The Violence Prevention Alliance- Our Work

The Violence Prevention Alliance is presently engaged in a number of activities geared at peace-building. These activities are channelled through programmes that the VPA has initiated through partnerships.

The VPA Steering Committee Meetings

These meetings are held monthly, every second Tuesday. The meeting is designed to bring together representatives from several voluntary and civil based organizations, governmental ministries and departments and international development partners to share ideas, discuss the findings from studies to guide strategies that will prevent violence in communities across Jamaica.

The Steering Committee meetings serve as a platform for the Alliance to network and also contribute and find out what is happening in communities through the work of our partners.

Some special areas of work of the VPA

-          Development of the safe community concept with criteria for monitoring and evaluation of the safe communities.

-           The testing and possible implementation in communities of the Safe Community 10 Point Plan.

-          The development, philosophical underpinning, direction and execution of the yearly Peace for Prosperity Campaign.

-           The monitoring and evaluation of activities emanating from activities in the Peace for prosperity Campaign.

The Learning Net-Works Programme   is an

                 important component of the VPA safe community strategy. The VPA presently works through over 20 centres using the LNW .The focus is to ensure that these centres provide a computer based auto-skills programme that affords marginalized children in or from high risk communities across Jamaica to boost their numeracy and literacy levels. The VPA through partnership with the Ministry of Health, monitors the usage of the programme by the centers and offers guidance in the provision of life skills programmes and other initiatives such as parenting and income generation projects.

The Monitoring and Development of the Crime Observatory Project

The Crime Observatory project is directed by the VPA and is used as a methodological tool for gathering and monitoring data trends and analysis on serious crimes, violence related injuries, peace-building strategies and arms control.

 The project recently joined in a wider programme being funded by the country office of the United Nations Development Programme and the Government of Jamaica. The Jamaica Violence Prevention, Peace and Sustainable Development Programme drew on the expertise of VPA and other agencies for the set-up and evidence based direction of interventions in selected communities in Kingston. Granville in Montego Bay St. James is also a community in the project. (Please see Projects section for more information on the Crime Observatory)

Outreach and Data Sharing

 Through the Crime observatory Project, the VPA uses data for evidence based assistance to organizations working in violence prevention. Such organization includes the Churches Fraternal in Jamaica and community development organizations and groups.

The VPA currently produces the Peace Guardian, a bimonthly newsletter that captures the voices and concerns of people and organizations involved in violence prevention activities. The Crime Observatory also has a bi-monthly newsletter.

Workshops and Conferences

The VPA has started workshops in grief and bereavement counselling for community development practitioners and first responders to violence in communities. In 2008 the first round of grief counselling sessions were held. These sessions also served as a base for developing future sessions in 2009 held by the Ministry of Health.