How Do We Start?

Using the ideas following and the accompanying diagram at the end of this section, I want to present one way forward that you can use as a guide to bringing about the changes you desire in your ZERO TOLERANCE TO CRIME environment.

Three things need to happen to bring about a change that sticks. Many simple answers include throwing more money after the problem from thinking based on "Poverty causes Crime". If this were so then every person who is rich would be honest? Zero Tolerance is not a soft option. The Ancient book's solutions were rigid and immediate, however every city had its watchmen. The problem is that as soon as the muscle is out of sight, they strike. Tougher laws by themselves also prove ineffective if they clog an already clogged court system. No law that I am aware of has yet changed someone's inner thinking, it may at best, bring an outward conforming. So what are these three things?

They are quite simple: First the WHAT TO, second the HOW TO, and thirdly the WHY TO. Bear in mind we are talking about the parts of the statement with the action words.

WHAT TO

What to refers to the specific content or material involved in the action. Take for example Parenting. What to do, is about the knowledge of what a parent needs to do to function in their role as parent, and that most agree qualifies them as one. Giving birth certainly makes you a Father and a Mother, but not necessarily a person who knows what to do in terms of parenting. Now this holds true for the other terms in the ZERO TOLERANCE statement. e.g. Informing, supporting, communicating. Find out the WHAT to do. Once you have done the hard work on that, you are ready for the HOW to do it.

HOW TO?

How to, is about the methods you can use to put the knowledge of WHAT TO into action. Explore the options available to you in terms of people, resources, and your boundaries. Then you know that when you decide on how to do it, you know you can get on with it without waiting for any outside help. Many people have hidden talents they will bring to the fore. How are we going to do this? The HOW to is an important question to discuss and agree on. Don't make it complicated or you will tie your hands with the science of it and never get something done. The goal here is to move yourself towards action, not comfort. Comfort zones will need to be broken and Courage Zones will present themselves to be explored.

WHY TO?

This is the last stage of your exploring and yakking. Why are we going to do this? What are the benefits we hope to enjoy? What are the downsides that we are hoping to avoid? Build yourselves up a list of the reasons for doing what you are doing. Do a group list, do your own personal list. This is the commitment stage and where you will gain most of your motivation. Grab someone who can inspire and motivate people. This is not about control or manipulation, this is about empowering people to be self-starters.

SAMPLE BATTLE PLAN

1. Get a dialogue group together from your neighbourhood, your rural area, your road, your classroom, your workmates or workplace. This can be discussed in all kinds of groups no matter what the ethnic background. They will all need to be interpreted into your place of living.

2. Identify the part you want to work on, e.g. Parenting. Using the three stages you work through to the change you desire to bring about in terms of ZERO TOLERANCE to crime. TheWHAT TO, the HOW TO and then the WHY TO. The last part to work on, will be to identify the possible BLOCKS that will come up to oppose what you want to do.

3. Keep it in straight-forward, real words to allow as many people (ages, gender, location, background etc. ) to stay with you and not be lost in a flood of words and ideas.

If all 3 stages are not brought together you will fall short of ACTION and the lasting changes you desire. Any work, on any one of the action words of the charter, will MAKE A DIFFERENCE (you have my full permission to GO M.A.D.; go make a difference) The other parts you don't work on can always be picked up later, because this will be an ongoing process. Pick on the one item of all the words that your group agrees is your STARTING POINT: the vital area which most needs change.

FURTHER POINTS TO CONSIDER:

1. Make the rubber meet the road. The idea here is not to produce a product so much as to begin a process that builds up its own energy. If you fix on some target keep it simple and stated in real terms rather than the abstract or unrealistic.

2. Keep in touch with the stories of other groups who are doing the same, share your stories and share your ideas. This would be one expression of the term COMMUNICATING.

3. Consider actively challenging other groups, service clubs, schools, churches to form dialogue groups. The more you see this happen you will be acting on other terms in the charter which include SUPPORTING.

4. Study how all the terms are interactive, and can be worked on together, e.g. PARENTING, SUPPORTING, COMMUNICATING and INFORMING.

Please don't stop short of something you can start DOING that will make a difference. Not as loners, an "I" but as a "WE", a unified group of resistance.

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