Community Forum on Violence Dialogue Report

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Community Forum on Violence Dialogue
Report

• A report on the dialogues held at the forum on
  May 23, 2007
• The Western Justice Center Foundation
• Further discussion on these recommendations will
  be held at the next Pasadena Talks Leadership
  Group meeting on June 12, 2007 from 12-2pm at
  WJCF, 55 S. Grand Ave., Pasadena 91105
• All are invited to attend. For more information,
  email or call Emily Linnemeier at
  emily_at_westernjustice.org or 626-584-7494

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Table of Contents

• Background3
• The Dialogue Process......6
• Issues to be addressed.7
• Suggested solutions/recommended action
  items.....9
• Evaluation of dialogue process..12
• Next Steps and recommendations...............18

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Background

• On May 23, 2007, the City of Pasadena held a
  community forum to address four incidents of
  violence that occurred in Pasadena over a
  two-day period earlier in the month. These
  incidents resulted in 2 homicides. At the forum,
  the City organized a presentation, which
  consisted of remarks by Pasadena Police Chief
  Bernard Melekian and a panel with Councilmembers
  Jacque Robinson, Chris Holden and Victor Gordo
  and Pasadena Unified School District Board
  President Steve Lizardo. Following the
  presentation, the Western Justice Center convened
  a dialogue session. After the dialogue session,
  Chief Melekian and Brian Williams, Assistant City
  Manager, answered questions from participants in
  the event. Mayor Bill Bogaard, City Manager
  Cynthia Kurtz, Councilmembers Margaret McAustin
  and Sid Tyler, PUSD Superintendent Edwin Diaz,
  and School Board members Renatta Cooper and Scott
  Phelps were also in attendance.
• The forum is a continuation of the program
  Pasadena Talks, which was implemented in
  September 2006 in response to three homicides
  which took place in late August-early September
  and which were the culmination of a series of at
  least 60 incidents of violence. Pasadena Talks
  grew out of the Inter-Group Relations Advisory
  Committee which was formed by the Pasadena City
  Managers office and was comprised of various
  community leaders, neighborhood entities and
  government agencies/commissions that have
  relevant human relations missions.

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Background cont.

• Western Justice Center Foundation (WJCF) served
  as facilitator for the Advisory Committee,
  which held three meetings in late September-early
  October 2006 and planned three city-wide
  dialogues held on October 17 and 19, 2006.
  WJCF provided facilitators and dialogue design
  for these events. Preceding these events,
  WJCF was involved with two dialogues focused on
  racial reconciliation and another two dialogues
  that brought together youth and police at the
  high school and middle school level. WJCF staff
  also works on on-going initiatives to implement
  such programs.
• Since December 2006, WJCF has continued
  facilitating meetings of the Pasadena Talks
  Leadership Group every second Tuesday of the
  month from noon to 2pm. Group meetings have
  focused on issues such as increasing youth summer
  employment opportunities and have featured a
  presentation by San Bernardino schools on their
  ASTERISK youth employment project.

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Background cont.

• A partial list of examples of actions from these
  dialogues include
• PUSD and the City have collaborated on outreach
  to parents about youth summer
  employment opportunities.
• The City utilized community feedback from the
  dialogues in the process of developing job
  fairs.
• The meetings have also included presentations and
  opportunities for community members to give
  feedback to the Pasadena Police Department on
  on-going issues of violence.
• Other groups focusing on violence
  prevention/inter-group relations have developed
  from these leadership group meetings, including
  one for families called Moms on the Move and one
  for youth called People of Vision.
• Over 300 people have participated in the dialogue
  sessions, forums and monthly meetings that have
  been held since October 2006.
• 20 community members attended a 28-hour group
  facilitation training organized by the Western
  Justice Center and sponsored by the City of
  Pasadena in the first two weeks of May 2007.
  Participants were trained to facilitate group
  dialogues on intense conflict situations and to
  use processes as an alternative to violence.
  These community members are providing 150 hours
  of volunteer time to continue and expand the
  action-oriented dialogue sessions. These
  facilitators are also involved with planning and
  implementing Points of View dialogues and
  violence prevention/inter-group programs on
  school campuses. Points of View is a partnership
  between WJC, YWCA Racial Justice Committee, City
  Conversations, Office of Reconciliation
  Ministries, the Pasadena Human Relations
  Commission and the Pasadena Police Department.

