YSEALI PFP Day 25: On The Table

14 May 2019

Started in 2014, the On the Table, an annual forum of the Chicago Community Trust, taps on the wisdom of the masses to gather ideas to better the community. Ideas and inputs gathered from various groups across Chicago are presented via a memo to the Mayor. With the election of a new Mayor to the City, On the Table 2019 discussions were significant as they would provide the new Mayor with voices from the community on legislative priorities moving forward.

En route to the first meeting of the day

Confluence of the Chicago River

Meeting venue: River Point, one of the architectural highlights of the City

Ric Estrada, President & CEO, Metropolitan Family Services presenting on the Communities Partnering for Peace (CP4P) efforts in reducing gun violence in the City

Ric and Vaughn presented Metropolitan Family Services' efforts in reducing gun violence via the CP4P co-operative platform with conviction. Seated around the table were leaders of foundations and community partners. I learnt that as compared to the other US cities, such as Los Angeles and New York, Chicago lacked a citywide consolidated effort in addressing gun violence issues. MFS had moved in to the space in 2018 to create a platform for various NGOs and community organisations that were directly or indirectly working on gun violence reduction to band together for the first time and to level up activists' competencies to resolve the crisis. Although Los Angeles and New York were bigger cities than Chicago, Chicago had twice the combined rate of violence of the two cities.

CP4P aims to reduce shootings and homicides; create and reclaim safe community spaces (through Light in the Night events); and professionalise the violence prevention field.

"Hurt people hurt people, so when can we accept that healed people heal people? Transformed lives can transform lives." Loved this quote by Ric. 

Took a stroll back to office together with Barbara Stone, MFS' Chief Development Officer and Alex, learning from their fundraising experience.

Back at Metropolitan Family Services, Pete from ACYPL came visiting and met my host Ric to find out the fellowship experience as well as to share about the follow-on programme that hosts could apply to visit their fellows' countries.

Followed Alex to the next On the Table session at Metropolitan Family Services Calumet Center.

A notice put up by a Block Club

 A notice by a Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy (CAPS) Neighbourhood Watch Community:

"NO Gangs, Drugs/Alcohol, Loitering, Loud Music, Speeding, Street Car Repairs"

Calumet Center at 225 East 103rd St.

A display on Mental Health Awareness

Why Care? "Because someone loves and believes in me"

The 6th annual memo to the Mayor - a local conversation about investment in violence reduction in our community

Participants of this On the Table discussion comprised Calumet Center's Advisory Board members;  teachers; students; community partners and staff.

We started off with an icebreaker, sharing on our "B" side (the side of us which others usually might not see). And then we went into the discussions, premised on the following questions

• Are you personally and/or professionally impacted by community violence?
• There has been some investment in violence reduction strategies through programming and initiatives. While we have seen some progress, we are still falling short. What are we missing?
• What more can we do to reduce violence in our community? What resources are needed? Where can we go to get the necessary investments in violence reduction? Who should be involved?

It was an anguishing experience listening to the first-hand accounts of gun violence. I conceded that I was overwhelmed emotionally by the end of the session.

A student shared how she had a few friends who did not make it to college-going age because of gun violence. Another shared how her brother was murdered with the police case unresolved to date. Children were forced to grow up due to violence. Frank and brutal opinions on problems of racial segregation were shared as well.

The discussion was covered on Metropolitan Family Services website.

Group photo with participants of the On the Table discussion

Hitched a ride from Alex to the next On-the-Table discussion at One Prudential Plaza.

Dearborn Station

Police officer on a horse

Cool~

The theme of the On the Table discussion, "Chicago's Global Strategy", took reference to a recent article by Ivo Daalder, President of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, who wrote that, "to grow Chicago, (Mayor) Lightfoot must keep city on a global stage... Missing from her agenda was any mention of a global strategy for Chicago. The city needs one."

The discussions covered the following themes:

1. Future of Work
2. Sustaining a City
3. Livability in Chicago
4. Attracting new residents to Chicago

I joined in the discussion on sustainability, together with Esmeralda Tenorio, a freelance writer and Ashley Maahs, a community organiser, and shared some of the measures taken by Singapore to limit food waste and reduce carbon footprint.

After the various group presentations, the host asked, "What should be the first steps the new Mayor should take?" After some seconds of silence, I blurted, "Reduce gun violence". Fresh out from two meetings earlier today on the topic of gun violence, I could not think of a higher priority than this.

View from our meeting venue at One Prudential Plaza

We caught up with Brendan Seyring who was also a Young Professional Ambassador of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and had a chat before returning to our corporate housing.

Not a Hollywood scene

Pete hosted us to dinner and we extended the invitation to Brendan and Laura, who brought us to the Cubs baseball game.

Dinner at Istanbul Grill

It was our second Turkish cuisine in two consecutive days.

We were also joined by ACYPL alumnus Jillian Bernas, an International Relations Manager with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and her husband Angel Garcia, an attorney.  We got to learn from Jillian on her experience as an elected Library District Board official, as well as her electoral campaign for a seat in the Illinois House of Representatives. Although she did not succeed in her campaign, it was laudable that she had mustered sufficient votes which could win her the election based on past election turnout. The anti-Trump rhetoric was strong in the recent State elections and turned out a higher number of voters than usual years.

It is amusing to me to learn about the Mosquito Abatement District, one of the many units of government, in the United States. So, as long as the body is a taxable one, residents could decide to elect officials to be represented at that tax body, in this case, the Mosquito Abatement District. That is really bringing government to the grassroots.

Great conversations and food, on the table :D

Bidding farewell to Pete, who's making his trip to visit to the next placement city to visit the other fellows

Despite the exhausting day, I took some time to reflect on the harsh realities and inequity of racial segregation as well as the personal stories of gun violence that I heard during the day. I thought about how Singapore had, what some might term it as, socially engineered its people and institutions in a very deliberate manner to preserve racial harmony. And an active government in continuing to watch out for possible racial tensions and to prevent them. It would be very cliche to say we got to appreciate the safety and peace we often take for granted living in Singapore, but yes, I will say it.