Track 2: Session 4d, CeaseFire Chicago Discussion Part IV.mp4

SESSION FOUR (2:00 PM-3:00 PM) Facilitated by Mike Smeltzer. PANEL: A discussion of the CeaseFire Chicago Experience featuring a video by Dr. Slutkin. Mike Smeltzer, MPH (Director, Columbus Public Health, Division of Planning and Peak Performance)

CeaseFire is an evidence-based public health approach to reducing shootings and killings. CeaseFire approaches violence in a fundamentally different way than other violence reduction efforts. It works with community-based organizations and focuses on street-level outreach, conflict mediation, and the changing of community norms to reduce violence, particularly shootings. CeaseFire relies on highly trained outreach workers and violence interrupters, faith leaders, and other community leaders to intervene in conflicts, or potential conflicts, and promote alternatives to violence. CeaseFire also involves cooperation with police and it depends heavily on a strong public education campaign to instill in people the message that shootings and violence are not acceptable. Finally, it calls for the strengthening of communities so they have the capacity to exercise informal social control and to mobilize forces -- from businesses to faith leaders, residents and others -- so they all work in concert to reverse the epidemic of violence that has been with us for too long.

On behalf of the OSU Youth Violence Prevention Advisory Board, I would like to welcome you to our first annual conference, Promoting Community Safety and Preventing Violence: Integrating Lessons from Research and Practice, June 26, 2009 Columbus, Ohio. This conference provided an opportunity for participants to learn from each other about the latest knowledge on community safety and violence prevention issues. Each session has been designed to include the perspectives of researchers and practitioners.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• CeaseFire
• reducing
• shootings
• killings
• violence
• reduction
• community-based
• organizations
• street-level
• outreach
• conflict
• mediation
• Chicago