A Better Philadelphia, Inc. > Mission Statement





	Home Mission Statement History Our Vision Your Vision What Is Youth Violence? Our Team (Staff/Volunteers) Board of Directors National Advisory Committee Get Involved Programs & Services Schedule of ABP Events ABP Marathon Relay What's Goin' On In Philly Make A Donation In The Press Newsletter Testimonials Stories of Change Philly Good News Photographs Links Contact Us	Read our mission statement



		The mission of A Better Philadelphia is fostering youth leadership and creating collaborations among leaders. But what does this mean? For a detailed explanation of our mission statement, please read on... Ending youth violence Our goal is very specific and concrete. We want to see an end to youth violence. We want to eliminate, eradicate, wipe out, destroy, exterminate, stamp out, and remove permanently youth violence. These are pretty strong words and it is a lofty (some may even say impossible!) goal. In all honesty though, decreasing it is not enough. And addressing youth violence - what does this mean? It doesn't really mean anything. We intend to not only do away with youth violence, but we to create a cultural transformation in Philadelphia that does not permit or tolerate violence. Instead we will live in a city that rewards education, promotes opportunities, and celebrates successes. We see Philadelphia without youth violence. We see: "Children and youth are excited to go to school and enjoy learning." "Young people are graduating from school and moving into productive secondary education and career opportunities at record levels." "Youth groups have been significantly re-directed from negative to positive activities and have become "natural helpers" within the community." "Parents are reporting significant personal growth and improved family and teacher relations." " Teachers are more effective with each other, administrative staff, parents and students, and are more satisfied with their jobs." Creating collaborations Trying to do this kind of work alone is so boring! And ineffective. So part of our mission statement asserts that we are forming and creating collaborations to achieve a better Philadelphia. These collaborations can be across and within agencies, schools, parent groups, businesses, health care partners, and more. Instead of working and living with a mentality of scarcity of resources and a culture unnecessary competition, why not explore the possibility of mutual support and an abundance of resources? This is what it could look like… "Agencies, organizations, and businesses are communicating, collaborating, and cooperating with each other." "New relationships, alliances, and sustained partnerships are working effectively to end youth violence and create opportunity." Among leaders We need to bring together our current leadership for more effective and sustained growth in Philadelphia. And we have so many emerging leaders and unidentified leaders who could - and already are in most cases - forging ahead with their creative energy. Let's celebrate these leaders! And let's find more and build more leaders. And let's be thankful for the wonderful organizations that already cultivate our leaders of tomorrow such as Leadership Philadelphia, GPUAC, and the Chamber of Commerce to name a few. What does it look like when a leader has arrived? "The knowledge and skills of community leaders have been mobilized which has allowed all residents to accept personal responsibility, achieve their potential, and create positive and sustained change." How do we end youth violence? To end youth violence, A BETTER PHILADELPHIA asks everyone - especially adults - to be accountable and responsible for their role in creating the current culture in which we live. Youth did not create this current culture of violence, adults did. And we as adults need to create a new, different, and positive Philadelphia. A BETTER PHILADELPHIA's strategy is to get at the root cause of violence. The root cause of violence is the way we think (or don't think). The foundation (root cause) of all human action is human thought. Our thought process forms the foundation on which we build every facet of our lives. Therefore, is it important for each of us to understand how our minds work - how we got the habits, attitudes and beliefs that may stand in the way of creating fulfilling and purposeful lives. Our beliefs and expectations about ourselves, our families, our organizations, our communities - indeed, our world - are directly reflected in our own behaviors. A BETTER PHILADELPHIA provides a variety of programs and services that target destructive and unproductive behaviors at their core, one mind at a time. We work with communities to address violence at its root cause and encourage personal and cultural change. In essence, A BETTER PHILADELPHIA is a new approach to harness the existing critical mass in Philadelphia to bring hope, revive people's spirits, and inspire the determination to create "a new normal" - a Philadelphia region that is safe, healthy, and happy. A similar effort is underway in Los Angeles where community leaders from a variety of sectors have joined hands to create a holistic, root-cause approach.

Contact Information A Better Philadelphia, Inc. PO Box 58132 Philadelphia, PA 19102 T: 215.884.7238 F: 480.247.5277 A Better Philadelphia, Inc. is a non-profit organization serving the Delaware Valley to end youth violence.