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An overview of the IACPV, violence prevention and proposals for action

Elaborated for the OAS Working Group, Public Security Ministerial Conference, Mexico 2008

Elizabeth Gozzer, Technical Secretary, IACPV, Washington DC

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Basics & structure of the IACPV What is violence and what is violence prevention Risk and protective factors Role of the Coalition: why and what for? Mission Violence prevention & public security Proposals for Action: developed for the OAS

Ministerial Conference

Introduction

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Launched in 2000Innovative partnership of CDC, IADB,

OEA, PAHO, UNESCO, USAID & WBIACPV works for its member

organizations. While each of these organizations respond to their own members (states, governments, etc.)

Basics

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A Technical Committee with representatives of each partner agency

A Senior Advisor A Technical SecretaryCurrent hosts: The General Secretariat of

the OAS

Structure

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The intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, that either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation.

World report on violence and health, 2002

What is violence?

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…..

Types of violence

World Health Organization

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Poor parenting practices Victims of child-maltreatment Alcohol or drug abuse Presence of criminal activity in the

community Poverty Gender, social, and economic

inequalities Unemployment Norms or cultural schemes that

perpetuate violence Firearms/small weapons availability Weak judicial and criminal systems Isolation Illegal drug trafficking Demographic factors

Early intervention Social development programs Healthcare and support system for

victims Community participation Reduce alcoholic beverage availability Employment and reinsertion programs School reforms Strengthen of judicial and criminal

systems and increase access to it Poverty reduction & inequalities Reduction of small weapons

availability Social norms and systems level

changes Urban planning

Sample of risk factors vs. protective factors

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Stop acts of violence from occurring by intervening to eliminate or reduce the underlying risk factors

Shore up protective factorsReduce the recurrence of further violence

and its ill effects

What is violence prevention?

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Violence is generated by multiple causesThe nature of violence and violence

prevention is multifaceted and multidimensional

A multisectoral approach is required to respond appropriately

No single institution can comprehensively address these complex phenomena

The Coalition: Why and what for?

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Joining efforts and sharing informationPromoting a shift towards a greater balance

between law enforcement and prevention approaches

Avoiding duplicated effortsSharing of best practicesProviding technical and political space for

collaboration among members

The Coalition: Why and what for?

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To generate professional and technical analysis and dialogue among its member organizations, and others institutions, promote comprehensive strategies for crime and violence reduction, centered on prevention and education across the Americas. Acting as a catalyst for the prevention of violence by increasing knowledge about multisectoral approaches that respond to the multiple causes that generate violence and facilitating the development of partnerships and programs that put this knowledge into practice.

Mission

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Example of the Coalition’s achievements

Near universal acceptance of the importance of crime and violence prevention and its impact on development in the Americas

Sub-regional models established fostering greater collaboration: Central American Coalition for the Prevention of Youth Violence

Increased international awareness of importance of the role of prevention in addressing youth and gang violence as a compliment to control oriented policies

Design of universal Violence Indicators Manual Increased implementation of violence observatories at municipal,

national, regional, and hemispheric levels Publication of Guide for Developing Municipal Violence

Observatories and Violence Observatories Best Practices based on work in 16 countries in the Americas

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Violence as a public security issue

Annually 1.6 million people die because of violence (WHO, 2008)

90% of deaths occur in low and middle income countries (WHO, 2008):

- Self-direct: 54%

- Interpersonal: 35%

- War and others: 11% Violence perceived as a criminal activity only when reaching

public domain Large presence of intra-family, sexual, gender and youth

violence, and self-inflicted violence Public security = citizenship security & human rights

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Violence as a public security issue

Harms the social structure of a state, damaging its productive capacity and imposing additional costs

Reduces investment and economic growing Hampers individuals’ quality of life and community

development Diminishes trust in the police and criminal and justice

systems and finally, the government Increases organized crime Imposes economic burden in poor and low income

communities, perpetuating inequality

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Developing standardized information systems Knowing the actual cost of violence Implementing a multisectoral and sustainable

approach Partnering with private sector and civil society Improving the criminal justice and social welfare

systems

Proposals for Action: developed for the OAS Ministerial Conference

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Developing Standardized Information Systems

Why? To understand the extent of the problem: population

(both perpetrators and victims), economic and social situation, type of violence, crime and injuries, resources available, costs, and challenges and opportunities

To measure and analyze violence trends and directly affect public policy decision making based on that data.

How? A good example: Implementing “Violence

Observatories”

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Knowing the actual costs of violence

Why? The cost to society of crime and violence varies depending on

the development level, infrastructure, and resources of each country

Violence leads to the abandonment of important investments in human capital and social projects

Constrains economic and social development, and weakens the society’s human capital

Prevention is more cost-effective than traditional - often repressive - violence and crime control tactics

How?Developing in depth regional and country research

studies

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Implementing a multi-sectoral and sustainable approach

Why? No one sector can solve the problem by itself Violence prevention challenges demand an intersectoral approach that

recognizes the many inter-linkages between the sectors and their collective impact on violence

How? “Think Green, and Also Think Safe” Incorporating social impact evaluation in every development and

investment project Developing policies at the local, national and regional level fostering

violence prevention efforts in a systematical way Including crime and violence prevention approaches in every sector:

health, education, interior/security, financial, urban and rural infrastructure, and others

Integrating efforts across sectors Sharing and implementing best practices

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Partnering with private sector and civil society

Why?Sustainable results require engagement of community

at largeResources availabilityLeadership

How? Involving large, medium, and small businesses Involving communities and local leaders, NGOs,

churches, and schoolsProviding support through vocational training, job

placement, mentoring, and other opportunities for at-risk populations

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Improving the criminal justice and social welfare systems

Why? Need for efficient and reliable criminal justice

and social welfare institutionsHow?

Training law enforcement and criminal justice authorities in human rights, civil rights, and violence prevention methods

Capacity buildingStrengthening victim care and support

systems.

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