My name is Austin smith this is my second year returning as an AFSC intern. I've become more invested in our work this year and I have grown as a person throughout this new semester. I intended to use my new found knowledge and apply it to real life and that's what I did. If you asked me,“ what was one thing that I learned here this year?” I would tell you that I learned taking action to change the use of violence and oppression in society is important because it will have an ever lasting effect.

Just like it has many years before us. I've grown to realize if you get involved in situations because you haven't personally dealt with it, doesn't mean it doesn't effect what goes on around you. I really started expressing myself and to became more observant.

At first I didn't agree with being nonviolent myself but the idea of it is great. I just figured with the society I live in, you can't be nonviolent. It was just the way it was, and I didn't see anything wrong with that.

Then I realized that is the reason why this work is important.

If we continue to just let it slide and go with the idea that society works in that way, we would never do anything to change it. I feel though that I’m working better with achieving the goal of being a nonviolent peace leader. We've dealt with issues promoting nonviolence and increasing the peace within communities. and helping them be aware of what’s going on. We’ve been doing many events and through each event I’ve found that my opinion does matter, no matter how much I think it doesn't.