Today, the day before the World Economic Forum conference in Lima, a group of Peruvian kids and their adult allies will make a case for why a childhood free from violence and filled with playful learning is the key to the kind of innovation that can drive economic prosperity in this century.

Rather than focusing on ineffective and wasteful "one size fits all" approaches, the Youth PROMISE Act invests in local, culturally and geographically relevant, proven and promising violence prevention and intervention strategies that save lives and enable youth to realize their vast potential.

We all need to communicate to the young people in our lives the importance of speaking up about any threats of violence, whether someone is threatening to hurt themselves or others.

The fact is, most parents who choose to own guns in homes with kids seem oblivious to the real risks and dangers those guns pose to their families.

Much of the focus has been on policy. However, it is not the only opportunity to apply the heightened public sentiment for meaningful and lasting change. It may not even be the best one.