DR. ROZELIA M. KENNEDY
Rozelia Kennedy recently earned a Ph.D. in Education from the University of South Florida majoring in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Adult Education. She received a master’s degree from Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts, and a bachelor’s degree from Florida Memorial University. Her dedication to Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation is reflected in the focus of her dissertation, A biographical study of Bernard LaFayette, Jr. as an adult educator including the teaching of nonviolence conflict reconciliation.
FEMI KENNEDY
Femi Kennedy is the founder of Abel’s Community Services, Inc., who has seen and experienced firsthand the disastrous effects that violence has on children and adults throughout the communities in Hillsborough County. After witnessing countless individuals fall victim to drugs, crime, and violence, he wanted to develop a way to stop these issues from plaguing the community. He extensively researched the root causes of these problems and spoke with many victims and victimizers throughout Tampa Bay. Soon after he developed a dedicated and experienced Board, filed his nonprofit paperwork, and Abel’s Community Services Inc. was born.
Femi Kennedy is a Level III Certified Kingian Nonviolence Trainer. He accompanied Dr. LaFayette in training 16,000 Nigerian Freedom Fighters during 16 trips to Nigeria working with the Federation of Ethnic Harmony of Nigeria. He also traveled to South Africa with Dr. LaFayette where he received his Level II training. Femi Kennedy has facilitated numerous trainings with the Jim Walter Partnership Center in Tampa and Sarasota, Florida. He is the 2016 Recipient of the City of Tampa Citizenship of the Year awarded to him by the Tampa Police Department and the City of Tampa’s Mayor’s Office.
CAPTAIN CHARLES L. ALPHIN, SR. (Retired)
Charles L. Alphin, Sr. served as a police officer for over twenty-six (26) years in the St. Louis City Police Department, St. Louis, Missouri. During his police career he served as patrol officer, detective, juvenile officer, sergeant, platoon lieutenant and captain. Serving in the rank of captain the last ten (10) years of his career he was: Commander of Homicide/Rape and Child Abuse; District Commander; and retired as Commander of Vice/Narcotics.
In 1992, after retirement from the St. Louis City Police Department, and at the request of Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Captain Alphin and his wife moved to Atlanta, Georgia, to work at the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Social Change, Inc. He worked as a trainer in Kingian Nonviolence and in 1994 was promoted to Director of Education and Training for the King Center. In 1996 he retired from the King Center and joined LaFayette & Associates, continuing in the Kingian Nonviolence training. Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr. served on the Executive Staff of Martin Luther King, Jr. and trained Captain Alphin in the philosophy and methodology of Kingian Nonviolence in the late 1970’s. He has been privileged to train both nationally and internationally in Kingian Nonviolence. He has trained law enforcement officers, “at-risk” and “gang” youth, educators, elementary, secondary and college students, professors, community leaders, clergy, and correctional officers.
GERALD ALPHIN
Gerald Alphin enjoyed a ten (10) year Professional Football career as a wide receiver. His career combined the National Football League (NFL) and the Canadian Football League (CFL). The teams that employed him were the NFL New Orleans Saints and the Dallas Cowboys, as well as CFL teams Ottawa, Winnipeg and Montreal. Alphin accomplished winning a Canadian League Grey Cup Championship in 1995 with the Baltimore Stallions .
Since retiring in 1995 Alphin has worked and lived with his wife and two sons in AtlantaGa. He is an active member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity and Kansas State University Alumni. Alphin has obtained his real estate appraisers license in GA.
Alphin is certified in Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation by Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr., Distinguished Senior Scholar-in-Residence, EmoryUniversity, Atlanta, Georgia. He has been fortunate to co-train with Dr. LaFayette, Jr. both nationally and internationally. He has trained in Nigeria and co-host training groups to Soweto, Durban, Cape Town and Robben Island, South Africa.
CHARLES ALPHIN, JR.
Charles L. Alphin, Jr. is President of Building Life Foundations Nonviolence Center, St. Louis and Vice-President of DDK Historical and Educational Tours.
