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Creation of Youth Against Violence Initiative
In 2006, multiple shootings involving youth took place in Tacoma creating media attention and a renewed concern about youth violence in our community. Realizing the depth and importance of this issue, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation convened a group of funders and service providers to explore the root causes of the issue. This group reviewed the entire spectrum of local efforts that appear to successfully reduce or prevent youth violence including evidence-based programs, best practices, and relationship-based local efforts.
After reviewing official data about youth violence and hearing from youth’s self-reported information about their own violent behaviors, it became apparent there was a huge variation between the two. At this point, the group realized the importance of having all constituents at the table to tell their individual story… especially, the youth.
Including the Most Important Group: Youth
Understanding the importance of their voice in this initiative, youth were included in the group as thinking partners to inform and influence the direction of the initiative. This approach appreciates that lasting change in a community comes from the people who live in the community, and in this instance, the youth in our community needed to design and lead these conversations in partnership with adults.
By making this decision, the group was intentionally giving up their role as “experts” in order to take on the role of “learner” along with the rest of our community. The group began to design a series of community dialogues with the intent of helping build a positive and caring community that fosters a sense of respect, possibility and hope among our young people.
Community Dialogues
In the Fall of 2009, four community dialogues were held for adults and youth to come together in a safe setting where their stories could be told and heard. Many great breakthroughs took place at these dialogues which gave those who attended a feeling of hope and excitement for the future.
To summarize the dialogues, “Four Truths” became apparent needs for our community to understand and implement into all of our interactions with the youth in our community:
* Youth are the experts on youth and are ready to lead
* In every encounter, move from stereotype to story
* Each of us play a role in creating peace
* Arts are a tool for social change and a direct alternative to violence
In addition, these truths highlight a more intrinsic lesson:
When people are open and honest with each other they create relationships which value solutions that work for everyone. This process takes time because it involves authentic listening and taps into the expert in all of us. It is the only path to sustainable change in our communities. |
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