DEKALB – Roughly 50 people gathered at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of DeKalb on Friday to engage in a discussion about how to promote peace and prevent violence through education, policy and programs.

The event, titled Learning to Leave Peaceably in Violent Times, featured a panel including DeKalb County State’s Attorney Richard Schmack; Maylan Dunn-Kenney, an early childhood education professor from Northern Illinois University; Toni Tollerud, a professor of counseling at NIU; and DeKalb Police Chief Gene Lowery.

Schmack started the discussion by saying the focus should not only be on the tragedies of gun violence but also the victories in reducing violence. He cited statistics showing many violent crimes are at the lowest level since the 1960s, including homicide rates involving firearms, which is down to 3.3 percent.