CeaseFire Speakers Program

The speakers program is temporarily suspended pending return of CeaseFire funding.

The Chicago Project for Violence Prevention is committed to engaging individuals and the community at large in the campaign to stop the shootings and killings. Organizations or schools interested in a CeaseFire speaker must fill out the form below and return the completed form to CeaseFire via e-mail or fax.

Due to the volume of speaker requests CeaseFire receives, we ask that you submit your request three weeks prior to the event.

CeaseFire Speaker’s Program form

CeaseFire Speakers Program Topics

CeaseFire Program

CeaseFire is a scientific intervention to reduce shootings and killings to make our communities safer places to live, work and play. CeaseFire representatives will describe the program’s proven public health model and discuss why it is effective at reducing shootings and killings.

Presentation highlights:

• CeaseFire sees violence as a disease that is transmitted from one person to another and spreads through a community as a learned and modeled behavior.
• Because this violence behaves like an epidemic it can be reversed using science-based methods: interrupting transmission and changing norms.
• The CeaseFire intervention and behavior change method is now statistically proven as effective at reducing shootings and killings by a three-year scientific and independent evaluation commissioned by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Street Level Intervention

CeaseFire works because we interrupt the “transmission” of violence by employing and training highly credible messengers to detect and prevent shooting events. Our outreach workers and violence interrupters know the street and are willing to work around the clock to prevent killings.

Presentation highlights:

• CeaseFire strategically places trusted violence interrupters where they can detect and resolve disputes before they can escalate. CeaseFire works to promote peaceful resolution.
• CeaseFire’s method also employs trained and professional outreach workers to work with the highest risk individuals to fundamentally change their thinking.
• CeaseFire workers participate in extensive training and field work that is focused on violence prevention, conflict resolution, case management, anger management and communication.

Violence Prevention

CeaseFire collaborates with community partners to implement the CeaseFire model in their neighborhoods. CeaseFire’s public health approach includes a strong community involvement based on relationships with faith leaders and law enforcement as well as a public education campaign to communicate the message that shootings and killings are not acceptable.

Presentation highlights:

• The CeaseFire method works with the whole community, including law enforcement, residents, clergy, and community leaders to effect group norms and change behavior.
• Collaboration with faith leaders is one of five major components of CeaseFire. The program components also include community mobilization, outreach to highest risk, law enforcement partnership and a public education campaign.
• CeaseFire outreach workers continually engage neighborhood residents in dialogue focused on creating a community which works together to stop violence.