On November 1, 2016, Milwaukee launched its comprehensive violence prevention planning process with over 150 community partners. This meeting was the start of an ambitious six-month process to develop a blueprint for Violence Prevention in Milwaukee. That evening, the first of many meetings with young people was held with youth who have been directly impacted by violence in Milwaukee. This meeting was a candid conversation about the intent of the plan, how they’d like to see youth involved, and contributing factors to violence in Milwaukee. On November 2, 2016, the first Steering Committee meeting was held at Bader Philanthropies. The Steering Committee is a cross section of community leaders who will ensure that community input remain core to the process and the outcome of the plan. On November 14, 2016 134 youth ages 14-18 completed surveys related to their experience and ideas for violence prevention at the Youth Social Justice Forum. There will be many more efforts for gathering input from a range of individuals, sectors, and groups.
The goal of the planning process is to develop an action plan to reduce incidence of interpersonal and structural violence through the development, implementation, evaluation, and sustainability of strategies that promote community safety and resilience. The planning process will result in a vision for violence prevention and community safety for Milwaukee, an action plan that draws on community assets and best practices, and increased readiness for collaborative action by multiple sectors. The process is funded by the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin, with partial funding from the Tides Foundation, and ReCAST Milwaukee.
The following principles were first drafted based on pre-interviews and surveys of community stakeholders. They were then revised based on feedback at the Community Launch and Steering Committee Meetings. We will work with community to update and revise these principles as we continue in the action planning process and the final principles will be written into the plan.
1. Community and those most affected by violence must be at the center of the Action Plan, including opportunities for input and influence.
2. We recognize that systems of oppression exist and must be acknowledged, addressed and dismantled, including institutional racism and other root contributors of violence.
3. We must acknowledge the impact of violence and trauma on community and operate in ways that promote community connectedness, resilience and sustainable change.
4. We are committed to preventing multiple forms of violence by addressing interrelated factors that contribute to violence (risk factors) and factors that help to prevent it (resilience factors).
5. Developing and maintaining a spirit of trust, cooperation and collaboration across groups and multiple sectors is key to improving the safety of Milwaukee. We will have difficult conversations and treat each other with respect even when in disagreement.
6. The plan must be comprehensive and actionable with the ability to measure progress and goals in the short-, medium- and long-term. Problems generate over many generations and require long-term investments and alignment of funding. And we must also focus on immediate needs and celebrate short term wins.
7. We value the importance of multiple forms of evidence, including the best available research evidence as well as contextual evidence from the wisdom of lived experience of community members.
8. We are flexible, honest and accountable to one another and aim to not make promises we can’t keep.
9. The Action Plan builds off Milwaukee’s community strengths and assets and fills gaps where needed.
A list of risk and resilience factors were created based on interview and survey feedback from local stakeholders in Milwaukee. During the meeting participants had the opportunity to prioritize factors that they believe are most important to preventing violence in Milwaukee. Next steps include a deeper cross-referencing process of the priority factors to research and grouping factors to inform focus areas and goals of the Action Plan.
