LOOK OUT FOR THIS TABLE TENT
- - Social and economic exclusion.
- - Poverty in local communities.
- - Illegal gun ownership.
- - Gun violence.
- - At-risk youth and youth gangs.
- - Female violence.
- - Male violence.
- - LGBTQ violence.
- - Violence by the police.
- - Anti-Black racism.
In 2010, Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns was launched in the financial district of Toronto, Ontario, Canada with the intentions of making an overdue impact in North America and beyond by following the guiding principles of economic science. In 2011, items were created for sale, commonly known as “social enterprise”, to generate revenues to execute "the necessary work for change" after minimum revenue targets had been met.
Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns’ model is not of a charity or a non-profit organization, but rather a non-governmental organization (NGO). Revenues generated from the sales of the ever-expanding Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns’ product and service line and othersources have been and will continue to be used to raise awareness and increase branding in order to promote our economic stimulus solutions. In addition, these funds will also be used to create appropriate employment for at-risk youth in order to close the wealth gap; send our teams to visit all schools where students are at least 10 to 17 years of age; offer career, entrepreneur and labour-related mentorship opportunities as well as award scholarships in the future; and fund other planned and proven strategies to ensure that local communities that are in need are educated and supported on how to become economically self-sufficient.
After adequate funds have been generated and the initiative has been executed, videos will be produced and published that will outline the transformation of at-risk youth and the impoverished communities in which they live. There will be limitations placed on the amount of time and financial resources allocated, but no less than what is required for these communities to exchange armed conflicts with economic literacy and a successful empowernent plan. But in order to ensure that these plans and efforts will not be in vain, adequate mental health assessments and services will be first on the action plan list. Once the impoverished community is stabilized, Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns will reach out to those who want to proceed in overhauling their community for a better life and for generations to come. Not all can be helped, but only those who want to will be assisted. We believe in a hand-up, not a hand-out approach. We believe in trade, not aid.
Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns will introduce itself to the impoverished community; listen to its needs; evaluate the findings; provide quality of lifestyle counselling, education and training; design a customized strategy with proven principles for the community’s use; implement the strategy; and then initiate micromanagement, which will evolve to macromanagement, and end with community self-management and empowerment. “The plan is to economically disrupt victims who are living in economically-compromised communities.
Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns has been economically self-funded from its onset and continues to be economically self-funded due to product sales from its base of supporters which started mainly in the Toronto financial district, Yorkville and upscale areas progressing to other areas in later years. Currently, the product line has increased to over 100 unique items and services. Years later, Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns is recognized as a progressive, self sustainable and dominant leader in reducing youth gangs and gun violence by introducing and systematically, once fully funded, applying innovative, proactive and common-sense solutions.
A few of these solutions that will be executed are encouraging and supporting at-risk youth to acquire adequate education, receive mentorship, secure our employment opportunities exclusively for marginalized youth, and earn scholarships. With a growing following, mainly based in the Toronto financial district, Yorkville and upscale areas, our team has expanded our awareness efforts and exponential growth outside of the greater Toronto area (GTA) and even outside of the province.
"Social and economic exclusion leads to poverty and poverty leads to avoidable crimes." Yes, youth gangs and illegal gun violence can be noticeably reduced if we, as a society, face the facts and take appropriate and collective action. Silence the Violence and Shun the Guns is committed to continue this work until the job is done.