UX for Good – Chicago, IL (2011)

Carlo Garcia is an intriguing guy. In his words: “My name is Carlo and my mission is to give to charity every day for a year. This mission is built on a belief that you don’t have to be rich in dollars to make a difference, you only need to be rich in spirit. I [...]

“From my opinion the Cease Fire group did a really fabulous job identifying what ways the average person can help cub violence, what type of resources are needed to facilitate the great work Cease fire organization is currently doing and what other services the community needs to help address the problem long-term. I will definitely [...]

UX for Good superstar designer Chiara Ogan gives us an insider’s look to the work of the team tackling urban violence at UXXU 2011. “Our team spent the 14 or so hours we had trying to better understand the problems that CeaseFire has, how they work, and what kind of help they need and want. [...]

Continued brainstorming and discussion have produced a triad of desired actions for Ceasefire: “Educate, Communicate, and Finance.”  One potential pathway for achieving the triad is arming existing organizations with knowledge of Ceasefire to include in their own marketing messages. (Once again – the theme of communication/information design is dominating the brainstorm). Ceasefire’s continued community involvement [...]

Interrupters deal with a variety of circumstances when intervening with violence.  Currently, the knowledge of specific events resides almost exclusively amongst Interrupters, making transfer to the general public difficult. Real-time data gathering could help Interrupters better understand trends in community violence and record the efficacy of their responses.  A simple mobile or web application would [...]

Ceasefire founder Dr. Slutkin and Interrupter (counselors intervening with potential sources of violence) Lamont Evans defined several pathways for moving forward after discussing potential solutions to the challenge of enlisting members from outside of affected communities.  The pathways surround two distinct categories: communicating the Ceasefire message and creating programs to improve the efficiency of interrupters. [...]

Interest in creating programs like Ceasefire to halt urban violence regularly comes from other governments and organizations from across the globe.  The current staff of 20-30 individuals, however, struggles with the amount of labor and communication required to train, implement and execute a program similar to Ceasefire.  Founder Dr. Gary Slutkin believes the interest can [...]

Ceasefire: Treating Violence through Public Health Originally uploaded by ux4good This is Andy Angelos – a community organizer and entrepreneur from Chicago. I will be covering the progress of the Ceasefire team throughout the day. Ceasefire is a national public health strategy designed to reduce urban violence such as shootings and killings. Many feel powerless [...]

Stopping Urban Violence in partnership with CeaseFire Illinois Challenge Overview Each day when we watch the news we’re assaulted with stories of shooting and killing.  The flashing lights of police cars illuminate mothers weeping over the bodies of their dead sons and daughters.  Most of us feel powerless to help reverse the epidemic of violence [...]

Gary Slutkin Day job: Founder and Executive Director, CeaseFire Description: Dr. Slutkin is a physician trained in infectious-disease control and epidemic reversal.  He has worked extensively with tuberculosis and AIDS in both the U.S. and abroad. In 1995, he began working with Chicago leaders to develop a public health–based approach to stopping violence. This new [...]