Teens promote peace saying, "We're not going to be helpless"

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Sikh Temple shooting sent shock waves across the community, that one man was driven by sheer hatred to kill 6 people he knew nothing about.

"We felt confused that day, we felt helpless," said Sikh Temple member Pardeep Kaleka.

Kaleka vividly remembers that day, as he lost his father in the shooting.

But he used that horrific experience as an awakening to make a difference by co-founding Serve 2 Unite.

"Serve 2 Unite was a way of us saying you know that we`re not going to be helpless, we`re not going to be victims anymore, we`re going to be proactive," said Kaleka.

This organization brings students from different schools together to discuss a variety of issues impacting the community such as segregation, violence, poverty, and bullying.

They are taught how to be peacemakers and how to use things like art as a positive outlet.

"There`s a lot of violence and things like that going on in our community so having the outlet for all the youth to get together and actually talk about things in the community that are going on is perfect," said high school senior Daleshontai Tate.

Senior Asia Nash admits that she used to get into a lot of fights, but through Serve 2 Unite she has learned that violence is not the answer.

"Me, I don`t even fight anymore. I just tell them it`s not that serious over what you think it is and I walk away," said Nash.

"A lot of it comes back to looking and recognizing somebody else`s humanity regardless of the differences you might have," said Kaleka.

This meaningful dialogue can go a long way to empower our future to make a positive change.

If you are interested in learning more about Serve 2 Unite, CLICK HERE.