Los Angeles, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/02/2015 -- In a society where gang culture has become so rampant that many in Government see no way to fix it, street violence interventionist Aquil Basheer is calling on every individual to become aggressively involved in assisting to eliminate the violence that is created from this culture. Having spent forty-years working within gangs and convincing thousands of members that psychological transformation and starting a new life is possible, Basheer has developed a concrete blueprint that can turn anyone in an community interventionist, practice their disciplines within "working" gangs and help put an end to the gratuitous violence.

Basheer exposes all in 'Peace In the Hood: Working with Gang Members to End the Violence', in conjunction with The Associated Press' Christina Hoag and through a compelling foreword by NFL (Seattle Seahawks) coach Pete Carroll.

Synopsis:

'Peace In the Hood' evokes the reality of gangland warfare but also acknowledges the possibility of peace. Written by Basheer, a pioneer of the interventionist movement, it documents the lessons he learned from over 40 years of working in inner cities.

This book is designed to teach anyone how to be an interventionist, offering clear guidelines on the necessities of intervention work, including understanding the gang mindset, learning how to evaluate rumors for truth, and convincing young people to leave gangs. Each chapter deals with one key aspect of peacemaking, and the advice comes with anecdotes from Basheer's own life.

'Peace In the Hood' includes real-life accounts of Basheer's interactions with gang members offering unique insight into gang culture. Its descriptions of the fairly new field of peacekeeping and intervention with its mix of story and advice make it both a perfect tool for students and teachers who study social justice and anyone simply looking for a fascinating read. Being the first book to offer a detailed description of the process of making peace within gangs, it's a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of gangs and the efforts to make peace within them.

"Practitioner-based gang intervention gang work can have a huge impact," explains the author. "In fact, the book's framework has not only been tested in the field by me and my team over the past few decades, but has also been successfully evaluated from a scientific standpoint by two leading Universities and two research firms. Being the first book to offer a detailed description of the process of making peace within gangs, it's a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of gangs and the efforts to make peace within them."

Continuing, "We are also privileged to have the likes of Pete Carroll and the organization he founded, A Better LA on board. Pete and I forged a solid friendship through our shared work creating a certification process and professional standards for numerous gang intervention organizations. His foreword provides a certain gravitas that will make the book appeal to as wide an audience as possible."

Carroll is also delighted to be associated with the book, writing, "I am so humbled to be a part of this work and will always support it, to see the effectiveness of Aquil Basheer and his expertise, plus to know how many lives it has altered and saved is outstanding."

But perhaps most satisfying is the volume's success among its core readership. As well as becoming a required text book for the school of social work at USC, the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and the Kinship Community Intervention Workers program in Irvine California – it has garnered rave reviews from individuals. One reader comments, "Factual, down to earth, strategic, extremely informative and moving information. I see why Mr. Basheer is requested all over the world, he's know what the heck he's talking about."

Another adds, "Outstanding! Damn good read! Took me to a world I had no understanding of, made me look at things from an entirely different perspective. A tangible blueprint for dealing with urban violence!"

'Peace In the Hood: Working with Gang Members to End the Violence', from Hunter House, Inc., is available now: http://bit.ly/1lstcri

Copies are also available from Barnes & Noble, Amazon and numerous other bookstores.

About Aquil Basheer
Aquil Basheer is a foremost expert and pioneer in the field of street violence intervention, gang intersession and crisis abatement. He founded and operates the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute (PCITI), the nation's only 18-week gang interventionist training and personal development academy. He has also served as an anti-violence consultant in Latin America, Asia, China, and Africa. The subject of articles in the Los Angeles Times and other major media, Basheer lives in Los Angeles, CA. He currently is the executive director for A Better LA.

About Christina Hoag
Christina Hoag is a journalist who has reported on social and political issues in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean for Time, BusinessWeek, The New York Times, and more. Most recently an urban affairs reporter for The Associated Press in Los Angeles, Hoag lives in Santa Monica, CA.

Pete Carroll is the coach for the NFL Seattle Seahawks and lives in Seattle.