PAST EVENTS
In 2012, what was originally supposed to be a half-day 'cross-training' session, quickly turned into our Gang Violence Prevention & Intervention Conference; a 'two-day annual conference' that has grown each year with participants attending from around the world. Our objective is to create an environment of learning and collaboration, with the goal of working together to address youth and gang violence worldwide.
Gang Conference 2019
(May 13 & 14)
In our 8th year of hosting our annual conference, we welcomed over 850 practitioners in the field of gang and youth violence prevention and intervention. This year's sponsors include Creative Associates International, DAI, L.A.'s GRYD (Gang Reduction Youth Development), and Urban Peace Institute.
Featured speakers included Sammy Rangel, Anne Tremblay, Dr. Barbara Ferrer, Ismael Huerta, K-Rahn Vallantine, Father Greg Boyle, and Michael Eric Dyson.
Gang Conference 2018
(May 7 & 8)
Innovative Solutions that Address Community Violence was our theme for this year. Our presenting sponsors were USAID and Creative Associates International. Community sponsors were L.A.'s GRYD (Gang Reduction Youth Development), California Wellness Foundation, Latino Coalition, L.A. Care, and DAI.
Over 150 attendees were from other countries, and our total attendance was 650! This was the largest conference that we have ever hosted.
Speakers included LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, David Kennedy, Shanae Polk, and Anne Tremblay.
Gang Conference 2017
(May 1 & 2)
Innovative Solutions that Address Community Violence was our theme for this year. Our presenting sponsor was Creative Associates International, and community sponsors were L.A.'s GRYD (Gang Reduction Youth Development), and the California Wellness Foundation.
Over 100 attendees were from other countries, and our total attendance was 580! This was our biggest and most impactul conference in our 6 years of hosting the event. Speakers included Connie Rice (Advancement Project), Thomas Abt (Harvard University) and Erroll Southers (USC).
Gang Conference 2016
(May 9 & 10th)
Our theme for 2016 was 'Confronting the Criminalization of Youth; Creating Solutions for a Better Future'. The focus was on systems that continue to overshadow, disempower and criminalize young people, as well as to shed light on an epidemic of over-policing and forced confrontation.
Speakers included Father Gregory Boyle (Homeboy Industries), Mike Males (Center on Juvenile & Criminal Justice), Sonia Nazario (Author, Enrique's Journey), Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith (Charles Drew College of Medicine), and L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Gang Conference 2015
(May 4 & 5th)
2015 was full of excellent speakers, motivated participants and an environment of energetic networking and strategizing. An Oscar winning writer shared his experiences on how the Arts helped him out of the gang life in NY, while other sessions focused on Gun Industry, Cops and Clergy, Girls and Gangs, Immigration and Community Policing.
Some of our speakers included Scott Decker (ASU), Captain Gooden (LASD), Bobby Moresco (Academy Award Winning Writer), and Humera Khan (CVE-Muflehun).
Gang Conference 2014
(May 12 & 13th)
Our 2014 conference focused on addressing the root causes of gang violence, and highlighting solutions that address those root causes. This includes the multiple environmental impacts and social determinants that push young people into gang involvement, such as early childhood trauma, poverty, traumatized communities, addiction/addiction to the lifestyle, parenting, structural racism, abuse – including sexual abuse, substance abuse and mental health, and the culture of violence and gang violence in communities.
Some of our speakers included Tony Massengale, Street Poets Inc, Dr. Robert Ross and Dr. Desmond Patton.