2011 Peace Prize: Q & A

2011 California Peace Prize Honorees

Ray Balberan

Q: Can violence be prevented?

A: Given the right environment, the right services and the right people, violence is absolutely preventable. What does not work is youth suppression. Gang members are members of our community. They can't be segregated from it. Most of them are depressed and anxious. They are people in crisis. That's why we need public health professionals to work with advocates in the case management field.

When I was working back in the day, my caseload was an average of four years. As outreach and case managers, we worked to bring mental health and juvenile court advocacy services to young people. Young people weren't walking in saying, "I have a drug problem and need treatment" or "I'm stressed out" or "I'm being set up to kill someone."

We formed a therapeutic relationship with young people and tried to reduce high-risk factors affecting their lives while fully integrating them into the community. The youth, their families and I became an advocacy team to support the individual's self-development within a circle of community services and care.

We developed a community treatment plan for the potentially violent young person and then took it to court saying, "This is the alternative to removing the youth from his family and community. It's well planned and we have the family and wraparound services to support him or her." Young people love receiving and giving back respect and love. Community violence prevention is a community health model. We're building a self-reliant, healthy community.

Q: How did you learn to do this work?

A: The Real Alternatives Program people and their juvenile court advocates taught me how to go to court, develop an action plan and present the plan in case development — team meetings with a community social worker. I learned from people like Elsa Miranda, Jim Queen, Esperanza Echavarrí, Ray Rivera, and other community-minded people. I learned about case management from Roban San Miguel, L.C.S.W. (licensed clinical social worker), who brought our community a model from a San Francisco General Hospital AIDS case management system.

We treat violence like it is a disease caused by the environment. We have to change the environment. We can't keep labeling these kids as "at risk." They have no control of their environment. It's the environment that's "at risk" — the environment of institutionalized poverty, of the state penal system, and of thousands and thousands of jobs that leave the United States and never come back. That's the environment that we need to change because it puts our children at risk.

Q: Talk about your role now as an elder in the community.

A: One of the things my community does is revere its elders, including the people who were in the trenches before there were models, before there were clinics, before there was bilingual education, and before there was sensitivity to other cultures. As elders, it is our job is to be educators and to be available to share our wealth of history. That's what I'm doing here.

Thirty years ago, we were at the base of change. And we were kamikazes. We were whatever we had to be — to be the voice for the people and make change.

Today, through empowerment, our community is a family and like a village. The younger people respect us elders and that's what we want. We want that respect and love that moves like a thread from the little baby to mommy, then mommy to grandma, and then through many families and extended families. I know what love is more than before. It's more real now.

Priscilla Carrasquilla

Q: What led you into a life of nursing and the Clean Slate program?

A: I went to Boston University and started my career in business. When I became a Christian, I felt like I had a new direction and purpose for my life. I wanted to bring God's love to the needy, so I went back to nursing school. I only ever thought of working at Valley Medical Center because I wanted to help the disadvantaged. When I found out about the Clean Slate Tattoo Removal Program, I realized it was a perfect fit for me.

Being a Christian, forgiveness is a key, core value of mine and that is what Clean Slate is all about. These youth want to change and I believe our community can help. The city of San Jose sets up life-skills classes and community service to help them in their new lives. When they complete these requirements and graduate, they are ready to come to the hospital to start the laser tattoo removal process. Many are ready and succeed, but others do not. Even though some young people get dropped if their attitude or attendance is a problem, the door remains open and they can reapply at another time when they are ready to change their lives. We do not give up on them. We want them to turn their lives around and become successful members of our community.

Q: What is the Clean Slate program? How does it work?

A: Clean Slate's Tattoo Removal Program is for youth who have been in gangs or have experienced domestic violence — and their tattoos stop them from getting ahead in life. They come to get a "clean slate" and we erase all the markings of the old life. When they come to us, many still look like they are gang members, but over a period of time their tattoos and old lives fade. They start to walk, talk and look differently.