6
The dialogue process

• Approximately 120 people attended the forum
  held on May 23, 2007. Participants were assigned
  to one of eight break-out groups that included
  institutional representatives such as the
  councilmembers, police officers, school
  superintendent and school board members,
  community/faith-based leaders, parents and
  high-school students.
• At the end of the dialogue session, participants
  were invited to come back together, and after the
  QA with the police chief and assistant city
  manager, two high-school aged participants from
  one of the break-out groups reported on some of
  the points of consensus between the 8 different
  groups.

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The dialogue process contd

• Participants were asked the following 3 questions
  in break-out sessions.
• How do you feel about the recent violence in
  Pasadena, and what do you think are some
  of the reasons for it?
• What are some of your concerns about the current
  situation, and what can you personally do
  to help displace the power of violence in our
  community?
• What suggestions can you offer to the City and
  other institutions?
• In order to meet the following 3 objectives.
• Identify specific issues which the group believes
  need to be addressed in order to displace the
  power of violence in our community.
• Generate suggestions as to how each issue could
  be resolved.
• Consider specific recommendations and the role of
  each entity and participant to deal with issues
  raised (dialogue? action).
• The numbers next to the responses in the
  following slides represent the number of groups
  that recorded the idea. Each group consisted of
  about 15 participants. The items with no number
  signify that only one group recorded that item.

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Issues to be addressed

• Coordination Collaboration
• Building frustration, need to move to action (7)
• Equitable and community resources allocation not
  prioritized (4)
• Ineffective collaboration, outreach and
  communication among faith-based, community and
  institutional organizations (in general and
  regarding programs and events) (3)
• Lack of trust and communication breakdown (2)
• Newspaper/media promoting negative views (2)
• Lack of transport to existing programs
• Reasons have been around a long time without
  being addressed in a substantial way
• Successes not being recognized
• Family Youth education
• Youth unsupervised, undisciplined and bored, with
  desensitization to or glamorization of
  violence lack of authority figure, guidance and
  life skills development (including in anger
  management) (7)
• Lack of parental responsibility, accountability
  and skills (5)
• Lack of hope for the future, motivation, feelings
  of value, and responsibility for actions among
  youth and young adults (2)
• Youth, especially males, feel that they are not
  listened to
• Disenfranchisement among youth
• Parents afraid of own children
• Inter-group Relations
• Cultural misunderstanding and racial divide lack
  of recognition of similarities (4)
• Loss of sense of community, disconnect from
  community and lack of community involvement (3)

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Issues cont.

• Inter-group Relations cont.
• Lack of awareness in parts of the city (2)
• Growing community tension (2)
• Discrimination and Racism (2)
• Hate (2)
• Building sadness, resentment and anger (2)
• Racial profiling
• Different values
• Community Safety
• Lack of intervention before violence breaks out
  and early intervention programs (3)
• Lack of positive law-enforcement/community and
  youth interaction (3)
• Building fear (2)
• Lack of meaningful structure and dialogue about
  violence at schools (2)
• Drugs (2)
• Larger issue of violence and culture of violence
  in the region and the country
• Economics
• Fast pace of changing demographics and
  displacement in city people feel they cant use
  parks and facilities or go to events outside
  their own neighborhoods (4)
• Income gap in Pasadena, with a high cost of
  living and many people living in poverty (3)

10
Suggested solutions/recommended action

• Coordination Collaboration
• More community-oriented and equitable resource
  allocation and program creation (one group
  suggested replacing funding for once-existing
  programs like band another suggested
  for arts and music programs), especially to
  proven programs and education (research and
  evaluate them) (8)
• More collaboration between and among faith-based
  groups, organizations and agencies and visible
  outreach to the community (one group suggested
  holding city-wide prayer meetings) (8)
• More effective communication system as well as
  outreach on and transport to existing programs
  (including one-source resource stop and resource
  fair one group suggested developing a citywide
  database and forming a team for door-to-door
  outreach) (8)
• Use schools as resource centers and keep them
  open for longer hours (4)
• Engage the business community (one group
  suggested having each business commit to hiring
  at least one Pasadena public school student) (2)
• Hold more community dialogues to find best
  solutions, and use more effective outreach for
  them (2)
• More recognition of successes, including through
  the media (2)
• Create a community run website for advertising
  community information
• Create more opportunities for youth and adults to
  engage each other
• Create alternative decision-making structures
• Family Youth education
• Teach life and civic participation skills and
  respect for others to youth and engage them in
  decision-making and goal setting (e.g.,
  internships at City Council and commissions,
  create Youth Council) (5)
• Create more sustained youth mentoring programs
  (one group suggested having teens mentor
  children another suggested opening up our homes
  to youth) (5)

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Solutions, action cont.

