Rita Sloan is kindness and gentleness personified. A former school secretary from Reno NV, Rita went to attend a workshop on non-violent communication and conflict resolution organized by the “Alternatives to Violence Project” (AVP). As gentle as she was, she realized that her mind was not yet sufficiently at peace. The progress she made however impressed her so much that she decided to volunteer to teach others the same techniques. With a group of other volunteers she now leads, she goes primarily to local prisons to touch with heart and commonsense those amongst us who may need it the most. As illustrated by the letters and testimonies she keeps receiving from inmates, many lives are turned around as a result.