Luminary: Dedan Gills

Luminary: Dedan Gills

Dedan Gills is a Los Angeles writer and poet, as well as a State Certified Addiction Specialist. He is also an Anger Management and Conflict Resolution Facilitator who works with at-risk youth, the homeless and people in various stages of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction and abuse. Dedan is widely recognized as a highly skilled and compassionate facilitator. He also has extensive background and experience in: Anger Management Workshops and Groups; Non-Violent Communication; Relapse Prevention; One-on-One Counseling and Group Facilitation.

For six years was a resident of the Los Angeles Eco-Village, one of the country’s oldest urban, intentional environmental communities and was the co-founder of the group’s conflict resolution committee. He also has a certificate in permaculture—an ecological design technique for creating sustainable human environments. Dedan is a member of the Los Angeles Permaculture Guild and studied under the tutelage of permaculture “guru” Larry Santoyo.

An active member of the anti-war and Black Student movements of the 1960s, Dedan--at the time--thought of himself as a revolutionary. He now likes to refer to himself as a "soulutionary", which he defines as a one who explores new paths by using the wisdom of the soul, guided by compassion and mercy instead of confrontation and dogma.

In his work with young people, he has helped to design programs for at-risk teens, and also volunteers as a youth mentor. Dedan is also associate producer of "Watts Up!" a documentary about a young man’s transformative journey. www.wattsupjourney.com

Dedan has traveled extensively and has participated in international conference on Conflict Resolution, Peace and Global Healing in Russia and Bali, Indonesia.