Freedom Plaza will be filled with the youth of D.C. this evening as the city kicks off the “It’s Time to Stand Up and Take a Stand Against Youth Violence” rally at 6 p.m. Mayor Williams, members of the City Council and numerous community leaders and organizations — including the Peaceoholics Youth Council — will be out on the plaza to rally for peace. There’ll be live music from DC Allstars and go-go’s D.Floyd, along with Beats for Peace by the Ballou Marching Knights and the Delta Sigma Theta Inc. step team.

As we’re all too well aware of, the District has a high crime rate, one that affects the city’s youth particularly hard. The gun-related death rate for kids has been particularly high. And last summer’s wave of car thefts across the District was attributed in part to youths without much to do but engage in dangerous joy-riding in stolen cars.

Organizations like Peaceoholics aim to change that.

Our emphasis on positive youth development focuses beyond the school into the community and works in support of youth-serving programs and agencies which target the development of attitudes, behaviors, and conditions that enable youth to excel as productive members of their communities.

We can only hope that it’s a more quiet summer.