Executive Council
March 25, 2008

Government and Community Meet to Tackle Youth Violence

Over 100 community stakeholders and Provincial Government partners of the Violence Prevention Initiative (VPI) will gather in St. John�s on March 26 and 27 for the second annual VPI Stakeholders Conference.

The theme of the conference is The Web of Youth Violence and will tackle issues relating to youth violence including, justice, violence in the media, healthy relationships and supports for parents.

"We recognize that young people in Newfoundland and Labrador encounter issues of violence, be it sexual, physical or emotional," said the Honourable Joan Burke, Minister Responsible for the Status of Women. "Communities and government are working together to ensure that VPI partners are equipped with the information they need to create real change in our province."

This is the second year that partners of the VPI have come together to discuss violence in Newfoundland and Labrador. The first conference, Building Capacity in our Communities, took place in November 2006 and addressed how to raise awareness of violence prevention, how to engage communities and how to use research to educate the public.

Since the first conference, the Williams Government has made significant investments to reduce violence in Newfoundland and Labrador. In Budget 2007, funding to the VPI was increased to $9.2 million over six years, and included $50,000 annually for the planning for the VPI Stakeholders Conference.

"A critical component of violence prevention is getting our message to our young people, which is one of the goals of the Safe and Caring Schools Policy. This is an extremely important document," said Minister Burke. "Every student in this province deserves to attend a peaceful school and to know they are safe from violence. They must learn from an early age that any form of aggression simply will not be tolerated."

The VPI also launched its marketing campaign aimed at the prevention of youth violence. The campaign was created with the help of youth from across Newfoundland and Labrador and is working to publicity promote anti-violence messages.

"This government recognizes that our youth are our greatest resource. All levels of government, community and business need to take every opportunity to create communities that are safe for our youth to grow and prosper. The VPI Stakeholders Conference is an excellent opportunity for VPI departments and community stakeholders to hear from experts about the realities of youth violence and share best practices for reducing youth violence across Newfoundland and Labrador," said Minister Burke.

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Media contact:
Michelle Hynes-Dawson
Communications and Policy Analyst
Women�s Policy Office
709-729-6225, 693-2125
michellehynes@gov.nl.ca

2008 03 25                                                     2:00 p.m.

 


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