The Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth, and Reconciliation's Violence Intervention Program (VIP) Team is on a mission this April! Fresh from the Department of Justice's CVIPI Grantee Conference in Chicago, our team is gearing up for the Community Violence Intervention Summit in Montgomery, Alabama. Here's the scoop on our action-packed month:
Chicago: Peer Mentoring and Experiential Learning
From April 2nd to 5th, 2024, our VIP Team was in the Windy City, attending the Department of Justice's CVIPI Grantee Conference. It was an incredible opportunity to connect with other community based violence intervention programs from across the country. We engaged in peer mentoring with the Institute of Nonviolence, sharing strategies and gaining insights on how to amplify our impact in Selma. The exchange of experiential knowledge was not just enlightening but also invigorating, fueling our passion and skills that support our work to make a difference.
Montgomery Momentum: Co-Hosting and Contributing to the Conversation
Next up, the team is headed to Montgomery, AL for the Community Violence Intervention Summit on April 12th and 13th, 2024. Hosted by Mayor Perkins of Selma and Mayor Reid of Montgomery, this conference is set to be a game-changer in the fight against gun violence. As the only Department of Justice-funded CVI program in the City of Selma/Dallas County, we're honored to have been invited to share our real-world field experiences.
Our team will be presenting two workshop sessions that are close to our hearts: "The Impact of Victims Services Advocates on Reducing Retaliatory Violence" and "Effective Community-Based Violence Intervention Strategies." These sessions are designed to shed light on the crucial role of victim services advocates and the power of community-based strategies in reducing gun violence, especially among youth.
Join Us on This Journey
We're thrilled about the progress we're making and the partnerships we're building. The work we do is challenging, but moments like these remind us of the incredible support we have and the positive change we're capable of creating together. Stay tuned for updates from the summit and join us in our commitment to building a safer, more peaceful community. If you know others who would be interested in this work please share this blog and encourage them to sign up for our newsletter so they can stay up to date on everything going on with violence prevention in Selma and Dallas County.
Remember, every step we take together is a step towards a world free from violence. Let's keep the momentum going! Please donate what you can to support our work of reducing violence in Selma and Dallas County!
Learn more about the issue of gun violence here: https://www.thetrace.org/2024/03/gun-violence-statistics-urban-rural/