From the OC Register:
A man recognized for his efforts in helping gang members and felons turn their lives around has been honored by UC Irvine for what an expert calls his heroic and incredible accomplishments in peace building. Nearly 1,200 people gathered at UC Irvine’s Bren Events Center for the fourth annual Orange County Gang Intervention Conference on April 2. The conference, held in partnership with UC Irvine’s Center for Citizen Peacebuilding, featured keynote speaker Father Greg Boyle, an ordained priest and the founder of Homeboy Industries, a Los Angeles-based organization that assists former gang members and felons with rehabilitation, education and job placement. Boyle was honored with the Citizen Peacebuilding Award, presented by Barbara Dosher, dean of UC Irvine’s School of Social Sciences… The event included a speech from Thomas Parham, UC Irvine’s vice chancellor of student affairs, and a peace-oriented performance by Rebecca “Maggie” Escobedo-Steele, from Seventh Generation Warriors for Peace. “This is important work,” said Parham. “It’s important work to bring peace to our schools, to our communities, and to our children, and UCI has a long history of working on peace … so it’s a natural fit for UCI to join in this partnership.”… The training program was organized by Paula Garb, an anthropology lecturer and co-director of UC Irvine’s Center for Citizen Peacebuilding. Garb envisioned the program after working with a similar program at Cal State Los Angeles. “We feel that Father Boyle is one of those heroes who is close to us who has done incredible work and has shown major impact in L.A. to make the streets safer by giving jobs and compassion to felons and gang members,” Garb said. “Father Boyle has created one great model for how you can help young people get out of gangs and live the life they’re worthy of, and we want to acknowledge him for that.”

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