New global campaign launched with the Peace in Our Cities SDG16 Action Pledge and a 12-month action committee announcement as first steps toward building a global movement to curb violence in cities around the world and accelerate action toward Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SDG16).

NEW YORK, Sept. 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- On the International Day of Peace, +Peace, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, and Impact:Peace launched the Peace in Our Cities Campaign, with 11 mayors and local officials representing over 15.8 million people from Colombo, Sri Lanka; Nairobi Municipality, Kenya; Cali, Colombia; Guadalajara, Mexico; Tripoli, Lebanon; Bangui, Central African Republic; Durban, South Africa; Escobedo, Mexico; Kumanovo, Macedonia; Kibera County, Nairobi, Kenya; and Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago, pledging to work towards halving violence in their cities by 2030. The campaign calls on mayors, local authorities, civil society, the private sector, and other partners to sign the pledge and join the growing movement to transform global violence.

Globally, 82% of deadly violence occurs outside of conflict zones, with much of this violence concentrated in urban settings. The Peace in Our Cities campaign seeks to reverse this trend by creating concrete, participatory, and evidence-based platforms that make progress toward SDG16 with an initial focus on SDG16.1 (to significantly reduce all forms of violence). SDG16 is widely recognized as critical to the achievement of all other development ambitions, yet it lags behind most other global goals in terms of momentum, investment, and support worldwide. Like the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, the Peace in Our Cities Campaign seeks to become a preeminent organizing body to address one of today's most pressing challenges: violence that threatens individual lives and undermines the very growth and prosperity of the urban world.  

"Having been victims during our state's most violent era led us to find how to, first, stop what was happening, and second, prevent it from happening again," said Mayor Clara Luz Flores of Escobedo, Mexico. "We are always seeking to learn about and implement best practices that will allow us to be more efficient and effective, and have a positive impact on more people in their daily lives. In addition, we believe Peace in Our Cities is a great platform from which we can also share our Security Model and the strategies that have worked for us in building safer cities."         

Cities today hold half of the world's population, yet the growing risk of urban violence threatens the growth, development, and prosperity of entire cities and urban dwellers around the world. Global levels of violence are projected to increase by at least 10% by 2030, with much of that violence concentrated in urban settings. While urban residents often suffer the most at the hands of violence, cities also stand at the frontline of the fight to reduce and prevent it. There are now the tools, evidence, and best practices to not only curb violence in cities but also address the structural inequalities and injustices that perpetuate it.

By signing the Peace in Our Cities SDG16 Action Pledge, cities are committing to participate in a 12-month initiative that will provide city leadership and partners with the latest evidence of effective methods for reducing urban violence. They will also help shape a city-to-city collaboration framework to develop and drive global best-practices for SDG16. As the coordinating bodies for the campaign, Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies, +Peace, and Impact:Peace, applaud the city officials who already signed the action pledge and call on many more to join them at the forefront of the global movement to reduce violence.

"Violence costs the global economy $14.3 trillion a year, in addition to ruining lives, exacerbating inequities, and reversing development. By launching the Peace in Our Cities Campaign, early adopter city leaders and partners are stepping up to the generation-defining challenge of reducing global violence. The +Peace Coalition and it's global members are proud to co-lead this campaign and look forward to the work ahead." -- Madeline Rose, Director, +Peace Coalition

Campaign Facilitators

About +Peace | +Peace is a global coalition of peacebuilding organizations mobilizing people, governments, and the private sector to reduce global levels of violence and division. We run campaigns that build peacebuilders' collective power; make the case for peace to the public and global policymakers; and transform culture, policy, and politics in support of peacebuilding. To learn more, visit peacebuilding.live

About Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies | The Pathfinders for Peaceful, Just and Inclusive Societies is a multi-stakeholder partnership that brings together UN member states, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector to accelerate action for the SDG targets for peace, justice and inclusion (SDG16+). The Pathfinders is hosted by the NYU Center on International Cooperation. To learn more, visit www.sdg16.plus/

About Impact:Peace | Impact:Peace is a program of the Kroc School's Institute for Peace and Justice at the University of San Diego. Impact:Peace leverages evidence to accelerate the most important change processes in the peacebuilding and violence prevention fields. To accomplish this, it collaborates with partners to synthesize the most rigorous research available, produces original research and strategically connects evidence with those driving positive change. To learn more, visit impactpeace.org

+Peace is a global coalition mobilizing people, governments, and the private sector to tackle global violence and division. To learn more, visit: https://www.peacebuilding.live/.

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SOURCE +Peace