Dr. Ram Bhagat is all too familiar with gun violence. After losing his younger brother at the hands of a gun in 1981, Dr. Bhagat vowed to fight gun violence through his love for drumming.

In 1994, Dr. Bhagat formed “Drums No Guns,” a percussion ensemble that inspires people of all backgrounds to reject gun violence through drumming, dance and drama that celebrates life. While the idea for Drums No Guns originated in New Haven, Conn., its groundwork took place in Richmond.

Dr. Bhagat’s work as a science educator, peace activist and musician has not gone unnoticed. The Richmond Peace Education Center recently named Dr. Bhagat, 60, as its Peacemaker of the Year.

“We thank him for his work to address systemic and cultural oppression, his spirit of creative nonviolence and his efforts to educate and empower the youngest members of the Richmond community,” says Adria Scarf, director of the center.

The award was presented last month at the Richmond Peace Education Center’s Member Appreciation Dinner at Ginter Park Presbyterian Church. Dr. Bhagat also will be recognized at the Peace Center’s annual dinner and auction on Nov. 5.

In a recent “TEDxRVA” talk, Dr. Bhagat quoted educator Paolo Friere, saying, “The community must be uplifted by the victims of trauma, the oppressed, who must not become perpetrators, but who, through the process of self-healing, uplift the community.”

Dr. Bhagat’s own commitment to helping others heal has resulted in him leading conflict resolution training for the Richmond Peace Education Center. It reaches hundreds of youth and adults in churches, juvenile detention centers, community organizations, schools and social service agencies throughout the area.

Drums No Guns performances and workshops have taken place during local events such as Celebrate Jackson Ward, Emancipation Day and the Richmond Folk Festival.

In 2011, Dr. Bhagat traveled to Burundi in East Africa to participate in the first Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities, which facilitates healing from trauma caused by violence, war and genocide. He will further spread his message of healing next week during a trip to Brazil, which will include his “Healing Community with Rhythm” classes, “Yoga Drum Dance” workshops and “Conflict Resolution Training for Youth.”

Dr. Bhagat began drumming in 1976 while enrolled at Virginia State University. He notes that the drum symbolizes “the oldest basic rhythm that connects people of all cultures — sort of like the heart.”

He has studied African, African-American, Afro-Brazilian and Afro-Caribbean rhythms from local and international master drummers.

In addition to his work with Drums No Guns and other organizations, Dr. Bhagat has taught at Open, John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson high schools and the Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School in Richmond. He most recently served as chairman of the science department at Ballou Senior High School in Washington. As a certified yoga teacher, Dr. Bhagat often integrates yoga, as well as drumming and the arts, into his community initiatives.

Dr. Bhagat’s next move will be to work with schools in Richmond, Washington and other areas to help prevent situations that lead to crisis and trauma, he said.

Meet this week’s Personality, a real peacemaker, Dr. Ram Bhagat:

Date and place of birth: March 28, in New Haven, Conn.

Current residence: Richmond’s South Side.

Alma maters: Virginia State University, bachelor’s in microbiology;Virginia Commonwealth University, bachelor’s in science education; VSU, master’s in school and community counseling; VCU, post-graduate certificate in administration and supervision; VCU, doctorate in leadership.

Family: Fiancée, Traci L. Johnson and our daughter, Shanthi Ananda Bhagat, 14, and a blended family consisting of three daughters and three sons from our previous marriages, Kiran Bhagat, 31, Shyam Bhagat, 29, Kamala Bhagat, 28, Sohan Bhagat, 26, Kevin Johnson, 22, and Yasmeen Johnson, 20.

Occupation: Educator, trainer and consultant.

Other activities: I am the president of the board for The Conciliation Project. As co-founder and artistic director of Drums No Guns, I promote nonviolence through drumming, dance and drama.

Why this recognition is significant: The Richmond Peace Education Center’s Peacemaker of the Year Award is a great honor because it represents the huge impact that my work has had on so many people. I feel so blessed to know how my devotion to the struggle for peace affects those close to me.

Importance of peace: Peace is love. What the world needs is a paradigm shift from violence and hate to peace and love. When we lose touch with the natural rhythms of our bodies and our world, we also lose the ability to sustain healthy communities. Violence can be considered an extreme case of community out of balance, a form of social arrhythmia, where disconnection, mistrust and alienation prevail.

Why I advocate for it: Peace opens the heart and nurtures the soul. Achieving true peace and helping others reach the same goal is my purpose. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent question is: What are you doing for others.” I am committed to healing and rebuilding our communities.

I selected the name Drums No Guns to: Encourage young people to learn creative nonviolent ways to resolve conflicts. Drums No Guns is a metaphor for Life Not Death. DNG is my retaliation to gun violence. I use the power of drumming, dance and drama to celebrate life.

Why it is needed: Since the beginning of history, drums have helped us communicate, lifted our spirits and made us feel connected. There’s really no secret to the drum’s power. Rhythm is universal. Each culture has a distinct rhythm that expresses the pulse of that society. Drumming can reconnect, revitalize and synchronize community. I use drumming as a metaphor for family and community, by showing the inter-relationships of various rhythms from around the world.

Number of current participants: Drums No Guns world percussion ensemble ranges from five to 15 performers. Hundreds of youths have participated in DNG events and programs.

Hours of practice each week: 10,000 hours over 20 years.

Top highlights of program: “Stand for Children,” with a 1,000-voice choir on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, sponsored by the Children’s Defense Fund; Special Olympics World Games in New Haven, Conn.; Million Mom March on the National Mall in Washington; and 11th Annual Generation Dream Edu~Concert among many others!

Where I learned to drum: I started playing hand drums in 1976 at Virginia State University. My dad bought me a pair of white LPs. They were my first set of congas. I traveled up and down the East Coast and to New Orleans and back.

Hours needed to make a rookie drummer proficient: At least five hours per week for a year.

Today’s youths are: Resilient, Resourceful and Ready for Change!

Outlook at start of day: Om Paramatma, please give me the energy to accomplish my goal which is to unite with you, please give me the courage to tell the truth and face the truth, please give me the wisdom to understand you and unite with you, please give me the devotion to dedicate my mind, body, and soul to you and the Guru, please give me the strength to serve humanity with compassion.

The best thing my parents ever taught me was: To believe in myself and have faith in the Most High.

Nobody knows: I played Little League baseball and my team went to the championship.

Book that influenced me the most: My senior year in high school was a turning point. I discovered Hinduism and yoga. There were two books that I borrowed from the New Haven Public Library. Even though the titles and authors are embedded somewhere in my memory, I clearly remember that the book about yoga changed my life. Two other books, “A Separate Reality” and “Journey to Ixtlan” by Carlos Castaneda also were significant to my awakening. They captured my imagination and inspired me to seek a traditional master/disciple relationship.

What I’m reading now: “Reaching and Teaching Children Who Hurt” by Susan E. Craig and “Fostering Resilient Learners” by Kristin Souers.

If I’ve learned one thing in life, it is: To be grateful!

Next goal: I have five goals for the upcoming school year: 1) establish the Drums No Guns Foundation 501(c)(3), 2) create an after-school drumming, dance, and drama program for black and Latina girls, 3) start Yoga Drum Dance workshops at the Integral Yoga Center of Richmond, 4) present a Racial Healing and Justice workshop series in partnership with The Conciliation Project at the Chrysalis Institute, and 5) design a professional development program that focuses on culturally responsive restorative justice and trauma healing practices for teachers.