He is a certified trainer in Kingian Nonviolence receiving his certification in 2001 after completing over 160 hours in Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation. This training was under the supervision of Dr. Bernard LaFayette, Jr., Distinguished Senior Scholar-in-Residence, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. He has joined Dr. LaFayette, Jr. and others in teaching the philosophy nationally and in South Africa, Ghana, and Nigeria, as an intervention and prevention method in psychological and physical violence.
Charles has taught the Kingian Nonviolence philosophy to many organizations, ST. Louis PAL, ST. Louis Can, Mentors in Blue (MIB), St. Louis History Museum, Midwest Regional Kingian Nonviolence Training Conference, the Boys and Girls Club of Atlanta; Fulton County; World Changers Church International Children’s Minister, Atlanta, GA; Bethel Christian Half-Way House for Substance Abuse, Atlanta. GA; Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Support Group, St. Louis, MO; Atlanta Public Schools, Atlanta, GA: “At Risk” students at the “4th Annual International Nonviolence Conference,” University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI; Youth and adults, Johannesburg, South Africa; AmeriCorps, Nashville, TN.
He has organized and conducted educational tours to Europe, West Africa and South Africa and serves as a board member of Gateway to Peace Museum.
He presently lives in O’Fallon Mo. and married to Michelle Alphin with two sons Austin and Kaylen.
REV. DR. N'WAMILORHO JOSEPH TSHAWANE
Dr Tshawane has travelled extensively around the world, promoting the African spirit of Ubuntu, Nonviolence Reconciliation for Social change and sustainable development. He is a member of the Global Nonviolence Conference series Executive Planning Board. In 2 collaboration with Martin Luther King Centre-Emory University, Atlanta Georgia (U.S.A), Rev Dr Tshawane hosted over 5000 Nigerian militants in South Africa from Nigeria Delta State (Nigeria) between 2005 to 2011 on Transformation for Skill Requisition as form of Integration to the Society, and also conducted training of 30 000 militants in Nigeria on Ubuntu Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation between 2005-2010. In 2000 he participated in the training of hardened Drug Lords in Columbians (South America) prison collaboration with King Centre and Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A.
DR. MARY A. SMITH
Dr. Mary A. Smith is a National and International Trainer/Facilitator, Adjunct Professor and Consultant in Kingian Nonviolence, Conflict Reconciliation and Diversity. She has more than 25 years of experience in the field of Education as a Counselor, Literacy Instructor, Program Facilitator/Trainer, and Educational Consultant, in Orlando Public Schools, Broward County District Schools and Miami-Dade County District Schools.
Dr. Smith is currently a Literacy Instructor, for Orange County Public Schools. Previous titles include: Senior Trainer/Program Manager for Broward District School’s, Diversity & Cultural Outreach Department in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Program Specialist for Miami-Dade School District Safe & Drug-Free Schools Division of Student Services in Miami, Florida.
LUIS JAVIER BOTERO ARANGO
First recipient of Gene Sharp Nonviolence Activist Award, Palestine, 2005.
- Nonviolence Advisor to the Governor of Antioquia, Colombia, 2001 – 2007.
- Member of the Organizing Committee, 5th International Conference on Nonviolence, Medellin Columbia, April 23-26, 2002.
- Participant in the International Nonviolence Conference held in Atlanta, GA, 1999; Kingston, RI, 2001; Detroit, MI, 2005 and Bethlehem, Palestine,2 005.
- From 2004 to 2008 created and led the Inter-Institutional Working Table for Preventing Domestic Violence in the State of Antioquia, Colombia.
- Facilitated nonviolence lectures and workshops in more than 40 cities in Colombia, and cities like Mexico, the USA, Palestine, South Africa, Nigeria, Ecuador and Peru.
- Trained hundreds of inmates and guardians in the 3 main jails of Antioquia.
- Worked as General Manager for over 20 years in Colombia in the following companies: Tultex, S.A., Leonisa, S.A., Frugal, S.A., Grasas, S.A., Coloidales, S.A., and Finca, S.A.