Before we remove their tattoos, the young people must go through a life skills and community service program. Some of them have never graduated from anything. Treatment can take two years or more. Throughout the entire process, supportive relationships are the key. At the clinic, we get to know the youth very well. Volunteer doctors at the clinic provide the laser treatments and there is a city worker at each clinic visit checking to be sure the young person is in school or working and giving any help necessary. Hospital staff and city workers keep in close contact to set these youth up for success.

Q: Why do you think Clean Slate is successful?

A: The key, more than anything else, is collaboration because in these days of cutbacks, no one can do it themselves. If you have people that are committed to giving 1,000 percent, you can make it through the hard times. We can reduce violence in our community and support the growth of these young people by being strong community members. We have five different groups that are helping Clean Slate succeed: SCVMC through General Surgery's trauma division, the volunteer doctors, the city of San Jose, the program Steering Committee and the community itself. Our Steering Committee has many members with expertise in helping these youth. If one of these pieces were not there, we couldn't do it. When one of those partners has difficulty with resources, then the others pitch in and do more.

We don't leave out anybody who sincerely cares about these kids. We have both city and faith-based community organizations working together. We have had people who want to join us, but who lack the heart needed to work with these kids. We can't accept their help. The team and its members are very important. Some of our youth who have benefited from the program and are now in school or working, are giving back by speaking on the dangers of gangs to at-risk youth and making a difference as good citizens of our community.

Manuel Jimenez

Q: Why did you decide to get young people involved in gardening?

A: Even though my focus is agriculture, I've always been interested in kids. In 1972, my wife and I started a project with kids to remove graffiti and clean up and beautify the community. One of our early projects was to remove graffiti from a building that doubled as a bar and billiard parlor. We went on to paint a mural on the same building. What was really interesting was that the city asked us to remove the mural. When we refused, the city returned with a "cease and desist" order from the local judge. At that point, some of the families decided that our group was bad because the police were involved and so they stopped sending their kids. Eventually, we won the right to keep the mural, but when my wife and I began to discuss new community projects, we thought, "Maybe we should try something else. Maybe something that's not as controversial." So we started planting a few gardens.

The worst thing a community can do is to prevent its kids from doing good things. Back then, our community wasn't ready for the kinds of things we were doing. Today, we have a great relationship with the city. Although Woodlake is a relatively poor community, the city council is supportive. Through collaboration with and the generosity of the city, local businesses and the agriculture community, we have been empowered to grow youth.

Q: What is the state of violence in your community?

A: Woodlake is no different from any other community. Our kids are subjected to the same influences associated with taking drugs, indulging in alcohol and getting involved in gangs. All the bad things that can happen from the use of drugs and alcohol and gang involvement also happen to our youth. I am saddened to say that even kids who participate in the gardens are not immune to the maladies associated with drugs, alcohol and gangs. We have witnessed serious injury and death that result and the effect it has on families.

In recent years, our loss has been very personal and extensive. Nephews, brothers and friends have been lost either because they overindulged with drugs, alcohol and gangs or were innocent bystanders who suffered injury or death resulting from someone else who overindulged with drugs, alcohol or gangs.

Q: Tell me how gardening has influenced some young people's lives.

A: Olga, my wife, is the heart and soul of Woodlake Pride. While leading the charge in garden activities, she provides the attention, affection and consistency that is necessary to change lives. Together, we constantly talk to the kids about higher education, respect and community involvement.

We believe the garden experience has influenced many kids. A great number of the garden kids complete college. Several have majored in agriculture. One young lady who obtained a degree in agriculture is now interested in teaching agriculture. She was just telling us the other day that her learning experience at the garden is what influenced her choice in college majors. One young man is an agriculture teacher. Another young man is a farm manager. Most of the garden participants develop excellent work habits and often are sought out by local employers.

We have kids who started with us almost 20 years ago who still return to help in the gardens. When we need a lot of help, we can always count on them to come back. Today, as always, young people hunger to belong and often are neglected. They seek attention and friendship from anyone who offers it. We hope that through our garden activities, we have positively influenced the youth that have worked there.