The Somali Mothers Movement, a local anti-violence movement made up of Somali mothers in Toronto, recently met with the Toronto Police Services Board to discuss gun violence in the city. The group of mothers have been meeting every Saturday for the past four years to discuss various issues concerning the youth in the city.

In the form of a presentation entitled “Mending a Crack in the Sky”, the group addressed the police and shared ways in which they could work together to counter violence and improve their respective communities relationship with the police.

According to the mothers, gun violence in the city has become a “crisis”, hence urging the police to work together in order to counter violence and improve the safety of their neighbourhoods.

The group has created a position of “mother outreach worker” due to the number of mothers in the group who have lost sons to violence.

Shamso Elmi, a member of the group who lost her son to violence, told local media: “We came to this country for peace and justice. That’s what we are looking for. And still we are looking for peace and justice and equality too”.

During the presentation made by the group, the mothers shared that they carried out community safety consultations in various neighbourhoods, resulting in them meeting more than 100 mothers in Toronto.

According to CBC News, Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders stated that the police need to “get it right” on the concerns presented by the group.

*This article was originally posted on our previous website on 1st August 2019.