Leaders around the world could learn a lot about how to achieve peace from 21-year-old former gang member Jejuana Johnson. From the tough streets of Watts in South Central Los Angeles, Johnson has learned much more than what it takes to get out of a gang and she is passing on her advice to others.

According to Johnson, who currently works at the Community Self Determination Institute helping 55 teenagers who are on probation get appropriate help, "The very same seed that nurtures gang violence also nurtures the kind of terrorism that was directed against the United States on Sept. 11th. This seed comes from fear and a lack of knowledge — a lack of understanding. Terrorism" she said, "thrives on fear of others. Instead of someone feeling like they are a human being that can sit down and talk about something, fear and violence is created."

In South Central Los Angeles, gangs were the means for survival. They flourished because "People lacked a lot of the basic necessities. Drug infested neighborhoods were ones where people were hungry. Hunger created a lot of hostility and the hostility created rival gangs," Johnson said. Rival gangs fought for "turf" and a false sense of pride. Territories were established. Friends could no longer visit friends. Families couldn’t get together. It became dangerous for anyone to wear the wrong color clothes, be seen with the wrong person for fear of being shot down. "People became prisoners in their own neighborhoods," Johnson said. "And everyone in the community had someone who had been killed in gang violence — everyone had been affected directly in some way."

Since the age of 17, Johnson has worked on the front lines, trying to make a difference in the lives of lots of teens. Having seen a lot of violence and felt a lot of fear in her everyday life, Johnson became dedicated to making a difference. "I got a chance when I was attending a school for at risk teenagers and it has changed my life." Currently involved in developing community support for football games she helps coordinate between rival gangs, Johnson also works with local vendors and people in the neighborhoods to participate.