City Exchange Program

City exchanges reinforce the many ways our members inspire one another. Focused exchanges help our members to deeply engage with promising work being done to reduce violence, assess applicability to their own contexts, and develop direct partnerships to advance prevention and peacebuilding.

Previous member exchanges have resulted in meaningful shifts in practice through the adaptation of approaches and methods.

How to propose a city exchange

PiOC members are welcome to suggest an exchange at any time. There is no formal application for member exchange requests, but rather we encourage members to reach out to us with an email that outlines the following. 

1. Details on the purpose of the exchange, including a description of the promising violence reduction efforts in the host city of interest to the guest city, what members hope to achieve during the exchange, and how in-person meetings will help accomplish these goals. 
2. Proposed activities (e.g. who would be people traveling, where, and for what tentative meetings or site visits – some of these details can be developed later, together with a PioC Secretariat member).
3. Expected results or impact.

It is valuable to also include any dialogue thus far that has informed the ideation between both host and visiting members. We will work with members to identify the budget and logistical arrangements; these details do not need to be included in initial outreach from interested members. As with our general approach at PiOC, we value relational development and engagement with our members. 

PiOC members are invited to send the above information either by emailing [email protected] or by reaching out to their PiOC secretariat contact.

How proposals are reviewed

Generally, the PiOC secretariat will consider all requests based on the commitment from both the host and visiting partners to engage deeply in the planning and effort, clearly articulated goals, and the potential to achieve the desired impact from the exchange.

Once this is considered, the PiOC secretariat will work with members to co-develop the exchange, including further identifying goals, participants, key informers who will be included in site visit schedules, and more. Each member exchange will be accompanied by a PiOC secretariat member who will support in the content, learning, and progress toward key outcomes from the exchange. Please understand that not all expressions of interest can result in member exchanges; the PiOC secretariat has a limited number of member exchanges available each year, and we approach each as a unique effort.

Previous exchanges

Bristol & Edmonton

Exchange

Empire Fighting Chance (EFC) (Bristol, U.K.) and REACH (Edmonton, Canada)

Description

Both EFC and REACH Edmonton have been actively involved in the PiOC network, sharing a focus on developing practices of youth engagement and community safety. EFC, an innovative non-contact boxing gym, quickly became a center of violence prevention in Bristol. For EFC, developing an office of violence prevention would help expand their efforts of youth violence prevention. REACH Edmonton offered insights into navigating local collaborations as an organization-based office of violence prevention. Similarly, as both EFC and REACH have a youth-centered focus, EFC’s innovative approach provided valuable insights to the REACH team, particularly for a small group within their network interested in a similar initiative.

Testimony

“Everyone said geez, you know, wouldn’t it be good if REACH Edmonton and Empire Fighting Chance in Bristol were able to do an exchange and really learn from one another? And this is really what the work of PIOC is.”

– Empire Fighting Chance podcast hosts REACH Edmonton’s Jan Fox, September 2024

Reflections from PiOC members

Youth empowerment and violence reduction strategies and approaches
REACH (Edmonton, Canada) to Bristol, U.K.
June 2024

Coordinated Violence Reduction Strategies/Offices of Violence Prevention
Empire Fighting Chance (Bristol, U.K.) to Edmonton, Canada
October 2023