The Ontario Black Youth Action Plan (OBYAP) is a proactive four year, $47,000,000.00 commitment from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services to support 10,800 Black children, youth and their families annually. There is an urgent need to address violence and victimization affecting Black Ontarians. The OBYAP objective is to reduce instances of violence for Black children, youth and families by addressing the root causes of violence. These causes include a negative concept of self and low self-esteem, a sense of powerlessness and a sense of exclusion from the broader community.
The Just Think 1st violence prevention campaign will include marketing elements, positive imagery, and culturally sensitive messaging as the foundation of the campaign. The objective is to re-establish and inspire positive cultural identity which will lead to empowerment and success within Black communities.
There will be four solutions focused, interactive, town hall events called “City Pop-Ups ”, in the cities of Windsor, Hamilton, Ottawa, and Toronto. Each region will include local, youth-focused community partners who are active participants in the project.
MOOV Magazine had the pleasure to attend a 'Just Think 1st' Event that took place on April 7th 2018 in Toronto. It was held at the 'Toronto Reference Library' and ran from 1pm until 5pm. The experience was educational, inspiring and it was truly incredible to see so many people in one place speaking about important community matters like violence amongst our youth and possible solutions that could actually work. There was inspiring discussions, funny moments, various showcases of moving talent, and to add sprinkles on the Sunday they had a delicious buffet of food for all the guests at the Event. There were creative entrepreneurs with booths showcasing a variety of products, from natural products, to clothes, to products that displayed positive messages for kids along with black and hispanic youth. A full scale Article of 'Just Think 1st' will be featured in the upcoming Issue of MOOV Magazine (Spring 2018). The feature article will talk about Just Think 1st, Roderick and Farley the Founders as well as a detailed coverage of the Event. Make sure to check it out. Until then check out the official site for Just Think 1st at https://www.justthink1st.com/. Thanks for your time stay blessed!
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