• Family Youth education cont.
• Provide more opportunities for youth dialogue,
  outreach and involvement, including with
  problem youth, those involved in violence,
  those in gangs and former gang members, and
  really listen to what they have to say (5)
• Create parent mentoring, skill-building and
  outreach programs (one group suggested
  knocking on doors) (4)
• Stop institutional labeling and tracking in the
  educational system (2)
• Better data collection on education statistics
  for improving programs
• Have dress code/uniforms and more structure in
  schools
• Call students who are absent from school
• Offer alternatives in disciplinary programs and
  give youth a second chance
• Increase police involvement in schools
• Begin a program where youth get high-school
  credit for building homes (Youth Build model)
• Go door-to-door to educate parents on gangs and
  gang signs
• Build a teen center
• Address mental health needs (including those of
  young adults returning from war)
• Talk with ones own children
• Intergroup Relations
• Create sense that Pasadena is one city (one group
  suggested following the Pasadena Library One
  City, One Story example another suggested the
  One Colorado example) have unifying action (two
  groups suggested holding a One City Stops
  Violence or zero-violence event, one suggested
  having it around the environment, and it was also
  mentioned that it should be immediate) more
  personal responsibility from every community
  member to get involved in violence prevention,
  racial reconciliation and community building (5)

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Solutions, action items cont.

• Inter-group Relations cont.
• Provide cross-cultural, diversity, racial
  reconciliation and non-violence
  curriculum and training in schools (one group
  suggested having diverse team teach these
  subjects) (3)
• Develop more leaders within the community and
  create leadership board (2)
• Reach out to diverse groups
• Personally act kinder
• Leaders refute media racializing events
• Community Safety
• Focus more resources on proactive prevention and
  intervention programs, including focusing on
  gangs (reach out to gang-prevention networks) and
  on children at an early age (3)
• Police can provide more effective outreach and
  information on their policies, procedures and
  efforts, and community members can build
  police-community relationships by taking part in
  further police-community and youth dialogues or
  the Pasadena Citizens Police Academy (2)
• Reach out for federal Weed Seed funding
• Change culture of violence
• Economics
• Provide more vocational and job training and jobs
  and internships (job fair), including for young
  adults (5)
• Stop gentrification
• Increase percentage of rental housing in City

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Evaluation of the dialogue process

• 53 dialogue participants completed evaluations.
  In evaluating the dialogue experience,
  participants were asked the following questions
• What did you like most about the dialogue portion
  of this event and what was the most important
  part of it?
• What did you like least about the dialogue
  portion and what are your suggestions for
  improving it?
• Do you think this dialogue was helpful in moving
  toward displacing the power of violence in
  Pasadena?
• Do you think there is value in holding dialogues
  such as this one? Please explain your answer.
• Do you have any suggestions for the event
  overall?

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What did you like most about the dialogue portion
of this event and what was the most important
part of it?

• The 3 most common answers given to Question 1
  were
• The chance people were given to speak their minds
• The opportunity to hear many different points of
  view from the community and the diversity of the
  individuals present
• The ability to share ideas, listen and learn from
  what participants had to say and the way the
  dialogue was used to share ideas of action and
  implementation

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What did you like least about the dialogue
portion and what are your suggestions for
improving it?

• The 3 most common answers given to Question 2
  were
• There was not enough time to really go into depth
  
• Quieter rooms are needed so that all people can
  hear one another
• The questions somewhat hindered the discussion of
  the group

16
Do you think this dialogue was helpful in moving
toward displacing the power of violence in
Pasadena?

• The majority of participants thought that the
  dialogue was helpful and there needs to be a
  follow up process that yields a plan for action.

17
Do you think there is value in holding dialogues
such as this one? Please explain your answer.

• The overwhelming response to Question 4 was
  yes. Most people want to see an extension of
  these dialogues involving youth.

18
Do you have any suggestions for the event overall?

• The 3 most common answers to Question 5 were
• There need to be youth present when holding these
  dialogues
• There is a need for more of these dialogues
• Follow-through is crucial to make positive
  changes in the community

