Youth rally aims to overcome violence Area youth to attend Summer of Peace By DANI McCLAIN dmcclain@journalsentinel.com Aug. 9, 2007 The fifth annual Summer of Peace youth rally takes place today in Kilbourn Park in the Riverwest neighborhood. The event's performances and craft workshops encourage Milwaukee youths to move beyond neighborhood rivalries and let cultural expression trump aggression, event organizers said. "I think we've created a neutral ground," said Tanya Cromartie-Twaddle, an artist and event co-founder. In previous years, the event has drawn hundreds of children and participation from agencies including St. Charles Youth and Family Services. A march from the Holton Youth Center to the park will kick off the event for elementary school-aged children at 9 a.m. But teen participants will start the morning at COA Youth & Family Center at 909 E. Garfield Ave., where they will talk about their experiences with violence and possible solutions. Kari Nervig, director of youth development at COA, said teens often lack a space to process disturbing things they've witnessed or experienced, such as seeing a friend killed, or living through years of abuse at the hands of a family member. "We talk about the war in Iraq, and nobody talks about the war that's really going on in Milwaukee," Nervig said. "They're constantly in it. They have to adapt to survive." Three youths who participated at COA have died this year, one as a result of gun violence, she said. The morning of workshops is open to adults who want to learn how to better connect with teenagers in their communities. Cromartie-Twaddle, a Riverwest resident, said she sees a gulf of misunderstanding between some adults and teenagers, especially youths of color. "We're like a quilt," she said. "We're stitched side by side, but we don't interact." Participants in the workshops created a publication called "Summer of Peace 365" that's filled with autobiographical poetry and short stories. Others wrote a script that will be performed today. Cromartie-Twaddle said her interactive workshops give her a sense of what area youths face on a daily basis. During a survey, she asks participants questions such as, "Stand up if you've touched a gun. Stand up if you have a friend under 18 who owns a gun." The number of people who stood was overwhelming....