PCHR youth ambassadors learn to use words instead of guns | Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations

Children are our future. That's the sentiment Whitney Houston expressed in her hit single. The greatest love of all when she sang, “I believe children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way.” »

Unfortunately, gun violence is widespread in Philadelphia. The effects have affected almost everyone in one way or another and it is difficult to escape the harsh realities when they are broadcast every night on the news channels. The trauma of gun violence can ripple through the community, far beyond those who are shot or injured. Mental health effects in adults and youth can include anxiety, PTSD, and sleep problems. For children, adolescents and young adults, this includes absenteeism from school, decreased academic performance and difficulty concentrating.

Gun violence does not affect all populations and communities in Philadelphia equally. Just over three-quarters of the fatal shooting victims were black and about half were between the ages of 18 and 30. For these reasons, most experts agree on the need to focus on teaching young people how to better resolve conflicts. For these reasons, the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations (PCHR) sought to expand its conflict resolution programs to continue its outreach efforts to youth to help them identify positive responses to conflict at school and in their communities.

PCHR created a program that works with high-risk youth to develop skills needed to mediate conflicts that might otherwise turn violent. The program was a youth-focused prevention initiative that taught participants the skills to recognize and resist the pressures that lead to violent activities through a multi-pronged approach that allowed students to share ideas, interests and concerns. It also prepared students to become ambassadors in school activities, including social events, and in their communities.

PCHR has partnered with Temple University's Youth Conflict Specialist program to ensure a strong foundational awareness of critical conflict resolution principles. It also partnered with PhillyCAM to create a comprehensive multimedia conflict resolution campaign specifically designed for youth engagement. With these key partnerships in place, we launched the Young Ambassadors program. Over the course of 4 weeks, 15 youth began the task of learning about conflict resolution, bias training, and their civil rights.

In addition to the intensive programming, during the program the youth ambassadors attended a summit on gun violence during which they collaborated with the city's top law enforcement agencies, created an anti-violence media project, and met key community leaders, federal law enforcement partners and other cities. leaders.

When asked about the impact of the program, Ambassador Tyvion Hamilton said: “I love that we are heard. We [also] learn to differentiate [between a] problem that doesn't go away [and a] problem you are walking away from. Tyvion added, “I'm able to help my friends defuse the situation.” »

With each session, the curiosity and insight of the young ambassadors grew. At our Summit on Gun Violence, Ambassador Dante Harrell asked what could be done to prevent the use of ghost guns. District Attorney Larry Krasner advocated that young people vote for elected officials who share their concerns and advocate for policy change.

This point was not lost on our ambassadors who wondered why schools are not doing more to educate young people about the voting process. One of our ambassadors lamented: “They put books in our hands, expect us to vote, but don't teach us.” Well, PCHR is listening and will incorporate suggestions like this into the curriculum for our future Ambassador classes.

Our children will soon become adults. They must have the tools necessary to bring about change. Once the Youth Ambassador program is completed, these young people are equipped to go into their schools and communities, armed with knowledge, and advocate for the change they want to see.

Visit here to see photos from the closing ceremony at City Hall.

Watch the PhillyCAM highlights video featuring the Ambassadors.