- From 2008 to 2016 worked as the Director of Education and Training for the Center for Global Nonkilling, Honolulu, HI. ( www.nonkilling.org)
- Advisor to the Culture Secretary of Medellin from 2013 – 2014.
- Advisor to the Secretary of Community Participation of Medellin from 204 – 2016.
- CEO of PANACA SAS.
- Worked for the Colombian government to provide Nonviolence training for more than 600 victims of the armed conflict in 2018.
JOHN T. JONES, JR.
John T. Jones, Jr.was appointed by Florida’s Governor Lawton Chiles, in 1993, to serve on the Florida Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence Advisory Board.
He is a thirty year veteran of Miami-Dade Police Department. He was recommended by Fred Taylor, Director of Miami-Dade Police Department to represent the Florida Sheriff’s Association on the Institutes Advisory Board. He was, thereafter, appointed by the Institutes Advisory Board as the Executive Director in 1994.
Mr. Jones is one of the Co-Founders of the Florida Martin Luther King, Jr. Institute for Nonviolence. He assisted in the development of the Legislation while serving as Chairman of the Criminal Justice Sensitivity Action Committee. He was also involved in the introduction of Kingian Nonviolence Training to Law Enforcement, Corrections and Rehabilitation Agencies, Human Services, Department of Juvenile Justice, Miami-Dade Public Defenders Office, recent introduction to National Transportation agencies in South Florida. He has assisted in the implementation of legislation and dedicated sources of funding for Miami-Dade County Teen Court, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (through collaboration), and assisted in the implementation of the M.L.K. Leadership Academy.
DR. LOU ANN HA’AHEO GUANSON
Dr. Lou Ann Ha’aheo Guanson, Vice President, Center for Global Nonviolence, Vice President, International Fellowship of Reconciliation, U.S.A. Chair, Board of Homeland Ministry, Council Member, International Peace Research Association; Community-sponsored Adult Education in Hawaii (courses in leadership development, nonviolent alternatives, nonviolent social change, nonviolent conflict resolution).
Since 1997 she has cooperative engaged in:
- Nonviolent education and training for leaders, educators, and grassroots citizens.
- Consulting meetings with government officials, including prime ministers, cabinet heads, kings and queens, presidents and mayors.
- Launching international nonviolence programs: Hague appeal for Peace: United Nations Decade for a Culture for Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World, 2001-2010; Women’s Peacemakers Program; and international conferences on nonviolence.
ALLEN IFECHUKWU ONYEMA
Allen Ifechukwu Onyema, a lawyer by profession and a certified Kingian Nonviolence Trainer was born on the 28th of March, 1963. Though a native of Mbosi town in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, he was born in Benin but grew up in Warri, Delta State one of the core states of the Niger Delta Region of Nigerian the present.
An avid hater of discrimination of any kind, he believes in humanity so much that as a teenager, his quest and desire for peace in his fatherland Nigeria, inspired him to float, in concert with others whom he convinced, what is today, Nigeria’s biggest and truly functional NGO involved in the promotion of nationalism, peace and the harmonious co-existence of Nigeria’s diverse ethnic nationalities. The Foundation for Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria (FEHN) – an Organization with presence in not only the 36 states of the Federation of Nigeria but also in about 435 local government areas. An Organization formed with the driving force of true passion for peace in one’s nation.
Allen Onyema, using FEHN as his pedestal for engendering peace in our nation, has taken the message of harmonious co-existence to every nook and cranny of Nigeria and beyond. He initiated the first Nigeria Forever Project in 2005 – a project meant to promote broader Nationalism in Nigeria as against myopic ethnic nationalism with its attendant consequences.
HAROLD ANTONIO SANCHEZ ESTRADA
I was born in the city of Medellin (Antioquia-Colombia) in the year 1969. I grew up since I was a kid and youth in this same city, in the neighbourhood called “comunas”, where violence is a main topic because of the social differences, especially poorness and drugs.
