Ari Cowan
Author, Speaker, Theorist,
& Artist with a vision — with your help —
to End Violence in our Lifetime

This is not just another well-intended approach
to ending violence, but a wholesale departure from
the 10,000,000 year old way we see, describe, and respond to violence. This is a revolution of promise and hope – One which rejects many conventional notions about violence. This new model allows us to move from despair and powerlessness to effective restoration and healing

To watch the acclaimed "Your Voice" video,
created by an international group of volunteers in support of Ari Cowan's new" Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model,"
click here.

Ari Cowan is a writer, theorist, and artist who consults with and speaks to regional, national and international governments, prisons, schools, and other organizations to implement non-violent solutions to conflict.

A resident of the Pacific Northwest in the United States, he is the Founder, Executive Director Emeritus, and former member of the Board of Advisors of the nonprofit Family Health Institute, a four-year project established in 1996 under the auspices of the Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), the US affiliate of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War — recipients of the 1985 Nobel Prize for Peace. He is a past member of the Board of Directors of the Washington chapter of PSR.

For his work to end violence, Mr. Cowan received the National Public Health Award from the United States affiliate of the international physician organization which received the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. The award recognized Mr. Cowan’s socially responsible work in public health on behalf of children and families and in recognition of his "outstanding activism, steadfast commitment, and passion for a better world." He also received the Association for Human Resource Professionals’ Award for Excellence in Human Resources, the highest award granted by that organization.

During his tenure with the Family Health Institute, Mr. Cowan created Project MAVRIC: The Men Against Violence Response Initiative Campaign, a public health educational program directed toward reducing violence by and against men and boys. MAVRIC has had wide exposure in the Pacific Northwest. This project was endorsed by a diverse number of groups including the Seattle Seahawks professional football team (linebacker Chad Brown served as television spokesperson), the US Public Health Service, Physicians for a Violence-Free Society, the University of Washington, Seattle Police Department, Mothers Against Violence in America, Washington Ceasefire, Washington State Association of Counties, and the YWCA — Imagine Life Without Violence campaign.

Mr. Cowan is the author of eight human resources/health benefits management reference works. He was a member of the adjunct faculty of the University of California, Irvine Graduate School of Management (Irvine, California) from 1989 to 1997. He served as a member of the Workplace Violence Task Force of the University of Washington Graduate School of Public Affairs, Institute for Public Policy and Management.

Mr. Cowan spent seven years working in a group setting with many adults in treatment for severe violence in childhood.

He displayed his photographic work at the 1974 World's Fair; served as a film reviewer for The Daily Journal-American newspaper in Bellevue, Washington; and spent two years as the film reviewer on the Seattle PBS television affiliate.

The late science-fiction author Philip K. Dick (Blade Runner) acknowledged Mr. Cowan as "a new and original thinker."

Mr. Cowan was cited — along with Nobel Prize recipient and former President Jimmy Carter, 1980 Nobel Prize winner Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, and others — for his assistance in bringing the first edition of The International Bill of Human Rights to publication.

Mr. Cowan was born and raised in the Seattle area. He is the single parent of two grown sons and lives near Lake Sammamish east of Seattle, Washington. He’s also an accomplished graphic artist, mediocre guitarist, competent auto mechanic, frequent traveler, ardent film goer, insatiable book lover, and student of Irish history and culture.

Speaking programs with Ari Cowan

Ari’s signature keynote: Violence and the Heart of Healing

So many of us feel powerless as violence continues its injurious and fatal work. Ari Cowan’s spoken and written efforts provide inspiration and tools for us to move into action and help bring about measurable and sustainable reductions in violence.

In these sessions, Ari Cowan shares the proven structure and results of The Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model he developed as a revolutionary solution to the savage malignancy of violence. In turn, audiences discover how they can be integral in efforts to bring this evidence-based prevention and restoration program to those who need it most.

This evidence-based, cognitive approach to violence response and prevention, built upon a public health foundation, incorporates new thinking about and language for describing violence, provides a new framework for preventing and responding to violence, and presents an effective alternative to the commonly-used traditional punitive-based approaches for dealing with violence.

Ari discusses:

• Understanding the challenge of violence
• What violence really is—and what it truly costs
• the "Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model
• the results in schools and the India-Pakistan border, as well as a Security Five prison in Washington State
• redefining violence
• targeted outcomes
• moving the PAR Model into our communities and the world

Participants will learn:

• About the challenge of violence and the cost of violence.
• Details about the Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model and how the model is applied,
• Discover actions they can take to reduce violence and its impact on our community, state, nation, and world.

In longer sessions, Ari can also cover:
An eye opening experiment in perception • basic human questions • the human need for power and control • case studies • the "universal field" and the "construct" – two core concepts in the PAR Model • brain development • the nature of perception • the "punitive model" • comparing the models • PAR Model components • trauma, toxicity, infection • self-management • risk factors • punitive and PAR transactions • using the PAR Model • some practical tools • deploying the PAR Model to a world in need.

Acts of Courage, Acts of Cowardice: Transcending the Culture of Violence takes the work begun in Violence and the Alchemy of Being and applies it to the world's "culture of violence" and America's role in both contributing to and ending violence. This project is scheduled for publication in 2010.

Principia Americana: The Evolution of the American Spirit, scheduled for 2011.

Sampling of Articles by Ari Cowan

Most of Ari Cowan's previous works have been in the HR /healthcare industry.

