believe that at least part of the solution is community-based training and nonviolent direct actions that are rooted in anti-oppression but include specific targets,” says Madjlesi. Such specific
targets
include
reinstate-
ment of the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board (which passed just a few months ago); and more recently, working toward actions that would require all MPD officers to wear body cameras while on duty. In addition to organizing protests and facilitating community forums aimed at affecting real change, the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center also works to build a safer Memphis. The Center’s H.O.P.E. members, all of whom are currently homeless or have formerly experienced
homelessness,
worked
together to transform a vacant lot in the Washington Bottoms neighborhood and turn it into a thriving community garden. “What was once a source of blight is a now a safe space where children play, neighbors meet, H.O.P.E. extends its outreach, and the Earth is literally renewed through sustainable gardening practices,” says Madjlesi. While the Center focuses on advocacy and systems change rather than service provision, Madjlesi hopes more citizens of the MidSouth community can get involved with what they are doing. “We are more likely to ask someone to write a letter to their elected official or attend a public action than volunteer for a day,” says Madjlesi. “But the easiest and most effective way people can get involved with the MSPJC is by becoming a member. Members not only financially support our work, they also help build a culture of advocacy.” In the words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., “Nonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.” It is through this legacy that the Mid-South Peace and Justice Center continues its work to affect positive change in the MidSouth community. For more information about the MidSouth Peace and Justice Center, visit their website at midsouthpeace.org. Click magazine | JANUARY 2015 25