I was sentenced for prison for 40 years initially, the maximum in my country, but I stood in Bellavista Prison for 11 years. Bellavista is a prison made to hold up to 1.700 inmates, and it had almost 7000. This prison was considered to be the most violent of the world, because of the high level of violence, daily 5 or 6 dead inmates. We survive in inhuman spaces and conditions, that according to the CONSTITUTIONAL COURT of our country, it was barely limiting tolerance. We were not separated in groups, according to the different crimes, so together on the same patio we live with: paramilitaries, guerrillas members, gangs, whites, blacks, rich poor, catholic, evangelic, it didn’t matter, the only thing worth inside was “money” in order to live or die.
The creation of the WORKING TABLE, was the best tool created in order to put “on the table” all our conflicts, differences and acquire compromises where LIFE and RESPECT OF DIFFERENCES was a goal. When I decided to be the maximum leader of BELLAVISTA PRISON as president of the working table, I started to get together all the good wills of the inmates, and generate confident laces in between the inmates, to open our souls and give our word as a guarantee in between each others. As a result, it ended death in between us and we made a deal of no aggression in between us, regardless our differences. The positive leadership change prison, having also the best will of all the leaders of each different patio, guerrilla front or paramilitary or whatever.
“LIFE IS FILLED UP WITH ANGELS THAT HIDE THEMSELVES AS HUMAN BEINGS AND HIDE THEIR WINGS BEHIND A SIMPLE SMILE”. Approximately in the year 2002, I had the fortune to be visited in prison by our Antioquia governor (during that time), Dr. Guillermo Gaviria, (rest in peace) his peace consultant Gilberto Echeverry (rest in peace), Dr. Lafayette and Dr. Charles Alphin, all wearing “angels costumes” because after that moment my life changed in order to change the life of thousands of people. We already have started a change in our lives inside prison, but our own way, with the no aggression deals that reduced the violent acts and deaths, but something was missing and only until that moment I understood Gods message… the study of the Nonviolence Kingian Philosophy, as a tool to change our fear to hopes. In this philosophy, we found the strategy and the philosophy of life to attack “bad” with no aggression but with and for a reason. We taught thousands of inmates; they taught other inmates. That’s the way we went “through” our walls and bars changing our reality reducing the most violent averages in our city that was MOTHER DAY.
BELLAVISTA made it, changed fear for hope through the positive will of thousands of men and the study of the Kingian Nonviolence Philosophy as a strategy able to change thousand of young people of highly risk in becoming “criminals”. Then I invented a project called DELINQUIR NO PAGA— CRIME DOES NOT PAY, which started in 3 different prison centers of Antioquia, making an intervention of more than 6000 youth (boys and girls) who visited this prisons and learn the experience of life of the inmates as acts of NO reproduction, having the NONVIOLENCE KINGNIAN PHILOSOPHY, as the main tool.
Actually the inmates still keep on teaching young students that with special permissions go in the prisons everyday of the week, and have classes inside. With the peace process and more of 4.200 men and women, coming back to the civil life, use to be guerrillas or any other armed group, also have been taught this philosophy. The inmates that recover their freedom and participated in this project in prison go the UNIVERSITY OF MEDELLIN to continue as peace makers changing lives for thousand of young people.
Actually I am a happy man, able to see life directly and giving thanks to God for everyday, by my family side, my wife Jhoana, my daughters Luna and Yamile and my beautiful brothers. They, my mother (rest in peace) and God, give me strength to fight against adversity and look for happiness in everything I do. Actually I study in University of Medellin “Communications”, have been consultant for the United Nations and social investigator for the City of Medellin. I am the general director of the corporation RECOVERING PEACE and member of democratic corporation. I give speeches in different Universities about penitential politics and visit schools where through my life experience, I try that young boys and girls understand that the path or way to happiness is not on how easy it is, is always on the self effort and clean conscience.
