DETROIT — The American Bar Association Coalition on Racial and Ethnic Justice held a town hall meeting at the Youthville Detroit complex on Monday, May 3 with the goal of bringing together various community and government leaders to discuss ways to curb youth violence, especially from teens.

Judge Dennis Archer keynoted the event.

Former Detroit mayor and former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Dennis Archer was the keynote speaker for the event, titled “Stop Teen Violence: Time to Deliver,” which included Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS) spokespeople Moana Makki and Joanna Ladki. With panel discussions on topics ranging from education, parenting and mentoring to government involvement for combating the problem, a wide variety of viewpoints were discussed.But the central theme of the day, according to many observers, was that communication and cooperation are of the utmost importance when it comes to making progress, especially given the challenges of the current economic situation.”As organizations, we need to find a way to collaborate with each other and not compete,” said Dr. Gregory Prince of the Pathways to College organization, which provides high school students with resources and guidance for preparing themselves to get into college with an emphasis on minority education.”The theme should be collaboration so that we don’t end up wasting dollars.”With a finite amount of grants available for programs to enrich the lives of youth, especially in the inner city, Prince said that the importance of organizations working together to provide support for implementing the programs from a workforce standpoint should not be understated.The comments about collaboration drew thunderous applause for the gathered audience, which included members of community-organized groups like Teen H.Y.P.E. Detroit and the Young Detroit Builders.Makki and Ladki agreed as well, re-iterating ACCESS’ support for the metro Detroit community and a willingness to work with other groups.Other topics addressed by the ACCESS members during the conference included bullying and the importance of counseling services in relation to stopping violent behavior.”Kids need to learn ways to express their emotions without resorting to violence,” Makki said. “Statistics show that violent behavior is easier to address when it is treated early,” she added in reference to the importance of stopping youth violence.”At ACCESS we show great compassion and we believe that through caring, we can save a young life.”

Panelists pled for collaboration among organizations in anti-violence efforts.

Ladki said that bullying, both in terms of kids picking on other kids in person and through Internet and text messaging in a process called “cyber bullying,” remains a big problem that can have disastrous consequences.”Bullying must be stopped because it leads to a situation where kids think violence is the only way to solve their problems,” she said.The establishment of places like Youthville Detroit, a 750,000-square-foot center for youth learning and development on Woodward Avenue, can potentially be a big part of the solution to youth violence according to Rita Clark, a spokesperson for the facility.”Places like Youthville Detroit are essential for building life skills for the development of Detroit,” Clark said.”The goal is to build assets and a potential group of young people who can help us build a sustainable change.”The center is open from after school until 8 p.m. during spring, winter, and fall, and 9 a.m.-5 p.m. during the summer with the mission of providing positive, fulfilling activities and support for kids to keep them out of trouble and steer them away from violence and other destructive behaviors.Programs include classes in poetry and spoken word, music and video production, modeling and fashion production, acting and volunteer work along with support for education, workforce training and prevention services.”We take a holistic approach with the kids by working with them, talking to them, and most importantly embracing them, and we always keep high expectations for them as well,” said Clark. “Being supportive is the key.” With the United States currently ranking as the country with the highest rate of youth homicides among the 26 wealthiest nations in the world, organizations like Youthville Detroit, ACCESS, and others will continue to play an important role in reducing youth violence.U.S. Attorney for Michigan’s Eastern District, Barbara McQuade, also spoke and said that there is a crying need for more prevention programs as opposed to simply filling jails with offenders.Syrian American businessman and President of the Michigan Food & Beverage Assocation, Ed Deeb, as well as the Arab American Chaldean Council (ACC) in Detroit have also exemplified the spirit of cooperation in combating youth violence. The ACC has specialized in community-building efforts in the city for both Arab Americans and non-Arab Americans through counseling and training services, and Deeb is the creator of the wildly popular Metro Detroit Youth Day, which will hold its 28th annual outing this year on July 14 at Belle Isle Park in Detroit. The event was originally started in response to youth violence in Detroit in 1981 and includes the support of the NAACP and the Detroit Urban League. Last year’s Youth Day event brought together 35,000 kids ages 8-15 for a day of food, fun, and education to foster unity and understanding among area youth. While some fear the problem of youth violence will continue to grow because of the dire economic situations many local families face, the efforts of these and other community groups and leaders remain essential.”As long as you have kids that are interested in learning, you have an opportunity to make a change, and we’re here to do just that,” Clark said. The meeting was held the same day that 25 year old Jason Gibson shot five police officers, injuring four of them and killing 42-year-old Brian Huff, a 12-year veteran of the Detroit police force.