On Thursday, July 8, three Community Ambassadors came together to host the summer’s first Community Conversation in the south side community of Jeffrey Manor. With nearly 20 local citizens in attendance, the group lead a constructive conversation focused on curbing the increasing violence claiming lives each weekend in Chicago.
Ambassadors started by holding one-on-one meetings, a crucial element of community organizing, with local clergy to understand their perspective on and commitment to anti-violence work in Chicago. After gaining some insight on the area, and the concerns of those leaders’ congregations, the Ambassadors planned a discussion that elicited incredible community-building ideas and illustrated a clear sense of commitment from local residents to providing a safe environment for everyone living in the community.
To help spur conversation, Ambassadors used two videos from the One Chicago, One Nation online film contest, “One Chicago, One Nation?” and “Violence in Schools.”
One Chicago, One Nation?
Violence in Schools
In late June a series of events were held celebrating the winners of the film contest and the confirmation of Community Ambassadors. Last week, the true on-the-ground work of One Chicago, One Nation began. Keep the conversation going by looking out for upcoming conversations in your neighborhood and by following up on these conversations with meaningful actions.
