you may just
   have to agree to disagree. If you find yourself stuck, consider hiring a professional mediator.

In the heat of the moment, it sometimes feels more important to be right than to maintain a respectful, win-win
attitude. But if you approach your conflict with goodwill, calm, and trust in the collaborative process, you‘ll find that
even monumental conflicts can be overcome.

In most cases, conflict is about more than one issue; it‘s about a relationship. Recognize that with a little give and take,
the conflict resolution process has the potential to strengthen your rapport with others. And each successful resolution
will give you the confidence and abilities to negotiate future encounters with ease.