Next Millennium Conference: Ending Domestic Violence; Opening: Wanda K Jones, William Riley, Bonnie Campbell

The representatives of the U.S. Justice Department and the Department of Health and Human Services review their cooperative efforts to mount a Federal response to domestic violence, including documentation of its prevalence and the coordination of efforts to develop community-based programs for domestic violence victims and offenders. They acknowledge that the movement against domestic violence has been fueled by the victims themselves, as they have persisted in making policymakers aware of their problem and the lack of resources and effective policies for helping them deal with their plight. A young member of the Girls' Advisory Board of the Empower Program in Washington, D.C., explains her program's action plans for projects designed to prevent violence in the community. The organization's top three priorities for community projects are a teen center that offers a safe space for youth, school classes that provide instruction in and discussion of relationships and how to deal with conflict nonviolently, and improved cooperation of various community agencies in the development of youth-run organizations and centers.