Poor Turnout for Meeting to Curb Violence

A small group of community activists turned out Saturday for Peace Mission ‘99, a meeting aimed at curbing youth violence.

Organizers had enough hot dogs for 200 young people, but none showed up. Despite the poor turnout, leaders of the event said they were not discouraged.

“The seed is planted. We’re not giving up,” said Sunny Atkinson, founder of the One World Today Institute for Peace. “All of us are going to take the message out.”

Fewer than 20 activists gathered in a courtyard at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center for two hours to discuss how they could divert youths from gangs and crime.

“They’re on an invisible conveyor belt to the juvenile hall that hasn’t even been built yet,” Atkinson said, referring to Ventura County’s plans for a new juvenile justice complex.

Saturday’s event was the third annual Peace Mission.

“A few months ago, I felt like the violence rate was going up again,” Atkinson said, “so we felt like we needed to do something again.”

A lack of publicity may have hurt Saturday’s attendance, she said.

Hoping for a bigger turnout, Oxnard Union High School District trustee Bob Valles promised that next year’s gathering could be held at a local school.