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About
Us
This
page includes:
Our
Mission
Who
We Are
Our
Seven Guiding Principles
Our
History
Staff
Nonprofit
Status |
Our
Mission
Our
mission is to educate and inspire people to prevent violence in their
homes, schools, workplaces, and communities.
Who
We Are
Turn
Off the Violence is an independent, nonsectarian, 501(c)3 charitable organization.
Our
History
by
Sheila Miller, co-founder certified
Crime Prevention Specialist
In the summer of 1991, Minnesota’s headlines were filled with news of dozens
of tragic, violent crimes. Two young Minnesota women had disappeared,
presumably kidnapped. Gang violence was becoming increasingly evident all
across the state. It was the summer Jeffrey Dahmer’s horrible crimes
first came to light. Minnesotans were becoming increasingly frightened and
their response was the familiar public outcry for tougher criminal penalties and
reinstatement of the death penalty -- responses that come way too late for
victims and their families.
In early July, I met a friend, Molly Koivumaki
for lunch. That morning, the headlines carried news that one of the young
kidnapped women had been found, raped and murdered. Molly and I began to
talk about what we could do, as crime prevention specialists, to prevent such
tragedies, or as Molly put it, to " turn off the violence.”
Our discussion
turned to what influences people to commit violent crimes. Just
months before, in its Mindworks column, the Minneapolis Star Tribune
newspaper had asked children to write to them about what they thought of
violence on television and in movies. Among the most common refrains of
almost 10,000 kids was, "I love violence. Violence is
cool!" We talked about how ironic it is that as Americans
we're horrified and baffled by rising rates of real-life violence and
yet so many of us are also fascinated by violent television, movies and
music.
The conversation at lunch that day was the spark
that lighted the Turn Off the Violence campaign. We began making phone
calls to other organizations inviting them to a meeting to discuss the
possibility of a coordinated public awareness campaign culminating in a
"Turn Off the Violence Day." Twenty-five people from a variety of
police departments, churches, schools, community organizations, and violence
intervention agencies came to the first meeting on July 31, 1991. They agreed
the project was a good idea and planned the first Turn Off the Violence Day for
October 3, 1991. It was to be a pilot project for the Twin Cities metro area,
but as word-of-mouth and project literature spread, our coalition grew to more
than 45 organizations across three states.
Eventually, hundreds of individuals and
organizations all across the country and in other countries shared their time,
talents and resources to help turn off the violence. It quickly grew beyond the
ability of volunteers to fund and coordinate. In 1993, another nonprofit
organization agreed to assume Turn Off the Violence as one of its programs, but
ultimately after several years of struggle they determined that they lacked the
resources to maintain the coalition's work. They returned the campaign to
its founders and we maintain this website as a resource for those who
are inspired by a desire to turn off the violence around them.
We dedicate our work to the memory
of all victims of violence.
Our
Staff
Turn Off the Violence has no paid
staff. Co-founder, Sheila Miller,
volunteers her time.
Our
Nonprofit Status
Turn Off the Violence is
incorporated and registered as a tax-exempt charitable 501(c)3 organization
thanks to the assistance of attorneys Joan Boddicker and Tracy Kochendorfer,
shown below.
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Our
Seven Guiding Principles
The
Turn Off the Violence coalition developed the following guiding
principles to define our mission. These Seven Guiding Principles
govern the actions of any individual or organization in connection with
their use of the logo, name or materials of Turn Off the Violence, or of
any organization wishing to conduct a Turn Off the Violence campaign in
their community.
1.
We
will keep the campaign very SIMPLE.
This is a positive campaign
with two goals:
(1) to teach people non-violent ways to deal with anger and conflict,
and
(2) to help people realize
that violent entertainment influences our
attitudes about the acceptability of violence ... and among all the
influences on violent behavior, that is one influence we can choose to
turn off.
2.
Turn Off
the Violence is a COALITION.
Hundreds of organizations and individuals have participated in the
campaign. The coalition offers the strengths of shared
knowledge, shared resources and shared purpose.
3.
Turn Off
the Violence ADDRESSES ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE.
As a coalition, Turn Off the Violence asks people to turn off
violence in all its ugly forms: physical violence, sexual
violence, verbal violence, violence in entertainment, family
violence, gang violence, hate crimes, and playground violence.
4.
Turn Off
the Violence is INCLUSIVE OF MANY GROUPS. Because
no fragment of society has been left untouched by violence, everyone
must be invited to be part of the solution.
5.
Turn
Off the Violence is a GRASSROOTS campaign. We
encourage active participation by members
and interested individuals in all phases of planning and
implementation.
6.
Turn
Off the Violence is NOT A CENSORSHIP
project.
As an organization we will not sponsor boycotts or compile lists
of music, movies, or TV shows we think are violent, nor will
we advocate government censorship. We encourage
individuals to carefully consider and voice their opinions not only
about what they believe is unacceptable, but also about what is good. We
believe that if enough people begin expressing
their preferences for non-violent media, the market for violent
entertainment will shrink and those in the media industry will get the
message.
7.
Turn Off
the Violence is A FIRST STEP.
Certainly there are a myriad of
influences that shape violent attitudes and behaviors besides the
electronic media. But the increasingly violent images
portrayed on television, in movies, and in music portray violence as an
ordinary and often appropriate way of
resolving conflict, demonstrating power, releasing
emotions, and responding to everything
from sexual desire to boredom to social injustice. Media violence is one
kind of violence we can turn off. Then we can begin to teach our
children appropriate ways of dealing with these challenges.
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