Over 600 Teens to Address Gangs, Bullying, Addiction, Immigration, and Other Issues at Somerville Youth Peace Conference Saturday

On Saturday, April 28, 2012, more than 600 youth are expected at the sixth annual Somerville Youth Peace Conference at Somerville High School, 81 Highland Avenue, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The conference, Media Meets My Reality, will feature original performances by Somerville teens based on their own lives, workshops, and a jobs and services fair. Attendees will share their experiences in an open-mic Hope and Healing Ceremony. The conference, presented by The Center for Teen Empowerment, Mayor Joseph Curtatone, Somerville Public Schools and the City of Somerville, will examine teen violence, substance abuse, immigration, bullying and other issues.

Conference highlights include:  Ashley Mento will address the impact of her parents’ drug addictions on her own life and Jair Morales will speak about his journey to US citizenship; a young man’s spoken word piece on the role of popular music in the degradation of women and male-female relationships; a “know your rights” workshop with Somerville and metro gang taskforce officers; and an original play about the experiences of Somerville youth. More than 30 Somerville youth are working on the conference. Mayor Joe Curtatone and other elected officials will join the mostly youth audience to listen to teens’ stories and ideas.

Inspiration for the Conference comes from Teen Empowerment Boston’s annual Youth Peace Conference, which began in 1993 as a way to bring together Boston teens to help solve the epidemic of gang violence occurring at the time. That first conference produced a lasting truce among five rival gangs and set the stage for a dramatic improvement in the lives of thousands of youth.

The Conference is open to the public. Tickets cost $3 and are available at the door. The Somerville Youth Peace Conference is made possible in part by funding from the Charles Shannon Community Safety Initiative. More than 20 groups are partnering with Teen Empowerment and the City to make the event a success.

Founded in 1992, The Center for Teen Empowerment, Inc. (TE) empowers youth and adults as agents of positive individual, institutional, and social change. Each year, TE youth conduct over 150 initiatives involving some 6,000 youth and adults. For more information, visit http://www.teenempowerment.org/.

Conference Schedule

11:30 a.m.      Doors Open, Hip Hop Lunch, Jobs and Services Fair, Workshops

1:00 p.m.     Conference Stage Show:  Using original theater, dance, rap, speeches and spoken word, the entirely youth performed stage show highlights the lives of Somerville youth: their concerns and struggles with family issues, substance abuse, education, violence, and other issues. The show will be introduced by Mayor Joe Curtatone.

3:15 p.m. (approx)       Hope and Healing Ceremony: The stage show continues with an open-mic speak-out in which attendees can speak about their experiences and hopes for the future.