Representatives from 22 cities across the U.S. gathered in October 2012 to share advice and to be inspired by the success of the Minneapolis strategic plan to prevent violence. Co-hosted by the Minneapolis Department of Health and Family Support, the UNITY City Network Convening featured site visits and presentations that illustrated the power of a broad-based collaboration to prevent violence, and of a strategic plan grounded in the public health approach. Highlights from the convening are captured in this video created by TVbyGIRLS youth and made possible by UNITY:

In this essay, UNITY Co-Chair Deborah Prothrow-Stith calls on criminal justice to partner with public health and work together to prevent violence before it occurs. Part of The Sentencing Project's 25th anniversary compilation, Deborah's essay calls for a different approach to public safety and shares recommendations that could improve the criminal justice system.

Read the UNITY Advisory Meeting summary to learn the advantages of sparking a social movement that saves lives and fosters thriving youth. Representatives of the UNITY Steering Committee, partner organizations and other leaders gathered at the King Center in Atlanta to explore ways to build and sustain momentum for a public health approach to preventing violence. Six major themes emerged at the December 2011 meeting: Engaging Survivors "Second-Hand Trauma," i.e., understanding how trauma from exposure to violence can impact entire populations, not just individual victims All Violence Is

R.T. Rybak Mayor R.T. Rybak resolved to prevent violence upon leaving a child's funeral, and he has seen first-hand how the public health approach has transformed Minneapolis. Read this UNITY publication for ideas to engage key decision-makers in your city and to learn why Mayor Rybak champions prevention. For more on Minneapolis' efforts, read " Blueprint for Action-Preventing Violence in Minneapolis," also part of UNITY's City Voices and Perspectives publication series.

Comprehensive evidence-based decisions require the best available research, professional insights and contextual realities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's new report Understanding Evidence: Part 1: Best Available Research Evidence provides guidance on implementing prevention strategies and the different types of evidence available to track the success of a prevention initiative. The document introduces the Continuum of Evidence of Effectiveness, a tool developed to facilitate a common language for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers in discussing evidence-based

Looking to prevent violence and not just react after the fact? This UNITY fact sheet highlights how public health adds value to any effort to address violence and complements criminal justice approaches. "Public Health Contributions to Preventing Violence" describes how public health's unique perspective and areas of expertise could strengthen local initiatives.

The circumstances of where and how you are born, grow up, live, work and grow old shape your health. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's issue brief, Exploring the Social Determinates of Health-Violence, Social Disadvantage and Health, documents the way in which the environments we live in work to influence our learning of violence. The article highlights the Prevention Institute's UNITY Policy Platform as an example of a promising strategy to prevent violence by addressing the social factors that make some communities more susceptible to violence than others. Also highlighted is Prevention

The "Social and Economic Costs of Violence-Workshop Summary" released by the Institute of Medicine presents a comprehensive framework for thinking about the impact of violence, exploring costs beyond the direct economic effects of violence. In the Institute of Medicine publication, Rachel Davis, Project Director for UNITY, makes the case for violence prevention as the single most effective way to promote economic development. In addition, UNITY Co-Chair Dr. Deborah Prothrow-Stith highlights the importance of understanding the definition of violence within its cultural context in performing

Part of UNITY's City Voices and Perspectives series, Blueprint for Action-Preventing Violence in Minneapolis demonstrates how developing and implementing a strategic plan grounded in prevention is paying off for Minneapolis. This UNITY publication highlights the effectiveness of the Blueprint for Action, a comprehensive strategic plan to prevent violence in Minneapolis. Violent crime in four prioritized neighborhoods fell by 43 percent in the first two years of the initiative, and the National League of Cities has recognized Minneapolis's approach as one of the most innovative models for

In this City Voices and Perspectives publication, Denver City Councilman Paul D. López describes innovative strategies that simultaneously address both gang violence and the lack of healthy, affordable food in west Denver. The urban farming and mural programs highlighted in City Voices and Perspectives: Paul D. López illustrate how the combination of political will, strong partnerships and a public health approach can transform neighborhoods for the better.