The Peace Book
The Peace Book Ordinance establishes the Peace Book, a public safety resource that informs communities about the Peace Book Commission. The Commission includes approved peacekeepers, violence interrupters, mediators, circle-keepers, and restorative justice practitioners. The Peace Book also provides a directory of services and programs for youth and families.
Launch pilot Peace Book programming in the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 20th Wards.
1. Reduce gun violence by at least 60% by overseeing peace treaties, peace hubs, and safe zones;
2. Create an infrastructure of peace and support for young people doing the work of peacekeeping;
3. Resource communities experiencing violence and over-policing; and
4. Nourish the next generation of leaders and peacekeepers.
The Peace Book Ordinance establishes the Peace Book, a public safety resource that informs communities about the Peace Book Commission. The Commission includes approved peacekeepers, violence interrupters, mediators, circle-keepers, and restorative justice practitioners. The Peace Book also provides a directory of services and programs for youth and families.
- City-wide Commissioners will collect and analyze data about their Ward, coordinate peacekeeping efforts across Wards, and support in disseminating information about the Peace Book initiative.
- Youth are trained by community based orgs as Peace Keepers that will interrupt violence, facilitate peacekeeping programs, and develop resource materials.
- Ward Commissioners will do needs assessments by speaking with community members, bringing together rival factions, and overseeing negotiated peace treaties.
The City can publish a request for proposals requesting that youth-led violence reduction organizations apply to coordinate the activities and training of Peacekeepers and Peace Commissions and to develop and disseminate the Peace Book.
Some youth-led violence reduction organizations include GoodKids MadCity, Southside Together Organizing for Power (“STOP”), Blocks Together, Chicago Hoops, Assata’s Daughters, Circles and Ciphers, Brighton Park Neighborhood Council, and Chicago Freedom School.
City-wide Commissioners will be responsible for collecting and analyzing data for each Ward on the following:
- The number of youth engaging in positive pro-social activities relative to the availability of youth focused programming;
- Perceptions of neighborhood/Ward safety;
- Rates of youth-related property crime;
- Rates of non-fatal gun violence;
- Employment rates for the Ward;
- Perceptions of communities having increased access to therapeutic services.
Cit-wide Commissioners (appointed from the pool of Neighborhood Commissioners) will work with outside evaluators to produce annual impact reports detailing the success of the Peace Book in each Ward.
In each Ward, the Peace Book will ensure the following:
- Youth focused events an average of 4 nights a week, targeting 20-50 youth with a plan to make contact with 89% of teenagers/young adults living in the Ward;
- Interruption of social media conflict by modeling conflict resolution and peer to peer invention to diffuse conflict;
- Development and dissemination of a list of micro, block by block neighborhood resources for mutual aid related to housing, shelter, public benefits assistance, and other forms of support;
- Development and execution of quarterly arts projects that will make the work of peacekeeping visible and beautify the community (i.e., murals, mosaics, etc.);
- Truce negotiations with youth affiliated with factions and provision of alternative, pro-social activities;
- Neighborhood canvasses to conduct peer to peer education about the Peace Pledge, using neighborhood spaces and social media to engage youth with a target goal of 80% of people ages 13-22;
- Quarterly community meetings (more as needed);
- Maintenance of a visible presence in neighborhoods during key events to provide youth with positive pro-social outlets and political education (First day of CPS academic year; Halloween; Last day of school; Fourth of July; During mass protest); and
- Coordination and hosting of quarterly peace marches in their Ward.
It will also ensure quarterly reports to City Council, and reports after major events.
The Erase the Gang Database Coalition is made up of organizations in Chicago, Illinois organizing against criminalization, surveillance, incercation and police violence.