Nonviolent peaceforce is seeking a planning and implementation grant to create a community-based violence intervention and prevention community initiative in north minneapolis

Nonviolent Peaceforce will receive $1.5 million from the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance under the Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative program (CFDA 16.045) from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2025. Key activities to be delivered by Nonviolent Peaceforce and its community partners in North Minneapolis include a community violence assessment, formalizing a community coalition, providing customized training in unarmed civilian protection strategies informed by trauma and evidence, using trusted community messengers to shift narratives around safety, and facilitating access to trauma-informed mental health services and living-wage jobs for community residents. The goals are to reduce violence through nonviolent conflict management, improve understanding of nonviolent approaches to safety, provide youth with skills and community connections, and increase feelings of safety—with an ultimate reduction in gang-related shootings and improved police-community relations.

This initiative is supported by a research partnership and includes compensation for community time and materials. Key activities include; a community violence assessment including historical, current, and proposed strategies by community partners, the formalization of a community coalition, customized community training in unarmed civilian protection strategies that are trauma and evidence-informed, the use of trusted community messengers to shift the narrative about safety and facilitated access to trauma informed mental health services and UCP living wages jobs for community residents. Projected outcomes include that community members report increased skills in nonviolent conflict management (home, school, neighborhood), community conversations about safety include more reference to and understanding of nonviolent and relationship-based community approaches, north minneapolis youth gain skills and connection across the community to increase access to employment, trauma services, and positive recreation activities, and there is an increase in the number of community members reporting feeling safe at events and in community. The ultimate goal of this initiative is a reduction in the use of violence to resolve conflicts, a reduction in the number of gang-suspected shootings in north minneapolis and an improvement in the relationship between the police and the community.