•   Health Care Cost Management. American Somerset, Inc.: 1984
•   The COBRA Management Resource. With Lee Paterson, JD. American Somerset, Inc.: 1987
•   The Section 89 Companion. With Lee Paterson, JD. American Somerset, Inc.: 1989
•   Managing Section 89: The Complete Compliance Guide. With Lee Paterson, JD. American Somerset, Inc.: 1989
•   Managing COBRA: The Complete Compliance Guide. With Lee Paterson, JD. John Wiley & Sons: 1989
•   Executive’s Guide to Health Benefits Cost Management. Parker & Sons: 1990
•   Injury and Illness Prevention Program: The Complete Compliance Guide. With Monroe, JD and Peterson, JD. American Somerset, Inc.: 1991
•   Managing ADA: Complete Compliance Guide. With Robert Naeve, JD. John Wiley & Sons

Feedback about Ari’s work

“A new and original thinker.”
— Philip K. Dick, Author — Do Androids Dream Electric Sheep? (Blade Runner), Valis, and The Minority Report

“You have truly touched my life; you will be in my memory for a long time (and hopefully my friends' minds to whom I've been telling about your presentation). Thank you again.”  — High School Student in a letter to the author

“Fabulous — focused, thoughtful important and engaging.” • “Extremely thought-provoking and stimulating. I felt inspired.” • “Mr. Cowan was phenomenal!” • "Very professional — incredibly valuable.” • “Outstanding material, presentation and very much needed today.” • “Very impressed — I wish the session could have been longer!” • “Very thought-provoking and interesting! Great stuff!” • "Clear, practical and stimulating.” • “Great speaker! Very thorough presentation.”
— Evaluation Comments; (Overall Evaluation = “Excellent”)....Violence & Powerful Learning 2004 Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 59th Annual Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana

“Ari Cowan's extensive experience as a consultant to major healthcare organizations and his ability to institute positive change has earned him great respect throughout the healing community. In particular, Mr. Cowan's immense passion and unique understanding of the issues of violence makes him well qualified to write on the subject. He exhibits profound insight into the devastating effects of violence and proposes clear, concise, success-oriented solutions to eliminating acts of aggression in our society. Mr. Cowan takes a fresh approach to understanding violence by highlighting the cultural influences that perpetuate and escalate violent behavior. His remarks will undoubtedly instill hope as well as challenge all of us to eradicate violence in our world.”
— Daniel R. Valentine, PhD, MFT, DAC, Chief Executive Officer, Sharp Vista Pacifica Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospital Treating Clinician, National Football League's Program for Substances of Abuse

“Author Ari Cowan offers a deeply thoughtful analysis of the problem of violence that goes beyond critique to offer compassionate, practical solutions toward healing the personal and societal wounds that violence has begotten. The beginning of the end of violence starts with this book [Acts of Courage, Acts of Cowardice: Transcending the Culture of Violence].” “A must-read for any parent, teacher, counselor, or doctor.”
— Kathleen Ervin, MFCC, Program Coordinator, Venture Adolescent Day Treatment Program

A slice of previous presentations by Ari Cowan:

• The PAR Dialogues; Edvita Institute; Bellevue, Washington
• Rethinking Violence: A Short Survival Course for Educators and Parents and When the Inmates Take Over the Asylum : Power Management in the Classroom; Washington Association for Learning Alternatives: Spring Conference, Long Beach, Washington and Fall Conference, Chelan, Washington
• Shaping the Heart: Violence and the Spiritual Path; United Methodist Churches: Five Day Academy for Spiritual Formation; Federal Way, WA, 2006.
• Violence and Spirituality: Four workshops – "Seeing Violence Through New Eyes," "Becoming an Instrument of Peace," "Men and Violence," and "Healing a World in Need." Unity of Bellevue, Bellevue, Washington
• Violence and the Classroom: Innovative Strategies, Effective Actions; Roman Catholic School Board of Curaçao: Annual Conference; Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles
• Violence & Powerful Learning: Social Values Across the Curriculum; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: 59th Annual Conference; New Orleans, Louisiana
• Implementing a Culture of Tolerance: An Innovative Model for Safe Schools -- Immunizing Young People Against the Ravages of Violence; 16th Annual At-Risk Youth Forum; Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
• Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model Certification Course; Edvita Institute; Bastyr University, Kenmore, Washington
• Intervention in School Violence: A Basis for Character Education; Character Education Partnership: 10th National Forum; Arlington, Virginia
• Implementing a Culture of Tolerance: An Innovative Model for Schools; Coalition of Essential Schools Fall Forum; Columbus, Ohio:
• Violence and Youth: An Innovative Curricular Model; Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development: 58th Annual Conference; San Francisco, California
• Addressing Violence as Service Providers; Citizens Against Domestic and Sexual Abuse; Oak Harbor, Washington
• In the Shadow of 9/11 -- Rethinking the Road to Peace; Partners in Peace Conference (keynote); San Diego, California
• Acts of Courage, Acts of Cowardice: Healing the Violence; Partners in Peace Conference (workshop); San Diego, California
• Violence, Learning & Society: An Innovative Curricular Model; Washington Association for Learning Alternatives: Fall Conference; Spokane, Washington
• Acts of Courage, Acts of Cowardice: Boys, Men & Violence; Sharp Healthcare (Grand Rounds); San Diego, California

To watch the acclaimed “Your Voice” video, created by an international group of volunteers in support of Ari Cowan’s new “Violence Integrative Prevention and Restoration (PAR) Model,” click here.

To hear an audio clip of Ari Cowan, click here

For more information or to book Ari Cowan for your event, click here.