
Advance Peace
Model & Strategy
Advance Peace interrupts gun violence in U.S. urban neighborhoods by providing transformational opportunities to young men involved in lethal firearm offenses and placing them in a high-touch, personalized fellowship. By working with and supporting a targeted group of individuals at the core of gun hostilities, Advance Peace bridges the gap between anti-violence programming and a hard-to-reach population at the center of violence in urban areas, thus breaking the cycle of gun hostilities and altering the trajectory of these men’s lives.
Advance Peace’s model was first implemented by DeVone Boggan in Richmond, CA, where he was the founding Director of Richmond’s Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS) from 2007 to 2016.



As Director of ONS, Founder DeVone Boggan was responsible for the development, implementation and management of comprehensive approaches to reducing firearm assaults, preventing retaliation associated with firearm conflict, and transforming the lives of the city’s most lethal young men.
Previously, DeVone served as Policy Director for Safe Passages, a non-profit public/private partnership focused on improving urban health outcomes for Children, Youth and Families. His work with ONS has been recognized in national publications including the New York Times, Mother Jones, The Washington Post, and NPR.
IMPACT
In 2010, the Fellowship began within the Office of Neighborhood Safety (ONS and Advance Peace have since facilitated six 18-month cohorts with 106 Fellows participating in the program). In 2019, Richmond recorded its lowest number of firearm assaults causing injury or death (53) in five decades, representing a reduction of more than 70% since launching the Advance Peace Peacemaker Fellowship program.
In 2018, Advance Peace launched its Peacemaker Fellowship in Sacramento and Stockton California, and each city since has recorded a 20% and 40% reduction in firearm assaults causing injury or death respectively. In Sacramento, there have been no youth homicides since the launch of Advance Peace, a first in three decades.
In 2020, Advance Peace will begin work in two new additional cities.
Advance Peace News
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Bringing Peace to the American CityFrom San Quentin inmate to neighborhood safety advocate, Kelly’s guest Sam Vaughn embodies the ideal of “be the change you want to see.” Working with…Jan 2021
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In Stockton, a Powerful Program to Prevent ViolenceWith the pandemic, and then the eruption of protests in response to the killing of George Floyd, the work of Advance Peace to end gun…Jul 2020
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Building Trust Cuts Violence. Cash Also Helps.DeVone Boggan could teach a class on the art of making a statement. In 2010, he invited a group of the most dangerous gun offenders…Feb 2017
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Love Thy Neighbor: A Human(e) Approach to Gun ViolenceIn Richmond, Calif., the Office of Neighborhood Safety accomplished in only eight years what no traditional law enforcement measures could: a 76 percent decrease in…Oct 2016
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DeVone Boggan Featured on ABC's "Nightline"Advance Peace founder, DeVone Boggan, was recently featured on ABC’s “Nightline” for his work to reduce urban gun violence in Richmond, CA. He says the…Apr 2016
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NPR Spotlight on Advance PeaceNPR’s All Things Considered spotlights the work of Advance Peace founder, DeVone Boggan. Boggan developed a fellowship program that offers young men involved in lethal…Mar 2016
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CNN Features DeVone Boggan of Advance Peace on "What in the World"DRK Foundation entrepreneur, DeVone Boggan, was recently featured on CNN’s “What in the World” segment for an approach he developed to reduce urban gun violence…Feb 2016
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RT @LangelothFndn: Check out the people and organizations leading gun violence prevention and racial justice work nationally. https://t.co/…
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RT @amprog: Community violence intervention programs make communities safer by centering those most impacted by gun violence. Find out how…
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RT @irvine_awards: 2022 #IrvineAwards recipient @DeVoneBoggan has dedicated his life to helping people heal. As Founder/CEO of @WeAdvancePe…
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RT @irvine_awards: Help us celebrate @DeVoneBoggan, Founder & CEO of @WeAdvancePeace and 2022 James Irvine Foundation Award recipient! On…
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RT @FaithinValley: Support @WeAdvancePeace in #Merced The public can comment during today's City Council meeting in City Hall at 6 p.m. Com…
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How cash transfer programs prevent violence @DeVoneBoggan talked about the positive impact of this element of the… https://t.co/eM9OGV4MBr
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RT @DeVoneBoggan: Humbled! On behalf of the entire @WeAdvancePeace family, Thank You @irvine_awards and @IrvineFdn for this award. It is…
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RT @irvine_awards: Royal Ramey and Brandon Smith of @ForestryFire are receiving a 2022 @IrvineFdn Leadership Award for preventing wildfires…
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Advance Peace is excited to celebrate 2022’s @irvine_awards Award Recipients, including our very own @DeVoneBoggan!… https://t.co/Fvs8u8DI8R
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We are simply working to blow our Peacemaker Fellows minds on Life! Most systems of care fall far short of creating… https://t.co/Gdyir4PYzh
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RT @irvine_awards: Serita Cox of @ifosterorg received a 2022 @IrvineFdn Leadership Award for her work using technology to connect foster yo…
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RT @DeVoneBoggan: Yep!!!
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RT @irvine_awards: Dr. Noha Aboelata, CEO of @RootsEmpowers, receives a 2022 @IrvineFdn Leadership Award for addressing root causes of heal…
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RT @DRKFoundation: ~20M kids in the US are growing up without a relationship with their fathers. @DrDanielsJr and his org @FathersUplift wo…
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RT @HopeAndHealFund: During #blackhistorymonth, @hopeandhealfund honors amazing thought partners, friends, philanthropists, and advocates.…
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RT @HopeAndHealFund: @Hopeandhealfund is proud to be the first funder of this effective strategy in Stockton. Now that #COVID looks to be o…
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RT @irvine_awards: This week, we revealed the 2022 James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award recipients. Join us in congratulating these inn…