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Next Steps

• Dialogue is a change process that moves people
  from merely having an awareness of an
  issue to forming a collective mature opinion
  about that issue, which then allows for the
  development of solutions to that issue.
  It is recognized that a single forum or multiple
  forums that are too far apart in time and
  not linked together are not likely to promote
  action or change deeply held beliefs about
  inter-group relations and violence or any other
  issues. There simply is not enough time to face
  difficult facts or explore choices.
• We offer comments as facilitators of a dialogue
  process that has included forums held in October
  2006, monthly sessions, and this most recent
  dialogue held in May 2007 and based on the
  feedback of the participants. The recommendations
  are focused on continuing the process of
  engagement with a goal of action. We recommend
  continuing the conversations over the summer
  through further, action-oriented dialogues where
  participants become partners in the actions
  generated by the discussion. These events should
  include outreach to all parts of the city, with a
  particular focus on youth. The location and
  design of the forums should be inclusive and
  comfortable for all those who may wish to
  participate. The forums should also include a
  notice about the date, time and location for the
  next event that will be held after the particular
  forum. The city, other institutional entities,
  and community members should commit to an action
  plan based upon the recommendations made at these
  dialogues.

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Next Steps Cont.

• We recognize that some of the following
  recommendations may already be realized in some
  form, and so another possible idea for future
  forums could be to focus on discussing already
  available initiatives and resources

• Communication Collaboration
• Participants have expressed an interest in
  developing a joint understanding and definition
  regarding recent violence. There is a need for
  further exploration in future dialogues regarding
  how concepts such as hate crimes, gangs and crime
  statistics are reported and defined by law, law
  enforcement, media and community members. In
  many of the dialogues, different entities and
  individuals have expressed varying definitions
  and experiences of these issues, and this can be
  a barrier to collaboration.
• Participants have mentioned that further clarity
  and communication by city and law enforcement on
  actions and procedures relevant to the recent
  violence would promote transparency and improve
  community relations. This issue should be a part
  of future discussions and dialogue. Many
  participants appreciated the participation of
  city, law enforcement and school officials in the
  forum and dialogues and recommended continued
  engagement between community and government
  entities to further collaboration.
• Many participants cited the lack of information
  on existing youth based programming as a barrier
  to utilizing such services. A concerted effort is
  necessary to promote all available summer
  activities provided by the City, PUSD and
  community organizations through a unified message
  from these entities. This could be the subject of
  future forums.

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Next Steps cont.

• Communication Collaboration cont.
• The overwhelming majority of participants
  mentioned that there is a need for the
  development of an action plan that addresses the
  range of causes identified by the community.
  Again, participants mentioned the need for
  collaboration between and among the various
  entities Faith-based, community, city,
  non-profits, PUSD and local universities,
  government agencies, etc. A concentrated time and
  place for such an effort might be the hosting of
  a retreat with representatives who can develop
  this joint plan and incorporate the feedback that
  has been generated by the various forums that
  have been held. A youth and parent presence at
  such a retreat would be important, as identified
  by the participants.
• Family Youth education
• Participants have also identified the need for
  trainings and informational forums that educate
  parents, families and youth on life and
  civic-participation skills as well as on the
  status of gangs, actions that are being taken by
  city, law enforcement and organizations and
  prevention and intervention services that are
  available.
• Inter-group Relations
• Participants identified the need to have on-going
  education and training and to develop relations
  between different ethnic and racial groups. They
  cited the importance of blunting the existence of
  hate between communities. Future events should
  focus on addressing this topic and developing
  trust between communities.

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Next Steps cont.

• Inter-group Relations cont.
• Many participants have identified the need for
  healing as a whole community. Future actions and
  events should create safe space for
  stories of those who have been directly affected
  by the violence. Examples include actions
  being taken by Moms on the Move.
• Community Safety
• Community safety was of paramount concern and
  needs to be directly addressed in further actions
  and discussion. At previous monthly sessions,
  presentations by other cities focused on how to
  promote community safety with models that engage
  the whole community. Participants felt that
  examples of collaborations, such as safe passage
  programs to and from school, should be studied
  for their applicability and developed for the
  Pasadena community on a neighborhood by
  neighborhood approach. Reports such as the
  Advancement Projects assessment of the history
  of Los Angeles gang activity and current efforts
  towards its reduction and recommendations for a
  comprehensive solution to the problem can be
  further analyzed for relevance and applicability
  to Pasadena. It can serve as launching points
  for future discussions and action plans.
• Participants have identified the fact that the
  violence has regional causes and impact. Future
  discussions, events and collaborative efforts
  should include representatives from neighboring
  municipalities and highlight resources that are
  available from the County regarding violence
  prevention and intergroup relations.

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Next Steps cont.

• Economics
• Summer employment and after school recreational
  and leadership activities were identified in
  monthly meetings and at forums as one of the
  primary prevention methods. Participants felt
  that this is an area that needs to be immediately
  assessed and developed, specifically for an
  action plan that includes businesses, government,
  schools, and faith-based and non-profit
  organizations.