Derek Powder joined a gang because he was tired of being ridiculed and bullied at school.
Physically and sexually abused as a child in a family where drugs and violence were the norm, he didn't fit in at school and was only able to express his anger through violence.
He became a drug dealer and an addict, and an alcoholic, and spent time in jail - until four years ago, when he decided to change his life.
Now 25, Powder works with Native Counselling Services of Alberta, is a single parent raising a six-year old daughter, and spends a lot of time trying to persuade young people not to follow the path he took.
His message is that even if you grow up in a dysfunctional family, you still have control of your life.
"Maybe if there had been somebody out there for me I wouldn't have taken that path," Powder told a forum on youth and gang violence Sunday.
"But I have moved forward and I'm not a victim anymore.
"There's more to life than drugs, parties and alcohol, and my daughter won't see that stuff."
The forum at the west-end Boys and Girls Club was a first step in getting more youth involved in addressing the issue of violence, said Kyle Dube, Western Canada program manager for YOUCAN, which organized the event.
"We want to engage youth and give them a voice. We don't want to be a bunch of adults talking to youth; we want to empower them to deal with the issues themselves."