In the March thought leadership series of The Direct Engagement Show we took on the question as to how we can address gun violence. A former gang leader and now successful mother and community social worker with a criminal lawyer and a provincial politician agreed on the remedy. Here is what they had to say:
You can join the debate online on how best to solve the gun violence issue. The Huffington Post has set-up a debate with two of our town hall panelists Cheri DiNovo, MPP of the NDP Party of Ontario and Solomon Friedman, criminal lawyer and head of Firearms Law Canada. The later opposes more gun controls. The blog post is titled:
“Change My Mind: Can Government Solve Toronto’s Gun Violence Problem?” at http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/marni-soupcoff/toronto-gun-violence-debate_b_2908301.html
Latoya Rodney, also a panelist at tonight’s town hall.
In today’s Toronto Sun a telling interview with Latoya Rodney a panelist in our next thought leadership series of town halls entitled “Putting the gunz down.” Here are some excerpts with a link to the article:
“We would do anything that comes along with being in a gang but it was mostly because we were so oppressed and had no opportunities that those things were entertainment,” Rodney explained.
But now, she’s an accomplished motivational speaker, a mother planning to get married soon and the co-founder of an organization that is making a difference with at-risk young Torontonians
She first decided to make a change back in 2006, not long after her brother was murdered during the infamous 2005 Year of the Gun.
“He was shot 18 times and then my best friend was killed the following month,” Rodney said. “At that point I was tired of fighting and I was tired of retaliating. I just wanted to change my life.”
Latoya Rodney
Compliments of the Toronto Sun: http://www.torontosun.com/2013/03/15/ex-female-gang-member-uses-experience-to-help-torontos-at-risk-youth
The Direct Engagement Show with Executive Producer Stefan Lialias organized a casino town hall on February 19, 2013. It was the only casino town hall to have a casino executive take questions live from the audience, MGM’s Alan Feldman, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs. In this clip the panelists are held to short opening statements why or why not they think Toronto should have a casino.
Alan Feldman, Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for MGM Resorts International told our town hall audience last night that he too would oppose a casino in Toronto if it were just to be about gambling. Here is a clip of what he said on why Toronto should have a casino:
Last night The Direct Engagement Show held a town hall at Revival on the casino question in Toronto. A standing room only audience passionately engaged a panel that for the first time included an actual casino executive taking questions from the public. Media was out covering the event with a clip at the following link from CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2013/02/19/toronto-casino-town-hall.html
Casino town hall panel.
The video highlights are of the first The Direct Engagement Show a thought leadership series of passionate unscripted discussion between politicians, business, media and the public in a live inclusive forum.
On January 22nd, 2013 in a town hall held at the ‘Revival’ George Smitherman host of this Direct Engagement Show community hall produced by Stefan Lialias posed the question “Has Toronto’s political leadership failed the city?” Here are some photos of the show. The video will be published soon.
Passionate Engagement
Preceding our January 22nd town hall with host George Smitherman and other panelists on ‘Has Toronto’s political leadership failed the city?’; we invited various people to express their opinion. A number of people declined from Toronto City Councillors to the heads of the TTC and the Toronto Board of Trade. Those citizens that expressed their opinions were as follows:
1. Ivor Tossell, Journalist & Author of ‘The Gift of Ford’: “City needs to play straight with the citizens…engage citizens in the ‘real’ story.”
2. Cathy Crowe, Street Nurse & Author of ‘Dying for a Home’: “It’s really important that the Mayor has the qualities of heart.”
3. Doc von Lichtenberg, Small Business Owner, ‘Doc’s Leathers’: “…a shit disturber, somebody who could look into the little guy’s eyes and tell him that I’m going to listen and take into consideration what your needs are…”
During The Direct Engagement Show 2010 mayoral debate at The Gladstone Hotel the candidates were asked what their number one weakness was. Rob Ford and our own George Smitherman responded with the other mayoral candidates: