Biographical Sketch

BARRY WEISBERG, J.D., M.A.

bweisberg@vppps.org

    Barry Weisberg is the Executive Director of the Violence Prevention Peace Promotion Strategy (vppps.org).  The VPPPS is an international  non-government organization pioneering strategies to break the generational cycles of family, school  and community violence.  Dr. Weisberg is associated with the Department of Criminal Justice,  University of Illinois, Chicago, USA .   He has been listed in Who’s Who Worldwide, and served as a consultant to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime Prevention, UNESCO, the World Health Organization, the American Bar Association, the National Criminal Justice Commission, the Chicago Public Schools as well as various  inter-governmental, government and community organizations worldwide.   He has visited approximately half of the countries of the world, most of the world’s mega cities, lectured, been interviewed and published materials in dozens of countries.  This includes being one of the first American guests invited to China , the Australian Broadcasting Guest of the Week and a full page profile in the largest newspaper in Brazil . He has led classes and assemblies at elementary, secondary and upper schools and taught at several colleges, including a seven year inter-disciplinary social science seminar on Global Violence. Several components of his peace oriented curriculum, From Eyes Wide Shut to Eyes Wide Open, have been drafted.  His diverse experience includes a laborer in a steel mill. 

    Mr. Weisberg’s civil and human rights work includes the South of the United States during the 1960’s, organization of the first national demonstrations against the War in Vietnam, pioneering the conception of ecocide, an organizer for the first national strike for workers health and safety in the United States, the first Earth Day,  securing the pardon of two youth sentenced to life for crimes they did not commit, the mayoral campaign and inauguration of Harold Washington and the presidential campaign of  Jesse L. Jackson.  He founded the Violence Prevention Peace Promotion Strategy and the Build the Peace Summer School-park based program.  He conceived and co-directed the Jesse Reichek Retrospective: Partners in Creation (reichek.org), containing over 2000 paintings during a twelve month period in 2005-06. He is the author of Beyond Repair, The Ecology of Capitalism (1969), Ecocide in Indochina: The Ecology of War (1971), and The Shell Strike: Workers Strike for Health and Safety (1973).  Urban Security in an Age of Globalization: Safety for Some or Security For will be published in 2006/7 and Preventing Global Violence, Promoting Global Peace  in 2007.  Mr. Weisberg lives in Chicago, is married, with five children and five grandchildren.