CeaseFire Hosts Pre-New Year's Eve Peace Summit In Chicago

Anti-violence organization CeaseFire Illinois on Friday evening will host a "peace summit" expected to bring together some 300 Latino and African American youth as the group looks to delve into the question of "Why are people so quick to shoot in Chicago?"

The summit, to be held at the Johnny Miller Life Center, 2622 W. Jackson, from 6-9 p.m., aims to help promote unity and non-violence, as an event announcement read.

The event arrives the same week as news that the city's murder rate in 2011, to date, has declined to its lowest level in nearly 50 years. Still, some areas of the city -- such as the city's South Side Englewood neighborhood -- remain plagued by violence. As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, Englewood has seen a 40 percent increase in murders this year compared to 2010. Just this week, two teens were killed and five others were injured when a gunman opened fire at an area Church's Chicken restaurant.

CeaseFire is a public health strategy implemented with the hope of decreasing the brutal violence that continues to disproportionately impact poor, urban neighborhoods in Chicago. The group, whose work was featured in the critically-acclaimed documentary "The Interrupters," engages in interventions in risky neighborhoods and helps at-risk youth find employment.

In 2010, the group reported that they mediated 498 conflicts in Chicago and potentially saved hundreds of lives.

Tio Hardiman, CeaseFire's Illinois Director, described earlier this year that theirs is a model he hopes to bring to other communities also struggling with violence in a blog on The Huffington Post.

"Violence undermines all other efforts to help distressed communities thrive -- we must turn the tide on violence if better education, community development, job creation and health promotion is to take root in neighborhoods that need them the most," Hardiman wrote.

WATCH a trailer for the film "The Interrupters:"

Comments

[shivavatar]

11:26 PM on 01/18/2012

It would seem the best way to deal with the violence that people of color are prone to is to find a solution to their high emotional involvement. The introduction of SSRIs into their drinking water would in the long and short term severely reduce the amount of violence. You may not agree with my solution, but one must admit that my solution has merit.

[acumenguy]

04:16 PM on 01/02/2012

These gangsters are NOT heads of states and should not treated as such.
There is nothing to negotiate.
The law is the law. Obey it or go to jail.
These urban terrorist should be treated like terrorist.

Hopefully we'll bring back the death penalty and thin-out the herds.

[Romano54]

11:41 PM on 01/01/2012

Is this similar to negotiating with terrorists? Seems like adding credibility to the criminals.

[countj62]

01:36 AM on 01/03/2012

They came for the free food. When it get's dark look out!

[Avatar73]

04:46 PM on 01/01/2012

I don't find ceasefire to be a useful tool for the community, most of them don't offer a difference perspective on crime, they just identify with the criminal because the are criminals. How about a real solutions, like the mothers and fathers of these people staying together being a family and raising their kids so these problems don't occur.

[crookedcountyillinois]

10:09 PM on 12/31/2011

I have a much better proposal: let's convict, and actually imprison those who commit serious crimes.

As it stands now, the Cook County Circuit Court system just funnels defendants out of jail, and into the streets, simply because of "overcrowding" and overly sympathetic judges who alot unnecessarily low bond requirements for very serious offenses; not to mention sentences absent jail time (i.e. parole), where much harsher sentences are statutorily demanded.

Furthermore, pursuing damages against parents of children who commit serious crimes is a much more effective long-term deterrent.

I'm all for free speech, but if you want to fix a problem than FIX it. Otherwise, all you're doing is speaking.

[Michael Luepnitz]

09:38 AM on 12/31/2011

Can they teach the kids killing each other morals? Thou shall not murder is a good one to start with.

[erswnn]

05:57 PM on 12/30/2011

I wonder when CeaseFire is going to get the guts to confront the judical system that continues to make deals with criminals and stop harrassing law abiding citizens who seek nothing more than rightful self-defense? Lawful gunowners are not the problem, we aren't the ones rampaging against society in a bid to create mayhem and violence. But the justice system goes right on making plea deals and reducing charges to clear cases. The result of these deals are violent offenders getting released well before they have paid for a crime and then feeling emboldened by that lack of true consequences. CeaseFire, go set up camp in front of the courthouse and demand justice be just. And stop looking for answers where there are none.

[sillynomibeast07]

01:47 AM on 12/31/2011

Confronting the judicial system is certainly a good idea. However, CeaseFire's primary.. and only mission, really, is to mediate situations already riddled with conflict. Many of the people they work with are in disadvantaged neighborhoods, and probably wouldn't get the opportunity to have a "good lawyer" that could truly speak on their behalf. Many aren't lawful gun owners either.

The problem is that when people seek revenge on somebody (I believe you called this people "seeking rightful self-defense"), they often times do it in a very reckless way. This is why so many innocent bystanders.. recent college grads.. pregnant moms.. etc., are injured or killed in drive-by shootings, when they may not have even known the perpetrator.

Personally, it seems like most of the people getting the best outcome (for them, not for the rest of us) from the legal system are white collar criminals who, if even indicted, generally get sent to prison cells much more fancy than my entire apartment. Seeing that it is these people who, having the most resources to handle and therefore owe the most responsibility to their subsidiaries, we should be holding them much more responsible for all the pain and domino-effect distress they cause.

[erswnn]

10:46 AM on 12/31/2011

"Rightful self-defense" means lawfully and necessary self-defense against an attacker who means to kill or seriously injure, not revenge.

What "people they work with"? They protest. Here in Philly all I have seen is protests in front of gunshops demanding the shopowner sign a 10 point Code of Conduct. 8 of the points are already law....2 of the points are illegal. So in essence CeaseFire is asking shops to commit felonies. Even after this fact is proven to them they ignorantly refuse to believe it. I can't respect a person or group who won't work with facts when dealing with an important social issue. The only people they work with are churches to build more support and victims, the latter I'd say is too little too late.

We're not talking about white collar crimes. Typical for CeaseFire, weak argument....try and deflect the subject. Where in the world do you get the notion that white collar criminals get a better prison than other criminals...Bernie Madoff wants to know. Your being suckered by a myth. Google it, see for yourself. And even if it were true, of course you'd put a violent offender in a maximum security prison as opposed to minimum security. Domino effect? Wait, your saying white collar crime is responsible for violent crime??