DR. JUANITA WOODLAND
I was born and raised in the Fairmount section of Philadelphia. I moved to New Jersey where I co-founded a successful Pharmaceutical Advertising Business. I am the mother ofthree adult children and a grandmother to 7. As a mature women, I’ve been able to attend and graduate from Widener University earning a PhD in Social Work, where I am working as an Adjunct Professor. I studied at University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice for a Master’s Degree, and gained a Bachelor’s of Science Degree from St. Joseph’s University in Psychology. Iam a Eucharist Minister at the Church of the Incarnationand I volunteer atMullica Hill Inspira Hospital. My career has taken me to varied areas of concentration where I became certified in Grief Counseling, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Trained as a Sexual Assault Counselor through Woman Organized Against Rape (WOAR). Additionally, I studied and trained under the direction of Dr. Bernard Lafayette in Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Reconciliation. My dedication to Kingian Nonviolence Conflict Resolution started at home with my 3 children and 7 grandchildren. Subsequently I was afforded the opportunity to train ‘gang’ youth, community leaders and high school students.
KAZU HAGA
Kazu Haga is the founder and coordinator of the East Point Peace Academy, a core member of the Ahimsa collective and the Yet-To-Be-Named Network and author of the book Healing Resistance: A Radically Different Response to Harm. He is an experienced trainer, certified in several methodologies of nonviolence and restorative justice. Having received training from elders including Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Rev. James Lawson and Joanna Macy, he teaches nonviolence, conflict reconciliation, restorative justice, organizing and mindfulness in prisons and jails, high schools and youth groups, and with activist communities around the country.
Kazu was introduced to the work of social change and nonviolence in 1998, when at the age of 17 he participated in the Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage; a 6-month walking journey from Massachusetts to New Orleans to retrace the slave trade. He spent a year studying nonviolence and Buddhism while living in monasteries throughout South Asia, and returned to the US at age 19 to begin a lifelong path in social justice work.
He spent 10 years working in social justice philanthropy, while directly being involved in and playing leading roles in many movements. He became an active nonviolence trainer in the global justice movement of the late 1990s, and has since led hundreds of workshops worldwide.
He is the recipient of several awards including the Martin Luther King Jr. award and the Gil Lopez Award for Peacemaking.
Kazu is an avid meditator and enjoys being in nature. He is a die-hard fan of the Boston Celtics and of mixed martial arts, the latter of which he is still sometimes conflicted about.
He resides in Oakland, CA.
MATT GUYNN
Matt Guynn is director of organizing for church and community groups for On Earth Peace. He works with groups around the U.S. and internationally to provide training, develop projects and build capacity to challenge violence, build justice, and institutionalize nonviolence. With Level Three Certification/Senior Faculty standing as a Kingian Nonviolence educator/organizer, Guynn is one of several co-founders of the Kingian Nonviolence Coordinating Committee, a group of advanced trainers providing mutual support and developing common projects to advance the Kingian legacy, including online and face-to-face trainings, and he also helps develop the growing Kingian Nonviolence Network. With other KNCC members, he coordinates intensive online cohorts in Kingian Nonviolence philosophy and methodology, including online Kingian certification opportunities. Since 1996, Matt has been part of Training for Change, an international social change training center based in Philadelphia, PA. Since 2018 he has served on the Coordinating Committee of the Oregon affiliate of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Campaign for Moral Revival, a resurgence of Dr. King’s final campaign. Matt previously worked as co-coordinator of training for Christian Peacemaker Teams, preparing people to carry out nonviolent direct action and unarmed accompaniment in conflict zones, and served as an unarmed bodyguard for five months in Chiapas, Mexico. He is co-editor of the textbook Resist, Organize, Transform: An Introduction to Nonviolence and Activism (2020, Cognella Academic Publishing). Matt holds a B.A. in Peace Studies (Manchester University, 1995), an M.A. in International Peace Studies (University of Notre Dame, 1996), and an M.A. in Theology with a focus on theopoetics and social change (Bethany Theological Seminary, 2003). He lives in Portland, Oregon, with his wife Sarah and sons Daniel and Owen.