Welcome to YVPN!

Youth Violence Prevention Network (YVPN) is a church-based, community action organization that promotes nonviolence and helps teenagers and young adults fulfill their goals and dreams. YVPN establishes safe and common ways to deal with conflicts and differences. Started Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr day of 2008, YVPN strives to unite communities in our efforts to address youth violence.


12 Ways to Address Youth Violence
1. This is a daily campaign. We must do all we can to prevent violence. We have to love, support, and encourage young people to fulfill their goals and dreams. This is a movement, not a reactionary response. This daily movement must not stop. This is a daily, love campaign that starts with God. Young and old, we must seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). Helping young people to love and serve God is the first step in this daily movement.

2. We have to reach all young people, especially African American males in the community, and help them to do the "right thing" for their lives. Everyone needs a moral compass to guide them. We must have a pro-active policy of authentic, relationship building with young people.

3. We must passionately promote the principles of personal responsibility and non-violence.

4. We must passionately promote strong families and extended families that love, support, and protect their children. We must always support the families who have been impacted by violence and involve them in the work.

5. Young people, with supportive adults, must lead the way in addressing the hatred, anger, envy, ego, vengeance, and all the personal and social issues (including the mass media) that contribute to youth violence.

6. We must provide a historical context to help young people understand the violence that is built into our society.

7. There must be honest, collaborative work between youth-focused organizations, faith-based institutions, community leaders and activists, political leaders, police, the media, and concerned citizens. Compassionate churches, working together in this broad-based coalition, is a critical part of the solution in the African American community. We must have a very visible, united campaign.

8. Public and private funders must be serious about supporting this work.

9. We must help young people understand the cause of their anger and "beefs" and how to effectively deal with conflict resolution. We must never underestimate the power of love and forgiveness.

10. There is a very serious discipline of "closing our mouths" not to escalate conflict and spread strife, gossip, and division.

11. There must be significantly more jobs, business, and educational opportunities for young people.

12. We must address the issue of drugs and alcohol and how they mask the serious issues underneath substance abuse and can trigger spontaneous violence.

YVPN has identified 125 more solutions at our myspace page, click here to read more!


Our Goals
Goal One: Organize real support for youth and young adults, ages 10-30 years, to fulfill their goals, dreams, and visions.

Goal Two: Share the importance of nonviolence in our community.

Goal Three: Establish a network of young people and adults who will address the systemic and practical issues related to violence in our community.


Contacting YVPN
For more information, call Freedom Church of Seattle at (206) 937-0201. You can also visit YVPN's Myspace page, and add us to your friends!