"There is no textbook on how to deal with violence during pandemics."

The virtual panel featured insights from Mayor Oscar Escobar of Palmira, Colombia, who provided our headline quote; Mayor Nan Whaley of Dayton, Ohio; Beatrice Nzovu of the Life & Peace Institute in Nairobi, Kenya; and Bernard Harborne of the World Bank. Peace in Our Cities members Mayor Clara Luz Flores of Escobedo, Mexico, and Mayor Abezoua Jules of the first Arrondissement in Bangui, Central African Republic, also contributed remarks via pre-recorded videos.

Mayor Escobar of Palmira emphasized the importance of a global network during this time to ensure that mayors and civil society actors are able to learn with each other in real time to simultaneously reduce the impact of the virus and lower levels of violence in urban areas. Across very diverse geographic contexts, all the speakers highlighted that this moment is one of opportunity – an opportunity to take the inequities exposed by the pandemic and ensure that response mechanisms address acute public health impacts while also addressing structural inequalities within their communities; transforming their cities into more just and peaceful places to live.

You can view the full session at this link. 

To learn more about Impact:Peace and the Peace in Our Cities Campaign, visit our website.