ALTERNATIVES TO VIOLENCE PROJECT CALIFORNIA

AVP, in California and around the world, is decentralized - often called a 'Starfish' organization, because it is coordinated by volunteers who work without a hierarchy or central coordination. Workshops are organized by facilitators locally. At the same time, facilitators and councils (groups of facilitators in a particular region) around the world benefit greatly from sharing experiences and ideas with each other. AVP California, AVP USA, AVP International, and many national chapters like AVP Britain and AVP Kenya help keep facilitators connected and AVP workshop content consistent around the world. AVP USA organizes an annual gathering and AVP International organizes a bi-annual gathering for facilitators.

In the USA, most states have at least some AVP presence. In some states, AVP is very active with many local councils, and dozens or hundreds of workshops per year. In other states, the AVP presence may be only a few facilitators working in one or a few prisons and/or community settings.

Internationally, AVP is present in around 40 countries. Please visit the AVP International website for more information.