Two years ago I got a call from a random stranger named Gary Slutkin. Gary is an M.D., and an unusual one at that. He doesn’t fight disease; he fights violence.

Gary’s organization, CeaseFire, single-mindedly works to stop cycles of violence in the wake of inner city shootings. It is an attempt to apply the principles of public health to American street violence.

And it seems to be working.

I’d almost forgotten about Gary and CeaseFire until I picked up today’s New York Times Magazine. A superb article tells his story.

“For violence, we’re trying to interrupt the next event, the next transmission, the next violent activity,” Slutkin told me recently. “And the violent activity predicts the next violent activity like H.I.V. predicts the next H.I.V. and TB predicts the next TB.”

I highly recommend this read.

Much to my surprise, Gary told me he had also spent years fighting AIDS in Africa. At the time we spoke, he was thinking of returning, this time to help stop violence in post-war countries. How did all of this slip my mind?

I think it’s my turn to call Gary. I have some Liberian imams I want him to meet.