L.A.V.A. marches to end violence, a documentary debuts (with video)
photo by William J. Dowd
by William J. Dowd
By approximate count, one hundred people joined in solidarity for a youth organized Walk for Peace in downtown Lynn on Saturday, June 26th, raising awareness against violence in the city.
Youth organizers of the walk are members of the Lynn Anti Violence Association (L.A.V.A), a grassroots group committed to a safer more peaceful Lynn, with a focus on young people.
Other organizations that helped in the youth lead endeavor were Massachusetts Children’s Law Center, RAW Art Works, LynnCAM and Straight Ahead Ministries.
In perfect sunny weather, walkers gathered at 10:30 a.m. in front of North Shore Community College to make signs, and then began the walk around noon with a police escort up Market Street, winding around Lynn Common, down Washington Street and into Central Square.
photo by William J. Dowd
Lynners held signs reading “We Shall Over Come,” “Stop Youth Apathy,” “Stop the Violence,” “Peace, Compassion and Kindness,” and many more. Their signs were accompanied by chants that intermittingly went like this: “We want peace, we want peace, we want peace.”
Cinda Danh, one of four youth responsible for organizing the walk, felt personally obligated to take action following the murder of Huy Le, a dear friend of hers. Le was stabbed in Pine Hill’s Gallagher Park back in February of 2010 at the young age of 19. She said Saturday’s walk was in remembrance to him.
Shortly after Huy Le’s murder, a group of four youths banded together to plan an action that became the Walk for Peace. Danh stated that trying to plan the walk didn’t come without difficulty. They struggled with direction and guidance, and ultimately reached out to other organizations and received their support. The group also approached Mayor Judy Flanagan Kennedy in April, who Danh says was happy to oblige their request.
Following the walk, people gathered into a humid RAW Art Works building for a screening of Ken Kinna’s, Ripple Effect: Sons of the Killing Fields. The film is a grim, informative and uplifting documentary telling the story of two rival gang members who’re both Cambodian, and a faith based organization trying to save them from death or the endless cycle of imprisonment.
Pastor Claire Sullivan, director of Straight Ahead Ministries, introduced, the Lynn specific documentary to the crowd of viewers. “Well, we’ve been waiting to unload this film. We’ve been working on it for five years,” said an enthusiastic Sullivan.
Sullivan’s work, since 2002, has been on integrating rival gangs on the basketball court. She also finds members jobs, and gets them involved in anti-poverty initiatives.
In 2002, she was noticing a large population of youth being discharged from prisons in Lynn, and that 19 to 20 percent of youth incarcerated were Cambodian American. Sullivan wanted to better understand the correlation of their involvement in gangs.
photo by William J. Dowd
She wanted to learn about the Cambodian community to better the services of Straight Ahead, but also educate the community.
“Learning and being educated about your community is actually violence prevention,” Sullivan said to the audience.
Thus, came the idea of utilizing film as a way to communicate and educate the about the causes and effects of the gang correlation. Straight Ahead approached LynnCam to collaborate on Sons of the Killing Field five years ago.
Through their investigation they found that a lot of people were misinformed about Cambodia and what its people have endured. “A lot of people were feeling Cambodian parents were neglecting their children by not coming to (school) meetings,” said Sullivan. Through further inquiry she found that Cambodian parents are still recovering from the trauma inflicted on them during the genocide that occurred from 1975 to 1979 by the Khmer Rouge. It has created a language and cultural barrier that still lives to this day here in Lynn.
During the film, audience members were introduced to two rival Cambodian American youth gang members. We follow them and Pastor Claire as we listen and watch the many reasons why youth join gangs in the first place, often times they find identity, along with a support system much like a family, because this is lacking in their home life and parents are too busy working to support them and their siblings.
The one and half hour documentary was well received by those in attendance at RAW Art Works because of its excellent in-depth explanation of youth involved in gangs, its telling of the history of Khmer Rouge, and the ripple effect this now fallen totalitarian government still has on two Cambodian American youth right here in the city of Lynn.
The L.A.V.A. group meets every Monday at LynnCam station from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. “Anyone’s welcome to come, and we encourage it,” said Danh.
Pastor Claire Sullivan speaks to the crowd RAW prior to screening the film she worked on with LynnCAM Executive Director Ken Kinna:
Brief walk footage:
Connect with L.A.V.A. on Facebook by searching Lynn Anti Violence Association.
LynnHappens contributor William J. Dowd is a resident of Swampscott, MA. and works in Lynn. He holds a degree in print journalism from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania.
Thank you for this story. I really wanted to know how the peacewalk went. It looks like it was a great success!! AMEN!! I went to the Cambodian New Year celebration and fell in love with Cambodian Community of Lynn. What a rich, beautiful community. Pastor Claire is an amazing woman; and resource for the youth of Lynn. God bless her and God Bless Lynn!!
I wished I could have participated. 100 people are 100 people and they will tell somebody and they will tell somebody! Keep the messages consistent and flowing as I myself did not hear about this event until 2 days before! Then I posted it on my facebook page (even though LAVA has its own)… the sooner events happen that people know about they can plan to attend!