Pastor Robert Winfree knows a thing or two about violent conflict. Before he became the pastor of the New Life Deliverance Tabernacle, he served time in prison in his 20s.
He was chosen to address issues regarding the peaceful resolution to conflict in a Citywide Violence Prevention Conflict Resolution Workshop organised by a coalition of Crime Prevention Groups in Richmond, reported Richmond Free Press.
The event tackled topics like conflict and conflict resolution, how to deal with embarrassment and disrespect, effective communication styles, and trauma. It was organised in light of the rising number of homicides in the area.
According to a report by NBC, homicides in the area rose to 19 in the last year compared to the five reported in the previous year. There has also been a spike in the overall crime rate.
Winfree, who recently celebrated his 19<sup>th year as pastor shared his experiences to underscore the importance of finding a peaceful means to resolve conflict.
His speech sought to inspire others not to repeat the mistakes of his youth and instead focus on finding common ground in times of misunderstanding.
"I made some dumb mistakes. Now that I'm a little older and a little wiser, I think if I had known how hot that stove was, I would not have put my hands on it in the beginning. Let's stop turning on each other and start turning to each other," said Winfree.
For his part, Charles Willis of the United Communities Against Crime, one of the organisers of the event said that the workshop was a way of spreading awareness within the community and the citizens' way of helping the police deal with violence.
"It's not 'what are the police are going to do? It's 'what are the citizens going to do?' We can't police our way out of it. We can't pay our way out of it. We need to find ways to resolve our issues without resorting to violence. Well, here it is," he said.
